Business Information for Entrepreneurs by an Entrepreneur

Whether you've got a new or growing business, you know the value of your time. It's precious! There are so many things that pull you in different directions all the time!

That's why you should make it a point to avoid doing the same thing over and over again. If you find that you've done the same thing more than two times, you need to turn it into a system:

For example, if you (or your employees) are answering the same questions on the phone from prospects, add that question to your FAQs on your webpage and create a quick sales-oriented script to distribute to your staff.

If your sales staff is continually coming up against the same objections, give them a checklist like the one found here: http://www.morebusiness.com/templates_worksheets/checklists/communicating.brc and spend time with them developing scripts to deal with the objection.

If you are creating the same kinds of documents again and again, stop writing them from scratch: create a template and re-work it each time you need to create a new letter.

Templates, plans, scripts, and systems will help you get control of your time.

I picked up Keith Ferrazzi's book Never Eat Alone recently.

I tend to prefer books that outline the tried and true ways that business is done or books that gather together many different ideas. I admit to being fairly skeptical when I see books that claim to promote one person's successful way to do business. Someone who is naturally successful at something tends to write books by looking back on their experience and systematizing it.

Ferrazzi, though, does a good job of developing ideas in his book without developing overt systems.

Throughout the book he talks about building relationships and the types of things you can do to create meaningful relationships in your life and business. I found the book to be like Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People but with a modern twist. He talks about “pinging” people (to keep in touch with them periodically) and the art of making small talk. And, what I like about this book — more than a lot of similar books — is the focus on business.

I love business so much I watch it on TV, too. I'm talking about a little-known genre: the “business movie.” That is, movies in which work, jobs, and business play a key role in the story.

In every other Hollywood production, work doesn't seem to be that important to people. Somehow (often in romantic comedies, it seems) people are able to fly to the other side of the country — or the other side of the world — at a moment's notice; without regard to how they will pay for the flight or what happens to their job or their business while they're gone. (Perhaps they are amazing entrepreneurs with a huge business base and have automated the processes so thoroughly that they can do that!)

The movies I like to watch are about business or involve business-people in some way. My top 3 favorite business movies are…

Glengarry Glen Ross

Boiler Room

Wall Street

Although there's not a lot of action in these movies (car chases and gun fighting), there is plenty of drama (and some language… especially in Glengarry Glen Ross).

Business movies are more about the main character struggling with ethics and what it means to be in business without selling out or giving in. Some characters succeed, others fail. And business-loving viewers are along for the ride.

If you love movies about business, here are two more interesting sites:

Forbes has put together a top ten business movies list on their site. Two of my top three movies are listed there, along with (interestingly enough) Godfather II and It's a Wonderful Life. I haven't seen all of the movies on their list, but I admit that their top movie, Citizen Kane, was one that I mostly snoozed through.

Movies for Business sells learning guides to regular movies (the Wizard of Oz is mentioned on the first page) and you can watch the movie and go through the guide and learn about leadership and management principles. It's an interesting idea and much broader than watching strictly business movies.