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The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 2
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
THE FIVE PILLARS OF GUARANTEED BUSINESS SUCCESS
or
How to Make More Money From Your Business by Working Less
Preface
This edition of The FivePillars of Guaranteed Business Success is a preview of the
best selling book
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo
By Dr Greg Chapman
The retail version of this book is a step-by-step guide on how to grow your business
includes a small business case study and comes with a $100 of downloadable business
tools It was a finalist in the international Indie Business Book Awards
Options you can choose that will Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run
Without You include
bull Order the complete hardcopy edition of this best selling book
bull Check out the Small Business Success Club
bull Request a Complementary Business Evaluation
Even if you choose not to take any of these options donrsquot let this be another eBook on
your hard drive that you never read This preview on its own provides you with the key
concepts to transforming your business but knowledge is only of value when it is used
May You Business be as You Plan It
Dr Greg Chapman
CEO- The Empower Business Solutions amp The Australian Business Coaching Club
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 3
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Introduction
To have a successful business you need to address the underlying business problems
that cause ALL business failures The cause of business failure is ALWAYS one or
more of the following hellip
bull No business structure in place
bull No achievable dividend (profit) objective
bull No sales and marketing systems or procedures for achieving the dividend objective
bull Running the business tactically not strategically
bull No staff training program in place
Unless you eliminate all these causes you will never have control and your business
will never set you free It will imprison you and eventually it will die So these are the
areas of your business you must address to prosper in good times and bad
In order to succeed in business you must first understand what makes successful
businesses work Successful businesses donrsquot just happen They are MADE to
happen All effective and profitable businesses share three basic strengths
bull They are totally sales and profit oriented
bull They use effective people systems and methods
bull They sell quality products and services that someone actually wants to buy
Your profit will depend on FOUR things
bull Your available marketplace (potential customers)
bull Your ability to create selling opportunities from that market
bull Your and your staffrsquos business sales and marketing skills
bull Your ability to contain costs and increase margins
In 99 of businesses there is no lack of marketplace opportunity but there is a lack
of system method and developed skills (habits) As your skills systems and methods
improve Your work decreases and your results will increase The Four Pillars of
your business success are
bull Business Plan
bull Marketing Plan
bull Business Systems
bull People Systems
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
However most business owners donrsquot have a good understanding of where there
business is and what are the priorities In an ideal world you would attack all four
Pillars together but owners usually donrsquot have the time (or patience) to do that So if
you can only do one at a time understanding which you should tackle first is essential
Business Growth Where is Your Business
Business growth is essential for survival If your business is not growing it is in
decline The chart above shows what happens to every business big and small The
years might be longer for some and the turnover will vary but all businesses follow a
growth curve like an upside-down bowl
Where is your business on this curve At different times you will have different
business needs When you understand where your business is in its life you will
understand its development needs
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Start-up Businesses
Prior to Start-up the focus of the Business Owner should prepare a Business Plan A
detailed plan will ensure that the owner will understand the risks of their new venture
and have strategies to manage them to make sure that their business has a flying start
Empower Business Solutions provides a Business Consulting service to prepare
business plans or you can do it yourself with our Business Plan Template
Once the business has commenced operations the owner has two big areas of concern
bull Survival
bull How to get more Customers
From the owners perspective the best chance of survival is by bringing in more
customers Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Start-
up Businesses
bull Marketing Audit
bull Business Success Made Easy (Retail)
bull How to Get More Customers (Business-to-Business)
These low cost programs are guaranteed to produce quick results utilising smart
marketing strategies which require little outlay
Young Businesses
Businesses enter this phase when the owner no longer needs to look over their shoulder
all the time The business is not just surviving it is growing They know the business
of basics that no degree will prepare you for But now they are impatient
The owners ask
bull How can I accelerate my sales growth
bull How can I make my business more efficient
At this stage of a business life the owner understands not everyone can be their
customer And even more importantly they dont want everyone to be their customer
But how to choose The answer is to have a Marketing System- not just ads that get
the phone to ring And they are now starting to look at how they can improve the
operational aspects of their business In the past this was not an issue as they werent
that busy with customers But it is an issue now
The business is growing quickly even if somewhat erratically Year on year business
is good although there seem little consistency and predictability of profit Marketing
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
efforts produce good results but are volatile What is missing is a systematic approach
to producing and managing sales
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Young
Businesses
bull The Small Business Profit Driver Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Businesses with Growing Pains
All business reach a stage where they are victims of their success They dont want any
more customers They are struggling to handle the customers they have Until this time
inefficiencies in their business could be handled because they had spare capacity But
now they are operating flat out The owner is working extra hours just to cover the
gaps Customer service is starting to suffer They are making a lot of money but not
that much profit
At this time growth slows The focus now is on business systems that will allow the
owner to take back control of their business They need to be able to delegate to others
or outsource non-core parts of their business But without business systems they would
be unable to do this and maintain quality
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses with
Growing Pains
bull Small Business Systems amp Strategies Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Maturity
Maturity is a very dangerous time for a business This is the point at which the owner
is comfortable with their achievements Their business is running smoothly While
sales have started to plateau their profits may still be increasing because they are
getting better at doing what they do The owner has decided that their business is at the
right size they dont want it to grow larger The owner is in their comfort zone They
see opportunities to increase their profits incrementally but they see no need to make
significant changes in their business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The reason this is a dangerous time is that the owner has taken their foot off the
accelerator and is starting to coast You can never coast in business The success of
your business is dependent on constant renewal New products and services new
customers new ways of delivering your service If you dont invest in constantly
rejuvenating your business your business will be in decline At first it might still appear
to grow (from the momentum of earlier efforts) But after a time the sales start to
plateau You start to lose some of your older customers It becomes more difficult to
get new customers
But in your sector some seem to survive and prosper- what have they done They have
made a commitment to take make their business survive This does not necessarily
mean to grow But if they do nothing they would decline They are looking at ways of
keeping their business fresh and replenishing their assets
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses at
Maturity
bull The Business Success Program
bull Business Coaching Program
The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Decay
Businesses start to decay while they appear to be on plateau However at some point
significant and consistent falls in sales start to occur due to the owner ceasing to invest
in the renewal of their business
At some point the business starts to lay off staff and reduce their services until they
only have a few customers and staff remaining Friends really They may even continue
for some time while making losses out of habit and perhaps pride The owner may
start to look for someone to buy their business but there is nothing to sell They are
their business
They start to blame the economy the government imports staff even customers
Turnaround at this point is rare Although not impossible Business Coaching can help
but the type of changes necessary are radical and can be costly Such changes require
a commitment that most owners at this stage no longer have After all if you believe
someone else is to blame you also believe that its up to someone else to do something
not you So all their efforts are focused on the impossible task of making everyone else
change rather than the simpler (if not easy) task of changing themselves
Empower Business Solutions advice is to recognise the symptoms at Maturity before
reaching this phase
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Moment of Truth
Once a business has overcome its Growing Pains and started to implement systems
that take out some of the stress the business owner reaches a zone of comfort Their
business is running smoothly and is generating reasonable profit They have reached
the cusp of their comfort zone and a Moment of Truth They can continue as they are
(My business is just the right size for me I dont want it to grow any larger) or they
may choose after consolidating their business to take their business to the next level
in size and profitability
If they choose to keep things as they are they move into the so called Maturity phase
(see above) of their business which has its own risks
When seeking a Second Youth for their business significant changes in strategy are
required Although they have achieved much just in reaching this stage the business
has started to plateau and different approaches and skills become necessary What has
worked in the past will only deliver more of the same at best At this stage the owner
is looking for advice in driving their business forward The plateau has become a
ceiling
Empower Business Solutions recognises this is a critical point in the life of any
business and works with many owners at this stage The areas of our focus for owners
at the Moment of Truth are
bull the development of a new marketing strategy that will refocus their business and
bull management systems that enable the business to run without the owner an
essential step for an exit strategy
At the Moment of Truth Business Coaching for skill development in all aspects of
business but with a particular focus on business strategy and management
systems provides the right solution The owner understands the business fundamentals
at this stage and wants to learn what businesses they admire have already learnt
At the Moment of Truth business strategy is more important than at any other time of
a business life apart from business start-up Empower Business Solutions tailors
programs for this specific stage in the life of a business To find out more about these
programs please contact us for a Free Consultation on your business needs
Second Youth
For business owners who have decided to continue to grow and acted to obtain the
knowledge to break through the ceiling their business achieves a Second Youth This
is an exciting time for any business Profits start to soar But the owner is now playing
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
in a whole new league Major industry players will start to notice the emergence of a
new competitor and start to take appropriate market action
The investment is now at a higher level and there are more stakeholders in the business
The owner in this phase is also aware the business cycle will repeat itself as the Second
Youth gives way to new Growing Pains and approaches a higher Moment of Truth
Owners in their Second Youth dont claim to know everything but they now know
what they dont know And they know the importance of advice From mentoring to
specialist advice as their business expands into new areas As the value of your business
grows so does what is at stake The need to protect this investment becomes critical
Empower Business Solutions provides advice and support to owners who have reached
this stage However we dont claim to know everything and will readily refer you to
our network of specialist advisors when necessary Please contact us for a
complimentary Business Evaluation on how we can help your business continue to
grow
Where is Your Business
Once you know where you are in the business cycle you can set your priorities for
developing the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success In this Preview edition
we focus on the first 4 of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success The fifth
is revealed in the hardcopy version of this best selling book which can be ordered at
wwwFivePillarsBusinessSuccesscom
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 10
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 14
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 19
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
THE FIVE PILLARS OF GUARANTEED BUSINESS SUCCESS
or
How to Make More Money From Your Business by Working Less
Preface
This edition of The FivePillars of Guaranteed Business Success is a preview of the
best selling book
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo
By Dr Greg Chapman
The retail version of this book is a step-by-step guide on how to grow your business
includes a small business case study and comes with a $100 of downloadable business
tools It was a finalist in the international Indie Business Book Awards
Options you can choose that will Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run
Without You include
bull Order the complete hardcopy edition of this best selling book
bull Check out the Small Business Success Club
bull Request a Complementary Business Evaluation
Even if you choose not to take any of these options donrsquot let this be another eBook on
your hard drive that you never read This preview on its own provides you with the key
concepts to transforming your business but knowledge is only of value when it is used
May You Business be as You Plan It
Dr Greg Chapman
CEO- The Empower Business Solutions amp The Australian Business Coaching Club
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 3
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Introduction
To have a successful business you need to address the underlying business problems
that cause ALL business failures The cause of business failure is ALWAYS one or
more of the following hellip
bull No business structure in place
bull No achievable dividend (profit) objective
bull No sales and marketing systems or procedures for achieving the dividend objective
bull Running the business tactically not strategically
bull No staff training program in place
Unless you eliminate all these causes you will never have control and your business
will never set you free It will imprison you and eventually it will die So these are the
areas of your business you must address to prosper in good times and bad
In order to succeed in business you must first understand what makes successful
businesses work Successful businesses donrsquot just happen They are MADE to
happen All effective and profitable businesses share three basic strengths
bull They are totally sales and profit oriented
bull They use effective people systems and methods
bull They sell quality products and services that someone actually wants to buy
Your profit will depend on FOUR things
bull Your available marketplace (potential customers)
bull Your ability to create selling opportunities from that market
bull Your and your staffrsquos business sales and marketing skills
bull Your ability to contain costs and increase margins
In 99 of businesses there is no lack of marketplace opportunity but there is a lack
of system method and developed skills (habits) As your skills systems and methods
improve Your work decreases and your results will increase The Four Pillars of
your business success are
bull Business Plan
bull Marketing Plan
bull Business Systems
bull People Systems
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
However most business owners donrsquot have a good understanding of where there
business is and what are the priorities In an ideal world you would attack all four
Pillars together but owners usually donrsquot have the time (or patience) to do that So if
you can only do one at a time understanding which you should tackle first is essential
Business Growth Where is Your Business
Business growth is essential for survival If your business is not growing it is in
decline The chart above shows what happens to every business big and small The
years might be longer for some and the turnover will vary but all businesses follow a
growth curve like an upside-down bowl
Where is your business on this curve At different times you will have different
business needs When you understand where your business is in its life you will
understand its development needs
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Start-up Businesses
Prior to Start-up the focus of the Business Owner should prepare a Business Plan A
detailed plan will ensure that the owner will understand the risks of their new venture
and have strategies to manage them to make sure that their business has a flying start
Empower Business Solutions provides a Business Consulting service to prepare
business plans or you can do it yourself with our Business Plan Template
Once the business has commenced operations the owner has two big areas of concern
bull Survival
bull How to get more Customers
From the owners perspective the best chance of survival is by bringing in more
customers Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Start-
up Businesses
bull Marketing Audit
bull Business Success Made Easy (Retail)
bull How to Get More Customers (Business-to-Business)
These low cost programs are guaranteed to produce quick results utilising smart
marketing strategies which require little outlay
Young Businesses
Businesses enter this phase when the owner no longer needs to look over their shoulder
all the time The business is not just surviving it is growing They know the business
of basics that no degree will prepare you for But now they are impatient
The owners ask
bull How can I accelerate my sales growth
bull How can I make my business more efficient
At this stage of a business life the owner understands not everyone can be their
customer And even more importantly they dont want everyone to be their customer
But how to choose The answer is to have a Marketing System- not just ads that get
the phone to ring And they are now starting to look at how they can improve the
operational aspects of their business In the past this was not an issue as they werent
that busy with customers But it is an issue now
The business is growing quickly even if somewhat erratically Year on year business
is good although there seem little consistency and predictability of profit Marketing
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 6
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
efforts produce good results but are volatile What is missing is a systematic approach
to producing and managing sales
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Young
Businesses
bull The Small Business Profit Driver Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Businesses with Growing Pains
All business reach a stage where they are victims of their success They dont want any
more customers They are struggling to handle the customers they have Until this time
inefficiencies in their business could be handled because they had spare capacity But
now they are operating flat out The owner is working extra hours just to cover the
gaps Customer service is starting to suffer They are making a lot of money but not
that much profit
At this time growth slows The focus now is on business systems that will allow the
owner to take back control of their business They need to be able to delegate to others
or outsource non-core parts of their business But without business systems they would
be unable to do this and maintain quality
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses with
Growing Pains
bull Small Business Systems amp Strategies Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Maturity
Maturity is a very dangerous time for a business This is the point at which the owner
is comfortable with their achievements Their business is running smoothly While
sales have started to plateau their profits may still be increasing because they are
getting better at doing what they do The owner has decided that their business is at the
right size they dont want it to grow larger The owner is in their comfort zone They
see opportunities to increase their profits incrementally but they see no need to make
significant changes in their business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The reason this is a dangerous time is that the owner has taken their foot off the
accelerator and is starting to coast You can never coast in business The success of
your business is dependent on constant renewal New products and services new
customers new ways of delivering your service If you dont invest in constantly
rejuvenating your business your business will be in decline At first it might still appear
to grow (from the momentum of earlier efforts) But after a time the sales start to
plateau You start to lose some of your older customers It becomes more difficult to
get new customers
But in your sector some seem to survive and prosper- what have they done They have
made a commitment to take make their business survive This does not necessarily
mean to grow But if they do nothing they would decline They are looking at ways of
keeping their business fresh and replenishing their assets
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses at
Maturity
bull The Business Success Program
bull Business Coaching Program
The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Decay
Businesses start to decay while they appear to be on plateau However at some point
significant and consistent falls in sales start to occur due to the owner ceasing to invest
in the renewal of their business
At some point the business starts to lay off staff and reduce their services until they
only have a few customers and staff remaining Friends really They may even continue
for some time while making losses out of habit and perhaps pride The owner may
start to look for someone to buy their business but there is nothing to sell They are
their business
They start to blame the economy the government imports staff even customers
Turnaround at this point is rare Although not impossible Business Coaching can help
but the type of changes necessary are radical and can be costly Such changes require
a commitment that most owners at this stage no longer have After all if you believe
someone else is to blame you also believe that its up to someone else to do something
not you So all their efforts are focused on the impossible task of making everyone else
change rather than the simpler (if not easy) task of changing themselves
Empower Business Solutions advice is to recognise the symptoms at Maturity before
reaching this phase
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Moment of Truth
Once a business has overcome its Growing Pains and started to implement systems
that take out some of the stress the business owner reaches a zone of comfort Their
business is running smoothly and is generating reasonable profit They have reached
the cusp of their comfort zone and a Moment of Truth They can continue as they are
(My business is just the right size for me I dont want it to grow any larger) or they
may choose after consolidating their business to take their business to the next level
in size and profitability
If they choose to keep things as they are they move into the so called Maturity phase
(see above) of their business which has its own risks
When seeking a Second Youth for their business significant changes in strategy are
required Although they have achieved much just in reaching this stage the business
has started to plateau and different approaches and skills become necessary What has
worked in the past will only deliver more of the same at best At this stage the owner
is looking for advice in driving their business forward The plateau has become a
ceiling
Empower Business Solutions recognises this is a critical point in the life of any
business and works with many owners at this stage The areas of our focus for owners
at the Moment of Truth are
bull the development of a new marketing strategy that will refocus their business and
bull management systems that enable the business to run without the owner an
essential step for an exit strategy
At the Moment of Truth Business Coaching for skill development in all aspects of
business but with a particular focus on business strategy and management
systems provides the right solution The owner understands the business fundamentals
at this stage and wants to learn what businesses they admire have already learnt
At the Moment of Truth business strategy is more important than at any other time of
a business life apart from business start-up Empower Business Solutions tailors
programs for this specific stage in the life of a business To find out more about these
programs please contact us for a Free Consultation on your business needs
Second Youth
For business owners who have decided to continue to grow and acted to obtain the
knowledge to break through the ceiling their business achieves a Second Youth This
is an exciting time for any business Profits start to soar But the owner is now playing
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
in a whole new league Major industry players will start to notice the emergence of a
new competitor and start to take appropriate market action
The investment is now at a higher level and there are more stakeholders in the business
The owner in this phase is also aware the business cycle will repeat itself as the Second
Youth gives way to new Growing Pains and approaches a higher Moment of Truth
Owners in their Second Youth dont claim to know everything but they now know
what they dont know And they know the importance of advice From mentoring to
specialist advice as their business expands into new areas As the value of your business
grows so does what is at stake The need to protect this investment becomes critical
Empower Business Solutions provides advice and support to owners who have reached
this stage However we dont claim to know everything and will readily refer you to
our network of specialist advisors when necessary Please contact us for a
complimentary Business Evaluation on how we can help your business continue to
grow
Where is Your Business
Once you know where you are in the business cycle you can set your priorities for
developing the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success In this Preview edition
we focus on the first 4 of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success The fifth
is revealed in the hardcopy version of this best selling book which can be ordered at
wwwFivePillarsBusinessSuccesscom
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 10
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
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An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
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Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
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When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Introduction
To have a successful business you need to address the underlying business problems
that cause ALL business failures The cause of business failure is ALWAYS one or
more of the following hellip
bull No business structure in place
bull No achievable dividend (profit) objective
bull No sales and marketing systems or procedures for achieving the dividend objective
bull Running the business tactically not strategically
bull No staff training program in place
Unless you eliminate all these causes you will never have control and your business
will never set you free It will imprison you and eventually it will die So these are the
areas of your business you must address to prosper in good times and bad
In order to succeed in business you must first understand what makes successful
businesses work Successful businesses donrsquot just happen They are MADE to
happen All effective and profitable businesses share three basic strengths
bull They are totally sales and profit oriented
bull They use effective people systems and methods
bull They sell quality products and services that someone actually wants to buy
Your profit will depend on FOUR things
bull Your available marketplace (potential customers)
bull Your ability to create selling opportunities from that market
bull Your and your staffrsquos business sales and marketing skills
bull Your ability to contain costs and increase margins
In 99 of businesses there is no lack of marketplace opportunity but there is a lack
of system method and developed skills (habits) As your skills systems and methods
improve Your work decreases and your results will increase The Four Pillars of
your business success are
bull Business Plan
bull Marketing Plan
bull Business Systems
bull People Systems
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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However most business owners donrsquot have a good understanding of where there
business is and what are the priorities In an ideal world you would attack all four
Pillars together but owners usually donrsquot have the time (or patience) to do that So if
you can only do one at a time understanding which you should tackle first is essential
Business Growth Where is Your Business
Business growth is essential for survival If your business is not growing it is in
decline The chart above shows what happens to every business big and small The
years might be longer for some and the turnover will vary but all businesses follow a
growth curve like an upside-down bowl
Where is your business on this curve At different times you will have different
business needs When you understand where your business is in its life you will
understand its development needs
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Start-up Businesses
Prior to Start-up the focus of the Business Owner should prepare a Business Plan A
detailed plan will ensure that the owner will understand the risks of their new venture
and have strategies to manage them to make sure that their business has a flying start
Empower Business Solutions provides a Business Consulting service to prepare
business plans or you can do it yourself with our Business Plan Template
Once the business has commenced operations the owner has two big areas of concern
bull Survival
bull How to get more Customers
From the owners perspective the best chance of survival is by bringing in more
customers Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Start-
up Businesses
bull Marketing Audit
bull Business Success Made Easy (Retail)
bull How to Get More Customers (Business-to-Business)
These low cost programs are guaranteed to produce quick results utilising smart
marketing strategies which require little outlay
Young Businesses
Businesses enter this phase when the owner no longer needs to look over their shoulder
all the time The business is not just surviving it is growing They know the business
of basics that no degree will prepare you for But now they are impatient
The owners ask
bull How can I accelerate my sales growth
bull How can I make my business more efficient
At this stage of a business life the owner understands not everyone can be their
customer And even more importantly they dont want everyone to be their customer
But how to choose The answer is to have a Marketing System- not just ads that get
the phone to ring And they are now starting to look at how they can improve the
operational aspects of their business In the past this was not an issue as they werent
that busy with customers But it is an issue now
The business is growing quickly even if somewhat erratically Year on year business
is good although there seem little consistency and predictability of profit Marketing
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
efforts produce good results but are volatile What is missing is a systematic approach
to producing and managing sales
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Young
Businesses
bull The Small Business Profit Driver Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Businesses with Growing Pains
All business reach a stage where they are victims of their success They dont want any
more customers They are struggling to handle the customers they have Until this time
inefficiencies in their business could be handled because they had spare capacity But
now they are operating flat out The owner is working extra hours just to cover the
gaps Customer service is starting to suffer They are making a lot of money but not
that much profit
At this time growth slows The focus now is on business systems that will allow the
owner to take back control of their business They need to be able to delegate to others
or outsource non-core parts of their business But without business systems they would
be unable to do this and maintain quality
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses with
Growing Pains
bull Small Business Systems amp Strategies Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Maturity
Maturity is a very dangerous time for a business This is the point at which the owner
is comfortable with their achievements Their business is running smoothly While
sales have started to plateau their profits may still be increasing because they are
getting better at doing what they do The owner has decided that their business is at the
right size they dont want it to grow larger The owner is in their comfort zone They
see opportunities to increase their profits incrementally but they see no need to make
significant changes in their business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The reason this is a dangerous time is that the owner has taken their foot off the
accelerator and is starting to coast You can never coast in business The success of
your business is dependent on constant renewal New products and services new
customers new ways of delivering your service If you dont invest in constantly
rejuvenating your business your business will be in decline At first it might still appear
to grow (from the momentum of earlier efforts) But after a time the sales start to
plateau You start to lose some of your older customers It becomes more difficult to
get new customers
But in your sector some seem to survive and prosper- what have they done They have
made a commitment to take make their business survive This does not necessarily
mean to grow But if they do nothing they would decline They are looking at ways of
keeping their business fresh and replenishing their assets
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses at
Maturity
bull The Business Success Program
bull Business Coaching Program
The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Decay
Businesses start to decay while they appear to be on plateau However at some point
significant and consistent falls in sales start to occur due to the owner ceasing to invest
in the renewal of their business
At some point the business starts to lay off staff and reduce their services until they
only have a few customers and staff remaining Friends really They may even continue
for some time while making losses out of habit and perhaps pride The owner may
start to look for someone to buy their business but there is nothing to sell They are
their business
They start to blame the economy the government imports staff even customers
Turnaround at this point is rare Although not impossible Business Coaching can help
but the type of changes necessary are radical and can be costly Such changes require
a commitment that most owners at this stage no longer have After all if you believe
someone else is to blame you also believe that its up to someone else to do something
not you So all their efforts are focused on the impossible task of making everyone else
change rather than the simpler (if not easy) task of changing themselves
Empower Business Solutions advice is to recognise the symptoms at Maturity before
reaching this phase
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Moment of Truth
Once a business has overcome its Growing Pains and started to implement systems
that take out some of the stress the business owner reaches a zone of comfort Their
business is running smoothly and is generating reasonable profit They have reached
the cusp of their comfort zone and a Moment of Truth They can continue as they are
(My business is just the right size for me I dont want it to grow any larger) or they
may choose after consolidating their business to take their business to the next level
in size and profitability
If they choose to keep things as they are they move into the so called Maturity phase
(see above) of their business which has its own risks
When seeking a Second Youth for their business significant changes in strategy are
required Although they have achieved much just in reaching this stage the business
has started to plateau and different approaches and skills become necessary What has
worked in the past will only deliver more of the same at best At this stage the owner
is looking for advice in driving their business forward The plateau has become a
ceiling
Empower Business Solutions recognises this is a critical point in the life of any
business and works with many owners at this stage The areas of our focus for owners
at the Moment of Truth are
bull the development of a new marketing strategy that will refocus their business and
bull management systems that enable the business to run without the owner an
essential step for an exit strategy
At the Moment of Truth Business Coaching for skill development in all aspects of
business but with a particular focus on business strategy and management
systems provides the right solution The owner understands the business fundamentals
at this stage and wants to learn what businesses they admire have already learnt
At the Moment of Truth business strategy is more important than at any other time of
a business life apart from business start-up Empower Business Solutions tailors
programs for this specific stage in the life of a business To find out more about these
programs please contact us for a Free Consultation on your business needs
Second Youth
For business owners who have decided to continue to grow and acted to obtain the
knowledge to break through the ceiling their business achieves a Second Youth This
is an exciting time for any business Profits start to soar But the owner is now playing
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
in a whole new league Major industry players will start to notice the emergence of a
new competitor and start to take appropriate market action
The investment is now at a higher level and there are more stakeholders in the business
The owner in this phase is also aware the business cycle will repeat itself as the Second
Youth gives way to new Growing Pains and approaches a higher Moment of Truth
Owners in their Second Youth dont claim to know everything but they now know
what they dont know And they know the importance of advice From mentoring to
specialist advice as their business expands into new areas As the value of your business
grows so does what is at stake The need to protect this investment becomes critical
Empower Business Solutions provides advice and support to owners who have reached
this stage However we dont claim to know everything and will readily refer you to
our network of specialist advisors when necessary Please contact us for a
complimentary Business Evaluation on how we can help your business continue to
grow
Where is Your Business
Once you know where you are in the business cycle you can set your priorities for
developing the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success In this Preview edition
we focus on the first 4 of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success The fifth
is revealed in the hardcopy version of this best selling book which can be ordered at
wwwFivePillarsBusinessSuccesscom
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wwwempowersolutionscomau 10
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
However most business owners donrsquot have a good understanding of where there
business is and what are the priorities In an ideal world you would attack all four
Pillars together but owners usually donrsquot have the time (or patience) to do that So if
you can only do one at a time understanding which you should tackle first is essential
Business Growth Where is Your Business
Business growth is essential for survival If your business is not growing it is in
decline The chart above shows what happens to every business big and small The
years might be longer for some and the turnover will vary but all businesses follow a
growth curve like an upside-down bowl
Where is your business on this curve At different times you will have different
business needs When you understand where your business is in its life you will
understand its development needs
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Start-up Businesses
Prior to Start-up the focus of the Business Owner should prepare a Business Plan A
detailed plan will ensure that the owner will understand the risks of their new venture
and have strategies to manage them to make sure that their business has a flying start
Empower Business Solutions provides a Business Consulting service to prepare
business plans or you can do it yourself with our Business Plan Template
Once the business has commenced operations the owner has two big areas of concern
bull Survival
bull How to get more Customers
From the owners perspective the best chance of survival is by bringing in more
customers Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Start-
up Businesses
bull Marketing Audit
bull Business Success Made Easy (Retail)
bull How to Get More Customers (Business-to-Business)
These low cost programs are guaranteed to produce quick results utilising smart
marketing strategies which require little outlay
Young Businesses
Businesses enter this phase when the owner no longer needs to look over their shoulder
all the time The business is not just surviving it is growing They know the business
of basics that no degree will prepare you for But now they are impatient
The owners ask
bull How can I accelerate my sales growth
bull How can I make my business more efficient
At this stage of a business life the owner understands not everyone can be their
customer And even more importantly they dont want everyone to be their customer
But how to choose The answer is to have a Marketing System- not just ads that get
the phone to ring And they are now starting to look at how they can improve the
operational aspects of their business In the past this was not an issue as they werent
that busy with customers But it is an issue now
The business is growing quickly even if somewhat erratically Year on year business
is good although there seem little consistency and predictability of profit Marketing
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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efforts produce good results but are volatile What is missing is a systematic approach
to producing and managing sales
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Young
Businesses
bull The Small Business Profit Driver Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Businesses with Growing Pains
All business reach a stage where they are victims of their success They dont want any
more customers They are struggling to handle the customers they have Until this time
inefficiencies in their business could be handled because they had spare capacity But
now they are operating flat out The owner is working extra hours just to cover the
gaps Customer service is starting to suffer They are making a lot of money but not
that much profit
At this time growth slows The focus now is on business systems that will allow the
owner to take back control of their business They need to be able to delegate to others
or outsource non-core parts of their business But without business systems they would
be unable to do this and maintain quality
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses with
Growing Pains
bull Small Business Systems amp Strategies Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Maturity
Maturity is a very dangerous time for a business This is the point at which the owner
is comfortable with their achievements Their business is running smoothly While
sales have started to plateau their profits may still be increasing because they are
getting better at doing what they do The owner has decided that their business is at the
right size they dont want it to grow larger The owner is in their comfort zone They
see opportunities to increase their profits incrementally but they see no need to make
significant changes in their business
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The reason this is a dangerous time is that the owner has taken their foot off the
accelerator and is starting to coast You can never coast in business The success of
your business is dependent on constant renewal New products and services new
customers new ways of delivering your service If you dont invest in constantly
rejuvenating your business your business will be in decline At first it might still appear
to grow (from the momentum of earlier efforts) But after a time the sales start to
plateau You start to lose some of your older customers It becomes more difficult to
get new customers
But in your sector some seem to survive and prosper- what have they done They have
made a commitment to take make their business survive This does not necessarily
mean to grow But if they do nothing they would decline They are looking at ways of
keeping their business fresh and replenishing their assets
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses at
Maturity
bull The Business Success Program
bull Business Coaching Program
The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Decay
Businesses start to decay while they appear to be on plateau However at some point
significant and consistent falls in sales start to occur due to the owner ceasing to invest
in the renewal of their business
At some point the business starts to lay off staff and reduce their services until they
only have a few customers and staff remaining Friends really They may even continue
for some time while making losses out of habit and perhaps pride The owner may
start to look for someone to buy their business but there is nothing to sell They are
their business
They start to blame the economy the government imports staff even customers
Turnaround at this point is rare Although not impossible Business Coaching can help
but the type of changes necessary are radical and can be costly Such changes require
a commitment that most owners at this stage no longer have After all if you believe
someone else is to blame you also believe that its up to someone else to do something
not you So all their efforts are focused on the impossible task of making everyone else
change rather than the simpler (if not easy) task of changing themselves
Empower Business Solutions advice is to recognise the symptoms at Maturity before
reaching this phase
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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The Moment of Truth
Once a business has overcome its Growing Pains and started to implement systems
that take out some of the stress the business owner reaches a zone of comfort Their
business is running smoothly and is generating reasonable profit They have reached
the cusp of their comfort zone and a Moment of Truth They can continue as they are
(My business is just the right size for me I dont want it to grow any larger) or they
may choose after consolidating their business to take their business to the next level
in size and profitability
If they choose to keep things as they are they move into the so called Maturity phase
(see above) of their business which has its own risks
When seeking a Second Youth for their business significant changes in strategy are
required Although they have achieved much just in reaching this stage the business
has started to plateau and different approaches and skills become necessary What has
worked in the past will only deliver more of the same at best At this stage the owner
is looking for advice in driving their business forward The plateau has become a
ceiling
Empower Business Solutions recognises this is a critical point in the life of any
business and works with many owners at this stage The areas of our focus for owners
at the Moment of Truth are
bull the development of a new marketing strategy that will refocus their business and
bull management systems that enable the business to run without the owner an
essential step for an exit strategy
At the Moment of Truth Business Coaching for skill development in all aspects of
business but with a particular focus on business strategy and management
systems provides the right solution The owner understands the business fundamentals
at this stage and wants to learn what businesses they admire have already learnt
At the Moment of Truth business strategy is more important than at any other time of
a business life apart from business start-up Empower Business Solutions tailors
programs for this specific stage in the life of a business To find out more about these
programs please contact us for a Free Consultation on your business needs
Second Youth
For business owners who have decided to continue to grow and acted to obtain the
knowledge to break through the ceiling their business achieves a Second Youth This
is an exciting time for any business Profits start to soar But the owner is now playing
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in a whole new league Major industry players will start to notice the emergence of a
new competitor and start to take appropriate market action
The investment is now at a higher level and there are more stakeholders in the business
The owner in this phase is also aware the business cycle will repeat itself as the Second
Youth gives way to new Growing Pains and approaches a higher Moment of Truth
Owners in their Second Youth dont claim to know everything but they now know
what they dont know And they know the importance of advice From mentoring to
specialist advice as their business expands into new areas As the value of your business
grows so does what is at stake The need to protect this investment becomes critical
Empower Business Solutions provides advice and support to owners who have reached
this stage However we dont claim to know everything and will readily refer you to
our network of specialist advisors when necessary Please contact us for a
complimentary Business Evaluation on how we can help your business continue to
grow
Where is Your Business
Once you know where you are in the business cycle you can set your priorities for
developing the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success In this Preview edition
we focus on the first 4 of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success The fifth
is revealed in the hardcopy version of this best selling book which can be ordered at
wwwFivePillarsBusinessSuccesscom
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
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So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
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The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
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Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
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o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
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Start-up Businesses
Prior to Start-up the focus of the Business Owner should prepare a Business Plan A
detailed plan will ensure that the owner will understand the risks of their new venture
and have strategies to manage them to make sure that their business has a flying start
Empower Business Solutions provides a Business Consulting service to prepare
business plans or you can do it yourself with our Business Plan Template
Once the business has commenced operations the owner has two big areas of concern
bull Survival
bull How to get more Customers
From the owners perspective the best chance of survival is by bringing in more
customers Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Start-
up Businesses
bull Marketing Audit
bull Business Success Made Easy (Retail)
bull How to Get More Customers (Business-to-Business)
These low cost programs are guaranteed to produce quick results utilising smart
marketing strategies which require little outlay
Young Businesses
Businesses enter this phase when the owner no longer needs to look over their shoulder
all the time The business is not just surviving it is growing They know the business
of basics that no degree will prepare you for But now they are impatient
The owners ask
bull How can I accelerate my sales growth
bull How can I make my business more efficient
At this stage of a business life the owner understands not everyone can be their
customer And even more importantly they dont want everyone to be their customer
But how to choose The answer is to have a Marketing System- not just ads that get
the phone to ring And they are now starting to look at how they can improve the
operational aspects of their business In the past this was not an issue as they werent
that busy with customers But it is an issue now
The business is growing quickly even if somewhat erratically Year on year business
is good although there seem little consistency and predictability of profit Marketing
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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efforts produce good results but are volatile What is missing is a systematic approach
to producing and managing sales
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Young
Businesses
bull The Small Business Profit Driver Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Businesses with Growing Pains
All business reach a stage where they are victims of their success They dont want any
more customers They are struggling to handle the customers they have Until this time
inefficiencies in their business could be handled because they had spare capacity But
now they are operating flat out The owner is working extra hours just to cover the
gaps Customer service is starting to suffer They are making a lot of money but not
that much profit
At this time growth slows The focus now is on business systems that will allow the
owner to take back control of their business They need to be able to delegate to others
or outsource non-core parts of their business But without business systems they would
be unable to do this and maintain quality
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses with
Growing Pains
bull Small Business Systems amp Strategies Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Maturity
Maturity is a very dangerous time for a business This is the point at which the owner
is comfortable with their achievements Their business is running smoothly While
sales have started to plateau their profits may still be increasing because they are
getting better at doing what they do The owner has decided that their business is at the
right size they dont want it to grow larger The owner is in their comfort zone They
see opportunities to increase their profits incrementally but they see no need to make
significant changes in their business
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The reason this is a dangerous time is that the owner has taken their foot off the
accelerator and is starting to coast You can never coast in business The success of
your business is dependent on constant renewal New products and services new
customers new ways of delivering your service If you dont invest in constantly
rejuvenating your business your business will be in decline At first it might still appear
to grow (from the momentum of earlier efforts) But after a time the sales start to
plateau You start to lose some of your older customers It becomes more difficult to
get new customers
But in your sector some seem to survive and prosper- what have they done They have
made a commitment to take make their business survive This does not necessarily
mean to grow But if they do nothing they would decline They are looking at ways of
keeping their business fresh and replenishing their assets
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses at
Maturity
bull The Business Success Program
bull Business Coaching Program
The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Decay
Businesses start to decay while they appear to be on plateau However at some point
significant and consistent falls in sales start to occur due to the owner ceasing to invest
in the renewal of their business
At some point the business starts to lay off staff and reduce their services until they
only have a few customers and staff remaining Friends really They may even continue
for some time while making losses out of habit and perhaps pride The owner may
start to look for someone to buy their business but there is nothing to sell They are
their business
They start to blame the economy the government imports staff even customers
Turnaround at this point is rare Although not impossible Business Coaching can help
but the type of changes necessary are radical and can be costly Such changes require
a commitment that most owners at this stage no longer have After all if you believe
someone else is to blame you also believe that its up to someone else to do something
not you So all their efforts are focused on the impossible task of making everyone else
change rather than the simpler (if not easy) task of changing themselves
Empower Business Solutions advice is to recognise the symptoms at Maturity before
reaching this phase
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The Moment of Truth
Once a business has overcome its Growing Pains and started to implement systems
that take out some of the stress the business owner reaches a zone of comfort Their
business is running smoothly and is generating reasonable profit They have reached
the cusp of their comfort zone and a Moment of Truth They can continue as they are
(My business is just the right size for me I dont want it to grow any larger) or they
may choose after consolidating their business to take their business to the next level
in size and profitability
If they choose to keep things as they are they move into the so called Maturity phase
(see above) of their business which has its own risks
When seeking a Second Youth for their business significant changes in strategy are
required Although they have achieved much just in reaching this stage the business
has started to plateau and different approaches and skills become necessary What has
worked in the past will only deliver more of the same at best At this stage the owner
is looking for advice in driving their business forward The plateau has become a
ceiling
Empower Business Solutions recognises this is a critical point in the life of any
business and works with many owners at this stage The areas of our focus for owners
at the Moment of Truth are
bull the development of a new marketing strategy that will refocus their business and
bull management systems that enable the business to run without the owner an
essential step for an exit strategy
At the Moment of Truth Business Coaching for skill development in all aspects of
business but with a particular focus on business strategy and management
systems provides the right solution The owner understands the business fundamentals
at this stage and wants to learn what businesses they admire have already learnt
At the Moment of Truth business strategy is more important than at any other time of
a business life apart from business start-up Empower Business Solutions tailors
programs for this specific stage in the life of a business To find out more about these
programs please contact us for a Free Consultation on your business needs
Second Youth
For business owners who have decided to continue to grow and acted to obtain the
knowledge to break through the ceiling their business achieves a Second Youth This
is an exciting time for any business Profits start to soar But the owner is now playing
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in a whole new league Major industry players will start to notice the emergence of a
new competitor and start to take appropriate market action
The investment is now at a higher level and there are more stakeholders in the business
The owner in this phase is also aware the business cycle will repeat itself as the Second
Youth gives way to new Growing Pains and approaches a higher Moment of Truth
Owners in their Second Youth dont claim to know everything but they now know
what they dont know And they know the importance of advice From mentoring to
specialist advice as their business expands into new areas As the value of your business
grows so does what is at stake The need to protect this investment becomes critical
Empower Business Solutions provides advice and support to owners who have reached
this stage However we dont claim to know everything and will readily refer you to
our network of specialist advisors when necessary Please contact us for a
complimentary Business Evaluation on how we can help your business continue to
grow
Where is Your Business
Once you know where you are in the business cycle you can set your priorities for
developing the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success In this Preview edition
we focus on the first 4 of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success The fifth
is revealed in the hardcopy version of this best selling book which can be ordered at
wwwFivePillarsBusinessSuccesscom
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Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
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So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
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The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 6
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
efforts produce good results but are volatile What is missing is a systematic approach
to producing and managing sales
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Young
Businesses
bull The Small Business Profit Driver Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Businesses with Growing Pains
All business reach a stage where they are victims of their success They dont want any
more customers They are struggling to handle the customers they have Until this time
inefficiencies in their business could be handled because they had spare capacity But
now they are operating flat out The owner is working extra hours just to cover the
gaps Customer service is starting to suffer They are making a lot of money but not
that much profit
At this time growth slows The focus now is on business systems that will allow the
owner to take back control of their business They need to be able to delegate to others
or outsource non-core parts of their business But without business systems they would
be unable to do this and maintain quality
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses with
Growing Pains
bull Small Business Systems amp Strategies Program
bull The Small Business Success Program
These programs are longer term programs but are designed to change the way you do
business The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Maturity
Maturity is a very dangerous time for a business This is the point at which the owner
is comfortable with their achievements Their business is running smoothly While
sales have started to plateau their profits may still be increasing because they are
getting better at doing what they do The owner has decided that their business is at the
right size they dont want it to grow larger The owner is in their comfort zone They
see opportunities to increase their profits incrementally but they see no need to make
significant changes in their business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The reason this is a dangerous time is that the owner has taken their foot off the
accelerator and is starting to coast You can never coast in business The success of
your business is dependent on constant renewal New products and services new
customers new ways of delivering your service If you dont invest in constantly
rejuvenating your business your business will be in decline At first it might still appear
to grow (from the momentum of earlier efforts) But after a time the sales start to
plateau You start to lose some of your older customers It becomes more difficult to
get new customers
But in your sector some seem to survive and prosper- what have they done They have
made a commitment to take make their business survive This does not necessarily
mean to grow But if they do nothing they would decline They are looking at ways of
keeping their business fresh and replenishing their assets
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses at
Maturity
bull The Business Success Program
bull Business Coaching Program
The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Decay
Businesses start to decay while they appear to be on plateau However at some point
significant and consistent falls in sales start to occur due to the owner ceasing to invest
in the renewal of their business
At some point the business starts to lay off staff and reduce their services until they
only have a few customers and staff remaining Friends really They may even continue
for some time while making losses out of habit and perhaps pride The owner may
start to look for someone to buy their business but there is nothing to sell They are
their business
They start to blame the economy the government imports staff even customers
Turnaround at this point is rare Although not impossible Business Coaching can help
but the type of changes necessary are radical and can be costly Such changes require
a commitment that most owners at this stage no longer have After all if you believe
someone else is to blame you also believe that its up to someone else to do something
not you So all their efforts are focused on the impossible task of making everyone else
change rather than the simpler (if not easy) task of changing themselves
Empower Business Solutions advice is to recognise the symptoms at Maturity before
reaching this phase
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Moment of Truth
Once a business has overcome its Growing Pains and started to implement systems
that take out some of the stress the business owner reaches a zone of comfort Their
business is running smoothly and is generating reasonable profit They have reached
the cusp of their comfort zone and a Moment of Truth They can continue as they are
(My business is just the right size for me I dont want it to grow any larger) or they
may choose after consolidating their business to take their business to the next level
in size and profitability
If they choose to keep things as they are they move into the so called Maturity phase
(see above) of their business which has its own risks
When seeking a Second Youth for their business significant changes in strategy are
required Although they have achieved much just in reaching this stage the business
has started to plateau and different approaches and skills become necessary What has
worked in the past will only deliver more of the same at best At this stage the owner
is looking for advice in driving their business forward The plateau has become a
ceiling
Empower Business Solutions recognises this is a critical point in the life of any
business and works with many owners at this stage The areas of our focus for owners
at the Moment of Truth are
bull the development of a new marketing strategy that will refocus their business and
bull management systems that enable the business to run without the owner an
essential step for an exit strategy
At the Moment of Truth Business Coaching for skill development in all aspects of
business but with a particular focus on business strategy and management
systems provides the right solution The owner understands the business fundamentals
at this stage and wants to learn what businesses they admire have already learnt
At the Moment of Truth business strategy is more important than at any other time of
a business life apart from business start-up Empower Business Solutions tailors
programs for this specific stage in the life of a business To find out more about these
programs please contact us for a Free Consultation on your business needs
Second Youth
For business owners who have decided to continue to grow and acted to obtain the
knowledge to break through the ceiling their business achieves a Second Youth This
is an exciting time for any business Profits start to soar But the owner is now playing
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 9
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
in a whole new league Major industry players will start to notice the emergence of a
new competitor and start to take appropriate market action
The investment is now at a higher level and there are more stakeholders in the business
The owner in this phase is also aware the business cycle will repeat itself as the Second
Youth gives way to new Growing Pains and approaches a higher Moment of Truth
Owners in their Second Youth dont claim to know everything but they now know
what they dont know And they know the importance of advice From mentoring to
specialist advice as their business expands into new areas As the value of your business
grows so does what is at stake The need to protect this investment becomes critical
Empower Business Solutions provides advice and support to owners who have reached
this stage However we dont claim to know everything and will readily refer you to
our network of specialist advisors when necessary Please contact us for a
complimentary Business Evaluation on how we can help your business continue to
grow
Where is Your Business
Once you know where you are in the business cycle you can set your priorities for
developing the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success In this Preview edition
we focus on the first 4 of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success The fifth
is revealed in the hardcopy version of this best selling book which can be ordered at
wwwFivePillarsBusinessSuccesscom
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 10
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 11
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 12
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
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When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
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Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The reason this is a dangerous time is that the owner has taken their foot off the
accelerator and is starting to coast You can never coast in business The success of
your business is dependent on constant renewal New products and services new
customers new ways of delivering your service If you dont invest in constantly
rejuvenating your business your business will be in decline At first it might still appear
to grow (from the momentum of earlier efforts) But after a time the sales start to
plateau You start to lose some of your older customers It becomes more difficult to
get new customers
But in your sector some seem to survive and prosper- what have they done They have
made a commitment to take make their business survive This does not necessarily
mean to grow But if they do nothing they would decline They are looking at ways of
keeping their business fresh and replenishing their assets
Empower Business Solutions has a number of programs designed for Businesses at
Maturity
bull The Business Success Program
bull Business Coaching Program
The focus in these programs is working on your business not in it
Business Decay
Businesses start to decay while they appear to be on plateau However at some point
significant and consistent falls in sales start to occur due to the owner ceasing to invest
in the renewal of their business
At some point the business starts to lay off staff and reduce their services until they
only have a few customers and staff remaining Friends really They may even continue
for some time while making losses out of habit and perhaps pride The owner may
start to look for someone to buy their business but there is nothing to sell They are
their business
They start to blame the economy the government imports staff even customers
Turnaround at this point is rare Although not impossible Business Coaching can help
but the type of changes necessary are radical and can be costly Such changes require
a commitment that most owners at this stage no longer have After all if you believe
someone else is to blame you also believe that its up to someone else to do something
not you So all their efforts are focused on the impossible task of making everyone else
change rather than the simpler (if not easy) task of changing themselves
Empower Business Solutions advice is to recognise the symptoms at Maturity before
reaching this phase
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Moment of Truth
Once a business has overcome its Growing Pains and started to implement systems
that take out some of the stress the business owner reaches a zone of comfort Their
business is running smoothly and is generating reasonable profit They have reached
the cusp of their comfort zone and a Moment of Truth They can continue as they are
(My business is just the right size for me I dont want it to grow any larger) or they
may choose after consolidating their business to take their business to the next level
in size and profitability
If they choose to keep things as they are they move into the so called Maturity phase
(see above) of their business which has its own risks
When seeking a Second Youth for their business significant changes in strategy are
required Although they have achieved much just in reaching this stage the business
has started to plateau and different approaches and skills become necessary What has
worked in the past will only deliver more of the same at best At this stage the owner
is looking for advice in driving their business forward The plateau has become a
ceiling
Empower Business Solutions recognises this is a critical point in the life of any
business and works with many owners at this stage The areas of our focus for owners
at the Moment of Truth are
bull the development of a new marketing strategy that will refocus their business and
bull management systems that enable the business to run without the owner an
essential step for an exit strategy
At the Moment of Truth Business Coaching for skill development in all aspects of
business but with a particular focus on business strategy and management
systems provides the right solution The owner understands the business fundamentals
at this stage and wants to learn what businesses they admire have already learnt
At the Moment of Truth business strategy is more important than at any other time of
a business life apart from business start-up Empower Business Solutions tailors
programs for this specific stage in the life of a business To find out more about these
programs please contact us for a Free Consultation on your business needs
Second Youth
For business owners who have decided to continue to grow and acted to obtain the
knowledge to break through the ceiling their business achieves a Second Youth This
is an exciting time for any business Profits start to soar But the owner is now playing
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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in a whole new league Major industry players will start to notice the emergence of a
new competitor and start to take appropriate market action
The investment is now at a higher level and there are more stakeholders in the business
The owner in this phase is also aware the business cycle will repeat itself as the Second
Youth gives way to new Growing Pains and approaches a higher Moment of Truth
Owners in their Second Youth dont claim to know everything but they now know
what they dont know And they know the importance of advice From mentoring to
specialist advice as their business expands into new areas As the value of your business
grows so does what is at stake The need to protect this investment becomes critical
Empower Business Solutions provides advice and support to owners who have reached
this stage However we dont claim to know everything and will readily refer you to
our network of specialist advisors when necessary Please contact us for a
complimentary Business Evaluation on how we can help your business continue to
grow
Where is Your Business
Once you know where you are in the business cycle you can set your priorities for
developing the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success In this Preview edition
we focus on the first 4 of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success The fifth
is revealed in the hardcopy version of this best selling book which can be ordered at
wwwFivePillarsBusinessSuccesscom
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Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
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The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
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An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
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When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
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wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
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Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Moment of Truth
Once a business has overcome its Growing Pains and started to implement systems
that take out some of the stress the business owner reaches a zone of comfort Their
business is running smoothly and is generating reasonable profit They have reached
the cusp of their comfort zone and a Moment of Truth They can continue as they are
(My business is just the right size for me I dont want it to grow any larger) or they
may choose after consolidating their business to take their business to the next level
in size and profitability
If they choose to keep things as they are they move into the so called Maturity phase
(see above) of their business which has its own risks
When seeking a Second Youth for their business significant changes in strategy are
required Although they have achieved much just in reaching this stage the business
has started to plateau and different approaches and skills become necessary What has
worked in the past will only deliver more of the same at best At this stage the owner
is looking for advice in driving their business forward The plateau has become a
ceiling
Empower Business Solutions recognises this is a critical point in the life of any
business and works with many owners at this stage The areas of our focus for owners
at the Moment of Truth are
bull the development of a new marketing strategy that will refocus their business and
bull management systems that enable the business to run without the owner an
essential step for an exit strategy
At the Moment of Truth Business Coaching for skill development in all aspects of
business but with a particular focus on business strategy and management
systems provides the right solution The owner understands the business fundamentals
at this stage and wants to learn what businesses they admire have already learnt
At the Moment of Truth business strategy is more important than at any other time of
a business life apart from business start-up Empower Business Solutions tailors
programs for this specific stage in the life of a business To find out more about these
programs please contact us for a Free Consultation on your business needs
Second Youth
For business owners who have decided to continue to grow and acted to obtain the
knowledge to break through the ceiling their business achieves a Second Youth This
is an exciting time for any business Profits start to soar But the owner is now playing
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
in a whole new league Major industry players will start to notice the emergence of a
new competitor and start to take appropriate market action
The investment is now at a higher level and there are more stakeholders in the business
The owner in this phase is also aware the business cycle will repeat itself as the Second
Youth gives way to new Growing Pains and approaches a higher Moment of Truth
Owners in their Second Youth dont claim to know everything but they now know
what they dont know And they know the importance of advice From mentoring to
specialist advice as their business expands into new areas As the value of your business
grows so does what is at stake The need to protect this investment becomes critical
Empower Business Solutions provides advice and support to owners who have reached
this stage However we dont claim to know everything and will readily refer you to
our network of specialist advisors when necessary Please contact us for a
complimentary Business Evaluation on how we can help your business continue to
grow
Where is Your Business
Once you know where you are in the business cycle you can set your priorities for
developing the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success In this Preview edition
we focus on the first 4 of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success The fifth
is revealed in the hardcopy version of this best selling book which can be ordered at
wwwFivePillarsBusinessSuccesscom
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Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 11
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
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The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
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An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
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When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
in a whole new league Major industry players will start to notice the emergence of a
new competitor and start to take appropriate market action
The investment is now at a higher level and there are more stakeholders in the business
The owner in this phase is also aware the business cycle will repeat itself as the Second
Youth gives way to new Growing Pains and approaches a higher Moment of Truth
Owners in their Second Youth dont claim to know everything but they now know
what they dont know And they know the importance of advice From mentoring to
specialist advice as their business expands into new areas As the value of your business
grows so does what is at stake The need to protect this investment becomes critical
Empower Business Solutions provides advice and support to owners who have reached
this stage However we dont claim to know everything and will readily refer you to
our network of specialist advisors when necessary Please contact us for a
complimentary Business Evaluation on how we can help your business continue to
grow
Where is Your Business
Once you know where you are in the business cycle you can set your priorities for
developing the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success In this Preview edition
we focus on the first 4 of The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success The fifth
is revealed in the hardcopy version of this best selling book which can be ordered at
wwwFivePillarsBusinessSuccesscom
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wwwempowersolutionscomau 10
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
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An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
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When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
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Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
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wwwempowersolutionscomau 10
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Plans
Almost all small businesses do NOT have a business plan It is no coincidence that as
a consequence 80 of businesses fail in the first five years of operation and 80 of
those that survive fail in the next five years Most Business Owners believe that
Business Plans are an academic exercise and dont have one And how many times
have we heard that yes I do have a business plan- its in my head When we call them
later and they tell us that they cant spend any time fixing up their business with new
strategies systems and marketing plans because they have these other problems (they
are still waiting on some great deal that is going to happen next month- or they need to
take the cat to the vet) we know that they are trapped within their business and will
not take action until there is an external threat impossible to ignore
The reason most small business owners donrsquot have a current Business Plan is due to a
lack of understanding of their purpose or value They may have developed one once as
they started the business but as things began to grow they never looked at the plan
again as they were too busy in the day-to-day operations of their business That is until
something changed This may have been a change they initiated or one outside of their
control At that point their business is no longer operating within their control and
problems start to emerge Even then they will not understand how a Business Plan may
have helped avoid the situation in which they now find themselves When we talk to
such owners the fault always lies somewhere else
If the change is from the external environment it may be due to a recession or high
inflation making them uncompetitive demand decline due to a change in their
customersrsquo market changes in regulation or one of a hundred other things that may
occur Most Business owners say that you canrsquot plan for such events but good
businesses do so continually- and they survive the bad times and prosper in the good
It is all about having sufficient resource capacity and prepared mitigation strategies to
cope with such changes
Change can also be as a result of the business ownerrsquos plans This may be changing
their product or service focus changing their operations or trying to grow their
business In these circumstances it is no longer business as usual and if the change is
not well planned doing things the old way may get them into deep trouble Especially
if they have not properly considered the risks involved to all aspects of their business
Many businesses fail just when they look like they have finally made it when they
launch on an ill considered expansion
A business owner who is steering a steady course and does not have a Business Plan is
merely being negligent in risking exposure of their business and employees to changes
in the external environment A business owner who is making significant changes in
their business particularly seeking to grow it substantially and who does not have an
updated Business Plan for these changes is being grossly negligent
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
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When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
So what will a Business Plan do for you and how can you put one together that is not
going to cost you an arm and a leg A good business plan will allow you to
bull Test different scenarios for your business
bull Test the robustness of your assumptions
bull Manage external risk
bull Determine the risks for different courses of action
bull Develop mitigation plans for the largest risks
bull Develop step-by-step plans for growth or other changes
bull Determine resource requirements (human physical financial)
for different scenarios and at different times
bull Synchronise short and long term plans- your budget is the first year of the plan
bull Define milestones and Key Performance Indicators (KPIrsquos) so you can measure
your progress towards your long term objective in the same way you measure
your progress to budget
bull Synchronise all other plans in your business- so that there is full alignment of
your marketing operating staffing and financial plans (amongst others) even
when circumstances change
bull Roll out of KPIrsquos into every part of your business and allow you to develop
incentive plans truly aligned with your goals
A Business Plan ultimately ensures the Prosperity of Your Business
So how do you put one together
The first step in a Business Plan is setting your goals This is a process of defining
specific objectives rather than the vague aspirations that most Business Owners have
in their minds Unless your goals are specific it is most unlikely they will ever be
achieved
When creating your goals start with your vision five fears from now Make it as
detailed as possible For example answer the following questions
bull What will be my turnover
bull What will be my profit
bull How many sales will I have to make to achieve this level of profit
bull How many staff will I require to achieve this profit
bull What productsservices will I be selling then
bull What other resources will I require
bull Where will I be located
bull Who will be my customers
Then consider what the goals will be three years from now and then what they will be
this year
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 16
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 19
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 12
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The next step is to undertake a SWOT (strengths-weakness-opportunity-threats)
analysis This is a most challenging process Many times we hear that a key strength is
Quality of Service but when we ask why their service is of greater quality than Joes
down the street all we hear is a shuffling of feet Many Business Owners are unable to
be objective in this analysis If you name something as a strength identify what an
outsider could see that would make this strength obvious to them It must be something
that they can identify by one or more of their five senses or else it is not real
Market Analysis and Strategy development is the next stage The objective here is to
truly understand the customers needs and to understand how you can satisfy them and
in particular what is it that differentiates your service from that of your competitors
and why your competitors customers should prefer your service In this way you
define your Market Position and your Unique Selling Points This strategic analysis
will enable you to properly identify your best customers and how you should promote
your business to them
Create a detailed description of your customers Do you have a particular niche And
describe the benefits of your service to your customers Examine your competitors
What do they do and how can you be different (better) than them in your niche What
marketing strategy are you going to use to communicate with your customers and
entice them to buy There are really only four types of marketing All marketing falls
into one of the following categories or is a combination of them
1 Advertising
2 Public Relations
3 Word of Mouth
4 Cold Calling
Develop a marketing strategy to target your customers This should later be turned into
a plan (the second Pillar)
Once you have defined your goals and your market it is possible to develop a step-by
step plan to achieve your business goals It is essential when you do this that you
consider the impact of the changes that will occur to your business through every
aspect of your organisation As your business grows there will be supplier impacts
changes in your organisation structure staff and the need for more effective operating
systems- as well as many other changes you need to consider Many businesses as they
grow pay too little attention to their systems (the third Pillar) Where organisational
redundancy was able to cover for lack of efficiency at lower demand levels as sales
increase the inefficiency starts to impact on customer service as the slack in your
business disappears
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 14
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 16
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 19
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 13
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
An integral part of any Business Plan is a risk analysis This is a stress test for your
business for changes business within and outside your control- a what-if analysis
When putting together an Investment Plan this becomes an extremely detailed
and technical analysis In a Business Plan this is somewhat more qualitative But in
both mitigation plans for the largest risks are developed
The last step of the Business Plan is a cashflow projection for 3-5 years This is
developed from forecasts of your overheads operating costs and marketing costs as
well as sales projections A good Business Plan will do this for more than one scenario
Once you have completed your Business Plan dont make the mistake that the majority
of the minority of Business Owners who actually prepare a plan make- dont put it in
the bottom drawer never to see the light of day again Your Business Plan is a living
document- to be updated at least annually and reviewed quarterly It is there to keep
you on track- and to make you accountable to the one person who will not accept
excuses- YOU There is nothing like a written promise to yourself that will keep you
focused on your goals (In Appendix A more detail can be found in our article- The
Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You)
If you would like to find out more about Business Planning and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau and request
information on our Business Plans that Really work You can either do it yourself with
our Business Plan Template or we will show you how to do it while we transform your
business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 14
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 16
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 19
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Marketing Plans
Your Marketing Plan should be developed once you have defined you Marketing
Strategy Why do you need a Market Strategy The average consumer receives up to
2800 commercial messages every day- 1000 more than just 10 years ago You must
rise above the commercial clutter to attract your customers attention Your objective
is to create Top of Mind Awareness so that anytime anyone in your market place
needs or wants your product or service- they call you first
The second major reason a Marketing Strategy is essential is that because of increased
competition the cost to get in front of a buyer has tripled in the last ten years and when
you do meet one the results are half what they were As a consequence it now costs
twice as much to get half the result in the 90s Unless you have an effective Marketing
Strategy your business will not be successful Although it is possible to develop a
standalone Marketing Strategy for best results one should be developed as part of a
Business Plan
Your Marketing Strategy provides the context for your Marketing Plan Having
identified your target market and your Unique Selling Points it is time to develop your
offer to your marketplace This will be built around the identified customer needs of
your target market and your points of difference
A good Marketing Plan will focus on the Five Profit Drivers
bull Increasing the number of Enquiries
bull Increasing the conversion rate of Enquiries to Sales
bull Increasing the Average Value per Sale
bull Increasing the number of Times a Customers Buys from You
bull Increasing the Profit per Sale
Increasing Enquiries or Lead Generation for many Business Owners is the most
difficult part of their Sales Pipeline Successful businesses use all 4 of the strategic
marketing channels- Direct Mail Customer Education Advertising Public Relations
Personal Contact Company Brochures and Website The Marketing Plan will define
the right mix and ensure that each channel supports and is linked in some way to every
other channel and that they all focus on your Unique Selling Points and are targeted
towards your identified market
The mistake many businesses make is to equate Advertising with Marketing While
advertising can be beneficial for small business it can be one of the most expensive
ways to market it This is discussed in greater depth in Appendix B in our article- Donrsquot
Advertise Your Business- Market It
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Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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wwwempowersolutionscomau 16
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
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ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
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When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
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Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 15
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Your offer to the marketplace needs to be defined within the context developed in your
Market Strategy This should be built around your points of difference and entirely
benefit driven This is essential not just for Lead Generation but also for Sales
Conversion Increasing the conversion rate from Enquiries to Sales is not only about
having the right offer but also about sales scripts and training of sales staff Good
businesses will have ways of turning Lookers into Buyers Training in the complete
sales process from establishing rapport to close is essential to increase the conversion
rate This is covered in more detail in Appendix C in our paper How Leaky is Your
Sales Pipeline
Part of your offer to your customer will be in the way you package your services to
increase the average value per sale For Example- three for the price of two a higher
specification model or a complete meal rather than a single course Successful
businesses have already planned how they will package their products and services and
will actively seek opportunities to increase the average sale value
It is six times easier to sell to an existing customer than to a new customer Having
made a sale to a customer you have a relationship and have increased their trust in
your ability to satisfy their needs All businesses should seek ways to increase the
number of times a customer buys from them This is the lowest cost of marketing there
is
When you have established your Unique Selling Proposition by definition you have
diminished the competition in your marketplace By increasing the perceived value of
your product it is no longer a commodity and you can increase your profit per sale
through your pricing A recent survey showed that price is the fifthed ranked reason
people buy The top five reasons people buy are
1 Confidence that your products and services will meet their needs
2 Quality of the product and service
3 The level of service that is provided
4 Selection or range of offers
5 Price
The last point in your Marketing Plan is to measure everything and Test Test Test
When you focus on the Five Profit Drivers you will massively increase your business
profitability You will also be able to control the flow of activity in your business by
managing your Sales Pipeline Once you have a predictable flow of sales it is possible
to streamline your operating systems
If you would like to find out more about Marketing Plans and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 16
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Business Systems
Many studies have shown that businesses with weak systems seldom achieve
efficiencies above 66 While 100 efficiency is impossible to achieve a good system
can easily increase efficiency by up to 30 The financial cost of not having a good
business system is obvious What is not so obvious is the impact of poor systems on
your customers The total profit lost can easily be double this amount when you
account for the loss of sales
Without a good Business System the Business Owner does not own a Business just a
job with overheads Without a Business System you will never have a business that
runs without you This is further discussed in Appendix D- Business Owners - Do You
Own a Business or a Job
A good system is logical and simple to use and ensures that your customer service
levels are always consistent Some of the other key benefits of a business system are
bull Systems enable your business to operate without you and turn it into a money
making machine
bull Systems increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a business
bull Systems allow you to develop a saleable asset
bull Systems take out some if not most of the risk for you as a business owner by
stabilising your business with proven methods of carrying out your business
activities
bull Systems allow you to employ staff with lower levels of skills
bull Systems ease the burden of training staff and speed up the time for them to
become productive and ldquoprofitablerdquo employees
bull Systems make you rich They enable you to leverage your time your effort your
knowledge and your money
A good system guides companies to manage and monitor their activity It will produce
a consistent and predictable dividend return for the money time and effort invested
This system will give you control of your business even if you are not there Your
system will be based around policies planning and procedures in every part of your
business that you and your staff will apply every day
A Business System does not have to be complex- good ones arent They are also
essential if you want to grow your business Many businesses fail as they expand or
change their focus because their systems are inadequate and quality declines as they
try to service more customers
In order to build your Business System you first need to develop an organisation chart
which presents your business as a series of job positions which are accountable for
particular tasks Even if you are a sole trader this is important as it may give you
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 19
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
ideas on what you can outsource The next step is to undertake a Workflow Process
Analysis from the time a customer phones your business until you bank their cheque
This will allow you to understand where you add most value to your business
In Appendix E this is explored further in the Article- Become a Business Brain
Surgeon
The next step is to identify your major business systems For example these will
include Financial Administration Operations People Marketing and Risk
Management systems Each of these systems will be broken down into subsystems For
example your Financial System is likely to include the following subsystems-
Purchase Orders Invoices and Financial Reports In each subsystem a procedure
should be set-up that you will use again and again This can be in the form of templates
or a recipe for the activity
The next step in your system is to teach your staff to use it If the system is not followed
you donrsquot have one Your staff need to own the systems and part of their role will be
to continually update and improve them
The way you get your business to run without you is to create a business management
system that allows you to run your business by reports When you set up such a system
you donrsquot need to be involved in every part of your business In Appendix F we explore
this further in our article- How Many Gauges do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your
Business
Once your system is implemented your work will decrease and your results will
increase You will also have created a valuable asset that can operate without you
When you have a Business System you have an Exit Strategy
But what if your staff feel threatened by this The answer to this question is to show
them whatrsquos in it for them This is covered in the next section- People Systems
If you would like to find out more about Business Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 19
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 18
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
People Systems
People are the number one reason for long-term business success or failure So this is
the most important part of your Business System Business Owners are often concerned
about how their staff will react when they implement a system And there are plenty of
examples where it hasnrsquot worked However the primary reasons for this failure are that
the staff have not been involved in the development of the systems they feel that their
jobs might be threatened and no-one has explained whatrsquos in it for them
Staff benefits from the implementation of systems include
bull Additional training and skill development
bull Increased pay from higher productivity
bull Increased security as their company becomes financially stronger
bull Greater opportunities in a dynamic organisation
bull Improved and less stressful work environment
bull A happier boss
However we still hear some bosses say ldquoif I train my staff they will leave and I will
have wasted my time and moneyrdquo Well what if you donrsquot train them and they stay
The truth is good people are actually more likely to stay when you have great People
Systems
We also hear ldquoyou just canrsquot get good people these daysrdquo Nowadays potential
employees are just as fussy about who they work for as employers are about who they
hire And if you donrsquot have good people systems the best people wonrsquot join your firm
or wonrsquot stay This is not just about money In fact people will work for less pay if
there are good people systems in a business Key elements of your people system are
bull Define your Organisation now and in the future
bull Define the roles in your organisation
bull Identify the required skills for each role
bull Determine Performance Benchmarks
bull Review Performance
bull Develop training programs for your people
bull Develop Performance Reward Programs
By formalising your organisation and the roles of each of your employees there is
much better understanding and accountability of the tasks for which they are
responsible It is also much easier to define training needs for each employee
When Performance Benchmarks are established there is also a better understanding
of the difference between good and poor performance and an objective basis from
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 19
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 19
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
which to review performance It is also possible to reward good performance and put
in place development plans where the performance does not reach the benchmark
Your people systems will also contain a range of other policies such as staff induction
overtime annual leave etc In this way your staff have a clear understanding of their
entitlements and you will avoid the pitfalls of inconsistent application of your policies-
often a source of workplace tension And the most important reason to have People
Systems is
Good People Systems attract Good People
And if you ever want your business to run without you you must have good people
If you would like to find out more about People Systems and how we can help you
prepare one go to our website at httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 20
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Conclusion
The major benefit of building the first Four of the Five Pillars for Your business is that
you are prepared (If you are wondering about the Fifth Pillar you will need to order a
copy of the complete 5 Pillars) Many of the risks that a business faces are beyond the
Ownerrsquos control but are largely predictable Good planning and systems ensure that
you will survive the worst times avoid the opportunities which will hinder or hurt your
business and allow you to be positioned to recognise and exploit the opportunities that
will ensure your business success None of this is easy If it was everyone would be
doing it
One successful entrepreneur was asked how much luck was behind his success His
reply was ldquoI guess you could say I was lucky but you know the harder I worked the
luckier I gotrdquo
Empower Business Solutions offers Complimentary Business Evaluations where you
can find out more about the Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success During
Your Business Evaluation we will
bull Review Your Business Goals
bull Look at your business as it is today
bull Discuss the biggest issues in your business
bull Recommend strategies for Your Business that will enable you to achieve
Your Goals
To finish- just two more quotes
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty- W Churchill
Opportunities multiply as they are seized- Sun Tzu
copy Copyright 2011 Empower Business Solutions
Order the complete version of
ldquoThe Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Successrdquo at
wwwfivepillarsbusinesssuccesscom
or use the form at the end of this eBook
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 21
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Find out by answering the following questions
bull Are you converting at least 80 of in-coming enquiries or walk in traffic into profitable
sales
bull Have you maximised the response from your ads and sales letters for the dollars you have
spent
bull Are you happy with the returns youre getting for the time and effort you are putting into
your business If you are not consistently receiving at least 25 return after your salary the
answer to this question should be NO
bull Do you have 1-2 hours a week to develop your business or are you so busy that you that you
dont have the time
If the answer to any of the above questions is no will you continue using out-dated ineffective
marketing and sales techniques and suffer because of inadequate business systems or will you do
something about it
Discover the secrets to effective marketing that top marketeers use to generate new business
quickly In many cases these methods may cost far less than what you may be spending right now
And find out how you can double your profits in 12 months by applying the Five Profit Drivers
And how to make Your Business run without You
We are currently offering a Complimentary Business Evaluation to the value of $285 to business
owners who qualify
We will personally identify key areas in your business in which you can increase your
profitability by up to 35 in the next three months
We will cover all the areas of your current marketing strategies within the 45 minutes we spend in
the consultation We will suggest improvements that will increase your sales within your existing
advertising budget
Other areas we may cover according to your needs include how to
bull Protect and Grow Your Business with Business Planning
bull Save time and reduce costs with Business Systems
bull Get the most from your staff with People Systems
bull Get Your Business to operate without you
Plus you will receive as a BONUS the Goal Achievement Blueprint Manual valued at $35
absolutely FREE as a special gift with your no obligation consultation To book Your
Complimentary Business Evaluation now just contact Empower Business Solutions today
httpempowersolutionscomauconsultation_programs_formhtm
Now there is no excuse to hang on and hope your business problems just go away by
themselves
Yours in Success
Dr Greg Chapman
Remember Success may start with a dream but only happens with action
Is Your Business giving You the Profit YOU deserve
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 22
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 23
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix A
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
The Real Truth about Business Plans- What the Consultants Donrsquot tell You
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Do you have a Business Plan Congratulations but you are in a small minority And if
you have a plan is it integral to your business and instrumental to its growth If the
answer to this question is yes then you need to read no further However in Empower
Business Solutions experience even if they have a plan most business owners leave it
languishing on their bottom shelf gathering dust
Our dirty little secret is this most business consultants are only interested in selling
their time or their lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo but know that for a business plan to be
useful it has to be part of a Business Management System But this is a much harder
proposition for the consultant to sell particularly to small business owners who are just
looking for a quick fix So most consultants just sell a quick fix solution Once owners
have prepared their ldquofill in the blanksrdquo plan they expect it to transform their business
overnight just by its mere existence And because this does not happen it ends up on
the bottom shelf
Business Plans do work but you have to make them work It is not a one-off exercise
If you buy a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo you need to understand that you are responsible
for maintaining the plan You also need to satisfy yourself that the product you buy is
not just a fill in the blanks product These plans always end up on the bottom shelf
They donrsquot show you how to do your strategic analysis (which is never a fill in the
blanks exercise- no matter what someone tells you)
Business Planning is a real soul searching exercise for the business owner You have
to be brutally honest with yourself Even if you prepare your plan yourself (without a
coach) get someone else involved to keep you honest Looking at examples of what
others have done can help but your business will have different strengths and
weaknesses and will operate in a different marketplace And lastly make sure the off-
the-shelf product you choose will show you how to implement your plan into your
business
When a good consultant prepares a Business Plan they will
undertake a rigorous (and challenging) review of the strengths amp weaknesses of
your business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 24
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
show you how the plan should be implemented into your business process
give you at least one review of your performance against your plan six months
after the plan has been delivered
While this will require a larger investment than a lsquoBusiness Plan in a Boxrsquo and is a
harder sell for a consultant this will ensure that your plan does not end up on the bottom
shelf and that your investment is not wasted
Business Planning is not an easy process It takes time and commitment You donrsquot just
do it once This is not what business owners want to hear and what most consultants
wonrsquot tell you because it might cost them a sale But the rewards from a well
implemented business plan are worth many times your investment To find out more
about how a business plan can help your business visit our website
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 25
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix B
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Donrsquot Advertise Your Business- Market It
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Too many business owners believe that marketing their business means just paying for
a few ads What few understand is that Advertising is not the same as Marketing Too
many clients have come to us only after they have wasted large sums of money by
copying their competitors with ldquome toordquo advertising And the media and advertising
agencies love it When you approach an advertising agency their mission will be to
convince you to spend your entire marketing budget with them not to help you devise
a marketing strategy for your business which will look at all available marketing
options not just advertising
When developing a marketing strategy for your business you must consider a number
of aspects of your marketplace before even thinking of your business You need to
answer the following questions
Who are your competitors
Who are your customers
Can you segment your marketplace
How do your customers make a buying decision
Who else has customers who could be your customers
Once you understand your marketplace you should then consider your business At this
point of the marketing process you would ask the following questions
What is the ultimate benefit of my products and services for my
customers
Why should people buy from me
What is my offer (Product Service Price Support Guarantee etc)
How do I define My Marketplace (Who What Where When and
How)
And only once you have answered these questions ask the one that most businesses
ask first rather than last
How will I promote my business
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 26
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
When answering this question consider all the promotional options not just
advertising Some of the marketing options available to you are
Networking newsletters cold calls special offers public relations referrals
joint ventures trade shows seminars workshops website sponsorship media
advertising yellow pages direct mail and brochures
All of these methods are in one form or another lead generation strategies You are
buying customers and the bottom line for everyone of them is the cost per qualified
lead And thatrsquos how you decide how to spend your promotional dollar When you
approach an advertising agency you must already know how much want to spend on
that marketing channel While they may give you good advice on how to spend your
money in their channel they will not consider alternatives which may be better for your
business
It is also essential to consider whether the selected channel is capable of generating
qualified leads at a reasonable price For example if your product is upmarket
generating leads from the budget market is of no value to you And there is also false
economy in choosing low rating media which often generate no leads at all
Whichever marketing channel you choose it is absolutely essential you measure the
results from each promotion Over a period of time you will learn which ones work
best for you However this can be a lengthy experience Using a marketing consultant
can greatly reduce the painful and often costly learning curve and can save you many
thousands of dollars in your marketing costs and even more importantly in the
opportunity cost of lost time
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
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Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 27
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix C
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Leaky is Your Sales Pipeline
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Does your Sales Pipeline leak If you answered no you donrsquot even understand the
question Every businessrsquo Sales Pipeline leaks to some extent The question is Have
you done everything you can to ensure that it does not leak excessively Do you even
know what your Sales Pipeline looks like
Very simply a Sales Pipeline starts with an initial enquiry and ends with a sale While
the Sales Pipeline looks different in each business there are still some similarities
between them In all businesses there is a need to generate enquiries This can be done
through advertising cold calling public relations or word of mouth This enquiry may
be a phone call in response to an ad Or in retail a customer may walk in your front
door attracted by your shopfront marketing This is the first step of the Sales Pipeline
for any business However there are usually a number of steps from receiving an
enquiry to generating a sale
The next step might be getting an appointment with the prospect to establish their
needs In a retail situation the sales staff will ask Can I help you Once need is
established a second appointment may be made to present a proposal or a quote may
be provided The final step in this generic Sales Pipeline would be to close the sale
It is essential that every business owner understands their Sales Pipeline and where it
leaks Using the generic pipeline above what percentage of enquirers agrees to an
initial appointment How many of those agree to receive a formal proposal or ask for
a quote And finally how many who receive a formal proposal or quote are converted
to sales By understanding each step in your Sales Pipeline you can measure the
success in moving prospects along the pipeline and spot where your sales process
needs to be improved
No Sales Pipeline is leak proof In fact there are some people who you donrsquot wish to
become your customers They may be the bargain hunters the time wasters or people
who are poor credit risks So there should be a screening process to remove people who
are not qualified to become your customers To be effective this screening
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 28
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
process should remove unqualified prospects early in the pipeline before you have
invested too much time with them But if you are turning away a high number of
unqualified prospects you should be looking at your enquiry generation strategy If
you sell luxury cruises advertising in a tabloid newspaper will probably produce
mostly unqualified enquiries
All other prospects however are by definition qualified And their loss is one that you
wish to minimise If there is a large loss in getting that initial appointment perhaps a
script needs to be developed for staff to turn that initial enquiry into an appointment If
the losses are large in getting a request for a proposal or quotation sales training on
establishing rapport and need creating desire and building value should be considered
If proposals (or quotations) have a low rate of acceptance there could be a problem
with the offer or the way the sales person tried to close
Put in place monitoring systems to measure the movements of prospects through your
Sales Pipeline Analyse the losses at each stage By understanding your Sales Pipeline
you will understand what you are doing well and where your pipeline leaks Only then
can you start plugging those leaks
To find out more about a marketing systems approach for your business visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 29
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix D
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Business Owners- Do you actually own a Job
By Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
How many hours do you work a week When was the last time you took an
uninterrupted holiday Do your staff have a better job than you Now ask yourself Do
I Own a Business or a Job- with Overheads Are you happy about the answers to these
questions If not read on
In Empower Business Solutions experience too many owners after investing their
time and money have not got a fair return from their business Sure they are making
ends meet (well some are) But are they getting what they deserve for the effort they
make Think about it this way Take the money you have put into your business and
take the time you have put in as well If you had invested those funds wisely and got
a nine-to-five job would you be better or worse off And what about the hassle factor
So what should be a reasonable return on your business After you pay yourself a wage
you should be returning at least 25 of your asset value Another way of saying this is
that if you were to sell your business today you should get at least 4 times its annual
profit But too often the business owner is their business and if he or she were to leave
it for even a short time there would be a sharp decline in its profits And no-one will
pay them for what is a personal business
If you are in this situation here are some steps you can take to increase your business
efficiency and make your business operate without you
Firstly recognise that if you change nothing- nothing will change
Make a commitment to yourself that you will act now to make a difference
to your business and your life
Start to separate yourself from your business
Set goals for your business create a business plan
Set in place a regular formal review of your progress against your goals
Map your workflow process and seek opportunities to make it more
efficient
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 30
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Re-organise your business to reflect your processes
Look for ways to outsource parts of your business
Manage your business by reports
And lastly- get help Everyone who has achieved success in their business or their life
will freely admit that somewhere along the way they have received assistance from
someone else It may have been from a relative a friend a colleague a mentor or a
business coach like Empower Business Solutions
These steps are about creating a Business System By systematising your business you
make your business more efficient reduce your costs and ultimately make your
business run without you Even if you are a one-man-band there is still a lot you can
do to separate yourself from your business by creating passive income streams and
leveraging your knowledge
Business Owners who own a job already know they do (Donrsquot you) They know they
spend all their time working in their business not on their business And their reason
for not doing anything about this is that they say they are too busy However if they
saw an opportunity to double their income they would find the time So it is actually
about whether the rewards that come from their business running on auto-pilot are
sufficiently attractive to them to find the time If they still canrsquot find the time they
should never again complain about their business running their lives as it is clearly not
that important
To find out more about developing Business Systems and How to Make Your
Business Run without You visit our website at
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 31
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix E
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
Become a Business Brain Surgeon
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
Are you working longer and taking home less than your staff Are you working all
hours of the day and night and still barely managing to keep your customers happy
Are you unable to delegate or outsource work to give you more time to work on your
business If the answer to any of these questions is yes maybe its time you learnt what
Brain Surgeons do
Most business owners we talk to believe almost everything they do in their business
only they can do They have learnt from experience if they give work to someone else
they mess it up And then they spend twice as long fixing things But this is not what
Brain Surgeons do When they operate on a patient they are not in charge of the
theatre- the theatre nurse is They donrsquot open up the patient or close They leave that
to a junior surgeon Everything is prepared for them and someone else mops up the
blood later All they do is the brain surgery And some marketing before hand (client
needs) and afterwards (client satisfaction)
How is this possible
Hospitals have very sophisticated systems and everyone is highly trained in their use
There are checks and counter-checks Nothing is left to chance And the very expensive
surgeon the most highly trained person in the theatre only does what he or she has
been trained to do They donrsquot waste their time doing jobs others can do In other words
they donrsquot spend dollar time on penny jobs So the brain surgeon only does the brain
surgery and a bit of marketing
This is of course a rather simplistic description of a brain surgeonrsquos job And I hasten
to add an apology to any brain surgeons reading this if they feel insulted (after all you
never know I might need their services in the future- some might argue my need is
immediate) The point of this for business owners is to understand where the real brain
surgery is in their business The part of their job that is most valuable to the business
The part only they can do which for most business owners is only a very small part
of their time
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 32
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Examples of brain surgery are the marketing of your business the relationships with
your key customers or if you are a consultant the analysis of the problem you have
been asked to solve Not data entry or possibly even data collection And not the
bookkeeping So the challenge for business owners is to identify what part of their role
is brain surgery Theoretically everything else can and should be delegated or
outsourced So you can spend more time on what generates your business income
A great theory but how can you make this happen in the real world
Business Systems When you delegate or outsource you need to document what the
person who is doing the work will receive and what they will return to you complete
with standards and the form in which they will provide it to you Then all involved
need training in the system This takes some work but for a small investment in your
time the dividends are huge
The theatre nurse does not know how to do brain surgery but they know before the
operation what equipment the surgeon will need and when they will need it They will
also know how the theatre and patient are to be prepared Detailed procedures will have
been developed so everyone in the theatre will know their role and the brain surgeon
will have optimised his or her time doing what they have been specifically trained to
do
When you know where the brain surgery is in your business you will be able to
leverage your time You will spend more time with your customers and more time
working on your business rather than in it Ultimately you will have a business that
runs without you
To find out more about making money with business systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 33
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Appendix F
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run Without You
How Many Gauges Do You Watch in the Cockpit of Your Business
by Dr Greg Chapman MBA
Director- Empower Business Solutions
As a business grows the more moving parts it has And the more difficult it is to keep
an eye on everything that is happening Then the balls start to drop Does your business
have as many moving parts as a Jumbo Jet How do 747 pilots manage
When a business starts-up because of the risk of failure the owner has to watch
everything Fortunately when you start-up there is not a lot to watch But it is hard to
get out of the habit which is why so many business owners continue to micromanage
the business as it gets larger Now if you could keep your eye on every ball in the air
that might be ok But at some point it becomes impossible to maintain with owners
focussing on where they feel most comfortable rather than on what is most important
Studies have shown that there are limits to how many different things a human being
can monitor and react to This of course varies from person to person but everyone
has their limit For example only the most skilled jugglers can keep more than six balls
in the air The world record is 12 So when we try to keep our eye on everything we
will start dropping balls
So how does a Jumbo Jet pilot keep an eye on everything Funnily enough they have
six gauges in the cockpit representing the key areas of the planersquos performance Or in
business speak the planersquos Key Performance Indicators These are the most vital to
keeping the plane in the air So if the seat 57D does not fully recline or the airline logo
paint is starting to flake on the body of the plane they do not know about it They have
the flight attendants and the maintenance engineers to worry about such problems
However these personnel are highly trained to notify the pilots if there is something
they should worry about The pilot trusts these personnel to do their job and follow
their procedures and only let him or her know about things that affect the planersquos
safety So the pilots can concentrate on flying the plane
But what if there is an engine problem The planersquos flight management system is set
up so that any problem with a key part in the flight system will be evident on the high
level gauges So if there is a drop in airspeed the pilot will query the system to
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 34
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
determine which of the many causes may be responsible They are able to drill down
from the high level gauge which has moved from the safe area to investigate which of
the planersquos subsystems may be a fault In almost all cases the pilot is able to identify
and either correct the problem or take action that will enable the plane to land safety
If they worried about every little non-critical problem on the plane the chances are
they might only notice the big ones when it is too late to do anything about them
In business the owner might identify that their cash reserves are declining (Cash at
Hand is one of the biggest Key Performance Indicators for any business) Having seen
this the owner might ask the accountant to look at their detailed reports to identify the
cause Is it due to slow sales overdue payments by debtors cost blow-outs or
overinvestment in inventory
Having identified cost blowouts as the cause the accountant might ask the operations
manager why costs have gone up She might advise that a maintenance problem has
caused the over-run When the operations manager speaks to the maintenance
superintendent she may discover the problem was caused by poor quality feedstock
In other words a cash problem was caused by supplier quality control problem Further
analysis is of course possible The owner has therefore uncovered a critical supplier
problem by interrogating staff after a key performance indicator has moved from the
safe zone
By having a small number of Key Performance Indicators which define the health of a
business and which are linked to other more detailed reports the owner can fly their
business using just few gauges So if there is a deeper problem in the business it will
become visible Because an owner with an excellent Business Management System is
confident that they will identify problems in a timely fashion they can focus on flying
their business towards their ultimate objective which is their real job
To find out more about making money with business management systems visit
httpwwwempowersolutionscomau
Multiplying Your Profits amp Making Your Business Run without You
copy Copyright 2005 Empower Business Solutions
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
wwwempowersolutionscomau 35
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
About Empower Business Solutions
Empower Business Solutions was created by Dr Greg Chapman after returning from
overseas He has lived and worked for eight years in the US and UK He wanted an
opportunity to pass on the international best practice business management expertise
he had acquired throughout his 25 year career to businesses who would otherwise
have had no access to experience at this level
Dr Greg Chapman is a leading advisor of Micro and Small Emerging Business Dr Greg
Chapmanrsquos first book
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success was a finalist in the
International Indie Business Book Awards
Gregs new book is Price How You Can Charge More Without Losing Sales
Find out more at wwwIncreaseYourPricescomau
Greg is also the publisher of the Small Business Achiever Apart from coaching
private clients he is the director of the Australian Business Coaching Club which
provides a low cost alternative to private coaching
Greg also teaches business at the University of Melbourne where his book (The 5 Pillars) is on the
prescribed reading list He was selected for this role because of his extensive practical experience with
small business operators something with which few business academics have experience He has also
presented for such organisations as the Housing Industry Association the Royal Australian Institute of
Architects Engineers Australia CPA Australia as well as at industry events around the world
His qualifications and memberships include
bull PhD from Melbourne University
bull MBA from Deakin University
bull Certified Master Coach from Behavioral Coaching Institute
bull Diploma Australian Institute of Company Directors
bull Council of Small Business of Australia
bull International Coaching Council
Dr Greg Chapman is the creator and editor of the Australian Small Business Blog He is also a Telstra
Business Awards and Marketing Communications Executives International Awards judge
Gregs business experience has involved assignments in seven countries He has been responsible for the
management of businesses and projects ranging from the micro scale to billion dollar businesses Greg
lives and breathes a wide range of business solutions from experience
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 36
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
As a result of his direct knowledge amp experience in running businesses Gregrsquos approach is not like
that of an accountant a sales person or a bank manager He thinks and acts like a business owner The
advice he gives is based on his own knowledge- not from a manual written by someone else So he is
able to tailor his programs for the needs of individual business owners
Gregrsquos successes include the doubling of the return of capital from one business for which he was
personally responsible increasing sales by 400 for one of his clients and increasing productivity by
30 for another
Empower Business Solutions is dedicated to assisting Australian business owners with the Right Kind of
Help in maximising their investment and in realising their goals through ongoing training that addresses
the need for acquiring knowledge and then support while taking action to achieve goals in taking their
business to the next level The approach in all programs is extremely practical meeting the needs of
owners of micro and small business
In Gregs words my personal objective is to see business owners realising the dreams they had when
they first went into business dreams that may have been buried in the day-to-day pressures of running
their business
The Right Kind of Help
When working with new clients Empower believes it is essential to understand the lifestyle goals that
they wish to achieve from their business The goal may be retirement at a certain age or to be able to
take more time off to be with the family to work fewer hours more (or even some) vacation time or it
may be a financial goal This is the starting point for Empowerrsquos Business Coaching
The advantage of owning a business is that the owner gets to design the business around their own
personal needs When you work for someone else you have to work around your bossrsquo needs So
although Empowerrsquos coaching focus is on business outcomes it starts with the ownerrsquos life choices Unlike
many lsquobusiness coachesrsquo who are actually life coaches Empower is strictly bottom line focused ndash our
slogan is
Multiply Your Profits and Make Your Business Run Without You
but our solutions are tailored to suit YOUR lifestyle choices not what we think they should be Once these
personal goals which may define the direction and priority of the advice are understood these are
translated into hard business goals which define targets and reveal the underlying gaps and root causes
of the issues in the current business performance
Only with this approach can the coaching program be focussed with the right priorities in addressing the
underlying issues (often not the obvious ones) and achieving the desired business outcomes
Husband and Wife (and other couple) Business Owners
Empower regularly works with husband and wife business owners (and other owners in a personal
relationship) and finds it highly enjoyable and rewarding to see their development as a team
Their business relationship is quite different from the relationships of other joint owners due to their
personal relationship the joint lifestyle goals that they want to achieve and the importance they place on
the personal needs of their partner Dr Chapman has written about such a relationship as a case study in
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 37
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
this internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success
One business owner wife told Dr Chapman
When I read your book I thought you were writing about us At some points I laughed pointing out to
my husband - this is what you do and other times I felt like crying I finally understood what was
happening in our business and what we needed to do Sally and Michael Small Business Owners
Each of the partners bring something different to the business Often one is more the technician in the
business that is heshe has a particular skill or may be more creative and the other will have the
businessfinancial focus This is not a malefemale split in a particular stereotype as Empower has
observed these preferences shared in just about every way imaginable
The complimentary sharing of skills seems to be more pronounced with business owners in a personal
relationship perhaps because lsquoopposites attractrsquo where in strictly business relationships owners may be
more alike in their preferences and too often try to share roles An understanding of these differences is
critical in business coaching
So why Empower Business Solutions
The key is getting the right kind of help So what should you look for from a business coach or
consultant Well when you talk to one you need to ask them four things
bull First whats so good about your programs
Empower Business Solutions Answer Our programs are based on the principles of Dr Greg
Chapmans internationally recognised top selling book The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business
Success The coaching programs are designed to show business owners how to implement the
Five Pillars - Planning Marketing Systems Staff Motivation and Discipline into their business
with customised structured advice that produces the business results owners seek
Empower avoids the mistake of jumping to a solution such as a new website or an expensive
marketing campaign without analysing the underlying strategy Without that analysis expensive
mistakes can be made such as campaigns that produce no results or websites that generate the
wrong kind of enquiries In fact there are many strategies we recommend that cost very little
to implement The most successful tactics are fully aligned with business strategy and are linked
to provide maximum leverage
Our programs are designed to take into account all parts of your business whether the focus is
on Business Strategy Business Systems or Marketing By taking the time to understand the
fundamentals of your business we can ensure that our advice not only connects directly to all
your business drivers but it also leverages them for maximum impact Empower Business
Solutions has provided advice to hundreds of businesses in Australia (See our Testimonials)
bull Second will I get support for this program or am I just going to get a box of manuals
Empower Business Solutions Answer All our coaching programs come with support- some
with 12 months of support This support includes
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 38
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
o One-on-one workshops tailored to meet your individual needs
o Monthly progress reviews to ensure you achieve your goals
o On-call phonefaxemail support for the program duration
Many Business Coaches particularly from franchises are really just selling someone elses
manuals with a bit of their time thrown in to call it coaching While we will supplement our
coaching with materials developed exclusively by Dr Greg Chapman as appropriate the real
value we add to every business we work with is through the advice and education we directly
provide based on a deep understanding of the issues in your business
We donrsquot rely on a formula solution which is necessarily the franchise approach (A Big Mac
always tastes the same whichever McDonalds franchise you go to- great for hamburgers but not
so great for business coaching)
bull Third who is going to support me - am I going to get someone who has actually successfully run
businesses themselves or am I going to just get a salesman
Empower Business Solutions Answer All support is from someone with extensive business
experience Someone who has actually run businesses Someone who is not only highly qualified
but has faced many of the same problems that you have faced and dealt with them personally
We are not a member of any franchise We dont need to be The advice we give is built on our
own experience not someone elses
bull Fourth how objective are your solutions
Empower Business Solutions Answer Unlike many marketing companies who provide
inhouse implementation solutions for such things as branding advertising website design and
other marketing collateral we are independent We may recommend such solutions if they are
appropriate but do not provide them ourselves so we can be objective about your needs in this
area Our focus will be on those solutions that will provide the biggest bang for your buck It is
like having an accountant you can rely on to determine which type of finance is right for you
rather than receiving advice from someone who may try to steer you towards
implementation solutions that make them most money
bull And finally do you guarantee your program
Empower Business Solutions Answer When you select a Business Coach they may look
great on paper But the only way you can be certain they are right for you is to see them in
action- with You Thats why all of our programs come with a trial period Within the trial period-
not only are our programs on trial- but we are too If for any reason you are unhappy with the
program support within our trial period you can cancel our agreement and obtain a full refund of
your investment Of course any bonuses you have received are yours to keep
In addition to the trial period all our longer term programs come with performance guarantees
This ensures that you can have full confidence with our products and services
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 39
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
What others say about Empower Business Solutions Coaching Programs
In just two months since meeting with Dr Greg Chapman of Empower Business Solutions I have
increased my sales in the slow section of my business by a whopping 400 Initially I was sceptical that
such results were possible But Gregrsquos approach to marketing and business planning has totally
transformed my business as a whole I particularly liked the fact that the strategies he created were
designed specifically for my business and not some generic ideas from a manual They were low cost and
easy to implement one step at a time At the end of my final consultation he left me with an action plan
that will probably take me a year to implement fully But if the remaining strategies work even half as
well as the ones I have already put in place I will never be short of customers again I STRONGLY
RECOMMEND HIS ASSISTANCE TO ANY BUSINESS
Des Kennedy PhotoFinish
Before working with Dr Greg Chapman I had ideas I did not know how to implement and objectives I
could not achieve I had been running my own business for eight years with a staff of 15 and had hit a
plateau Since I started working with Greg a few months ago we have doubled our sales conversion rate
and have built sales and marketing systems I wish I had in place years ago We have a detailed
marketing strategy and plan with both short and long term goals that gives me the confidence that we
will double our sales next year I feel really empowered and in control for the first time because of the
knowledge and support Greg has given me If you are serious about making a difference in your
business you must get Greg to show you how
Lilly Kukuljan Six Degrees South Health amp Fitness Centre
Greg What a year I have done a profit analysis for the two calendar halves of the year 100 increase
in GPRevenue in line with forecast Hired two new staff The big improvement has been the ability for me
to know where my money is and how best to spend it Thanks for all your help
Ray Verati - Verve Project Management Pty Ltd
As the owner of a professional services business I was finding my business was depending mostly on me
in spite of having administrative support But after working with Dr Chapman I have been able to
increase my capacity by 30 simply by implementing the business systems that Greg suggested I am
now able to increase my billable hours and spend more time working on my business as I choose I
found the monthly updates between our workshops good discipline I also liked being able to get Gregrsquos
opinion on new initiatives as I developed them or being able to contact him when I needed to and
address issues as they arose I highly recommend Gregrsquos service for other business owners looking to
make their business less dependent on them
Steve Grimes Plan Cost Australia
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You
The Five Pillars of Guaranteed Business Success ndash Preview Edition
wwwempowersolutionscomau 40
Empower Business Solutions Telephone 1300 76 35 45
Suite 22 738 Burke Road Camberwell Victoria 3124 Email infoempowersolutionscomau
Since starting to work with Dr Greg Chapman as my Business Coach my eyes have been opened to the
wider business community and how business should be done and strategies I hadnrsquot even considered
before For example I had a website for 2 years that was invisible and after following Gregrsquos advice I
was on the front page of Google in a week in all my key areas The ideas Greg has for promoting my
business are just fantastic and I have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who is serious in
growing their business
Scott Ellis Ausdraft
Before working with Empower Business Solutions I thought I had a business But now I realise it was
more of a job with staff and overheads and it was unsustainable in its previous form My business was
not producing the results to justify all my hard work Dr Greg Chapman showed me how to focus on
business principles to make it a successful business and how to make it grow I was able to put in place
systems that allowed me to focus on what was most important in the business leaving to others work
that they could do I have rethought my relationships with my employees who now are more focussed on
the things that will take my business to where I want it to go I now know where my business is going
and how I am going to get there If you are working too many hours and not achieving the results you
know you deserve get Greg to show you how to turn your business around
Martin Speller Speller Construction
Book Your Complimentary Business Evaluation contact
Empower Business Solutions today
Multiply Your Profits amp Make Your Business Run Without You