Edition 46 – Ubiquity

Ubiquity. Most people have never heard of the term. It’s a big word. It has a big meaning. If you indulge in it, it may well yield big results for your business.

Ubiquity means everything, everywhere, all the time. If someone is ubiquitous, they are constantly in contact with you with offers and opportunities. In a lot of ways, they never leave you alone.

Let me explain further.

Earlier in 2016, I signed up to a service that sent me information about opportunities to have my content published in newspapers, magazines and business journals. Ultimately, as it was US based, I turned off the tap. However, the guy that runs it is absolutely, positively, unrelentingly ubiquitous. He is constantly feeding out information about how he can help you seek better leads and how best to position your writing so that it appeals to journalists and other news contributors.

He tries new ideas. He sends new offers. He counts down to big events, first with teaser emails, then with the big launch. He is ubiquitous with a capital “U”. And, as a result, he is building a business that is unique and affords him a wonderful lifestyle.

I’m telling you this mainly as a result of the fact that I have heard a few people in business say, of late, that things are a little quiet. Sales are down. Profits are down. Margins are getting tighter. To be honest, I’m alarmed when I hear this. When I start to ask a few questions, I quickly realise there are three key problems in their business:

1. Not enough people know about them and their business.
2. They aren’t doing enough to get their message out into the marketplace.
3. They aren’t getting off their backside to go out and chase down new opportunities.

Now, you could boil all that down to boredom, not wanting to get out of their comfort zone or sheer, downright laziness. Whatever it is, it is a self-defeating proposition that will only continue to head south.

On the other hand, when I speak with other family business owners and managers, I hear a different story. We live in fantastic times. Business is booming in Australia. Sydney is the powerhouse of the Australian economy right now. When I start to ask a few questions of those business owners and managers, I tend to find:

1. They are trying new things.
2. They are not afraid to fail at new ideas as it gives them the opportunity to do it better the second time around.
3. They are out and about, meeting people, generating interest in what they offer and asking for the business.
4. Most of them are relentless and keep repeating all three of these steps as they know it builds business.

So, take a moment to think about your own family business.

1. What are you doing to be ubiquitous?
2. What are you doing to get the message out there?
3. How often are you reaching out and making contact with your market?

As the old saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the most oil. If your business has been quiet of late, it’s time to get squeaky.

This Week’s Tip

Looking for new business and generating interest amongst your clients, customers and contacts is a daily proposition. Any less frequently and someone else might be stepping onto your patch.