Last Friday, I published the first part of my new keynote address, on the theme: What is a Coach? Refer back to this post to find out more about the aim of this sequence. Today, the focus moves to business location.
Before I do that, some more thoughts about last week’s introduction to the keynote. It seeks to engage a varied audience in appreciating the educational or coaching credentials of a range of businesses. Since last week, I have given more thought to it.
Why Run a Business?
Many business people enjoy running their business. They aim to generate income for themselves and their families. Their business offers freedom and an opportunity to live their dream.
For others, their primary aim is to share some skill or insight with the rest of the world. They enjoy their coaching or whatever service they offer. Running a business is secondary albeit essential to the success of their enterprise.
I’ve commented on this from time to time. Mostly I think these two approaches tend to converge. Business is more successful where it takes pleasure offering a service and a service-oriented enterprise must be supported by excellent marketing.
For some purposes, it is possible to help businesses choose their best approach to marketing, choose some short cuts and help the business owner carry out their chosen approach. It’s even better if the business can align its marketing and its offer. I shall pick this up in the next draft of my keynote.
Station 1: Where?
So, here is the next section of my keynote:
So, I’m going to begin in perhaps a very unexpected place, by asking the question: where? Are you aware of the neighbourhood in which you are based? Whether you work from the front room in your own home or from rented office space or workshop space, whatever it is: are you aware of your neighbourhood? Are you able to access the support of people who live and work nearby? Do you know where your nearest accountant is? Not necessarily the same as the one that you use.
Focusing on the neighbourhood is a great way to build your business. It may be that there are a number of people that you can work very closely with in your area on a number of things, because some of you are good at some things and some at others.
But also don’t forget that if you simply focus on the immediate neighbourhood you may miss other opportunities, for example Sheffield is situated on the border of the Peak District. How many of you use the Peak District in your business? It might be part of your offer, it might be part of your marketing. Whatever it is how many of you use that? (I know there’s at least one!) This is about paying attention.
Sharpening the Message
There are four stations in this part of the keynote talk and I’ll cover the others in future weeks. The aim is to point to good value ideas for each station. All four in this early version of the talk need to be sharpened.
I’m thinking for each station I should point to something a business can do to improve their performance, as well as show how the business owner’s state of being can help or hinder their development.
Perhaps the most useful thing any business owner can do is be aware of the assets of their chosen place. I have touched on Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) in some depth elsewhere (follow the link and scroll down to “Community Assets”).
I suspect many businesses end up in some location because the premises there are most economic. Pre-eminent among these will be those who work from home. Are they actually in the best place for their business?
Perhaps more important though, are local assets and the extent to which businesses make use of them. To see an opportunity and take advantage of it is one crucial role for business people.
So, paying attention is an essential disposition for the business owner. This is crucial when they are choosing a business location and then over the years, as they take advantage and build networks of collaboration in the neighbourhood.
Businesses need not always support a particular neighbourhood; after all, the benefits of business activity may be felt across a city or even further afield. The point is though, your business has to be somewhere and serendipity should never be ruled out.
How has your location influenced your business development?