I had lunch with the CEO of a technology firm the other day. Among other things, we talked for a while about the tactics he is implementing within his organization to position it for long term success. As he has recently taken the company reigns, he has been spending a fair amount of his time developing the long term strategy for the company. His excitement for the business and its future was contagious and it reminded me of why I wanted to open the A Plus Benefits’ Idaho office.

After leaving our meeting I thought about several other CEOs that I’ve met over the years and realized that after the initial start up phase, very few of them consistently sit down to consider their company’s long term strategy. Mostly because they were so mired in time sensitive tasks.

After witnessing first hand the many daily challenges associated with operating a business I can relate to the difficulty of finding the time to develop a good strategy. Here are five ideas for those business owners that are also struggling to find enough time to work on their business strategy.

1. Once every few years get out of the office for an executive retreat. This will remove you from the daily grind and allow you to think about the bigger picture.
2. Recruit a client advisory board to provide outside perspective into business operations. This will also help you prove to your clients that you care about their feedback and are willing to improve their experience with your company.
3. Take a small group of employees to lunch once a month. No, not the same group you go to lunch with every other day. Take a few of the employees that just started working for the company in one of the “front line” jobs. Not only will these folks provide you with some great ideas, but they’ll feel appreciated and valued in their role.
4. Begin having a cup of Hot Cocoa with another business owner once a month. Bounce ideas off of each other and consider how their proven strategies could be adapted to your industry.
5. Block a few hours out on your calendar to work on strategy and then rigorously defend that time. I think this works best when you actually leave the office. Shut off your cell phone and exclude yourself for a bit.

Most business owners didn’t go into business for the daily grind. Almost all that I’ve met felt like they had unique strategies for an industry that, in their view, could use some improvement. They opened their doors to revolutionize the industry and are now so bogged down in minutia that work has lost a bit of its excitement. In addition, because they haven’t been able to focus on the strategy, many of their businesses have become mirror images of the model they wanted to change.

By focusing on the big picture, businesses continue to adjust and evolve to changing industry forces and business owners are able to focus on the real reasons they went into business.

Jake Lunt is the General Manager of Idaho operations for A Plus Benefits, Inc.

I’ve always been a bit of a social eater. I enjoy getting together with people and discussing varied topics over a meal. The challenge I have is that I can only afford to go out to lunch so often. As a result I’ve started having conversations over an early morning beverage. Doing so has been incredibly insightful and a nice break from my standard morning procedure of reading emails. Not because the Mexican Hot Chocolate from Java downtown is so good, but because the conversation contributes to my creativity throughout the day and sometimes week.

Yesterday I had a meeting at 7:00AM with Brice Sloan of Sloan Security Fencing at Java. We talked about pursuing core competencies, road expansion, the Boise airport, common business distractions, the scalability associated with contracting with a national workers’ comp carrier, employee training, the value of networks, taxes and several other issues. As we spoke about A Plus Benefits he shared several thoughts that generated several new strings of ideas. In fact, his statements were kind of like a time release capsule and continued to provide sparks of creativity throughout the entire day.

We all have our morning rituals. For some of us, simply getting out of bed is a great triumph and for others starting the day with the paper or a news program gets our minds running. Whatever you do, consider adding a morning beverage with an intelligent person to your routine a couple times a month. I’d bet that you’ll gain some insights and improve your capability to come up with some new creative ideas.

Jake Lunt is the General Manager of Idaho Operations for A Plus Benefits, Inc.

Read Jake’s previous Company Creativity Blog.

Over the past several years I’ve received a bunch of little gifts from recruiters, clients and suppliers. Some of them I’ve really appreciated and others have struck me as nothing more than really cheap logo carriers. Is anyone really flattered when they receive a Bic pen with your company’s name on it? Does this simple gesture really improve brand awareness or inspire someone to purchase from you? My guess is that it doesn’t. In fact, it may do just the opposite. But let’s assume you’re lucky and it does work, do you really want a client that has chosen your company based on the free plastic soda bottle opener you gave them?

Of all the things I’ve received over the years the item I appreciated the most was a little black Moleskine® book. It’s a nice notebook given to me by a good friend and vendor for the purpose of recording blog ideas. I’ve carried it around with me for several months and draw from its pages many of the topics I write about. It doesn’t have his company’s brand on it or a note from him on the front page. It was just a blank notebook. The thing is, I use it all the time and when I do, I think of my friend and his business. It’s a high quality gift that I’m not afraid to carry around with me. As a matter of fact, I take it to nearly every appointment with clients and prospective clients and I’ve told many people about my friend’s business and how cool I think the book is. I suppose he could have taken me to lunch or bought me a couple boxes of Bic pens for the same amount of money but I don’t think he could have given a more appropriate item.

What are you giving your clients?

Jake Lunt is the General Manager of Idaho Operations for A Plus Benefits Inc.

The other day, a good friend told my wife she doesn’t believe in immunizing children because of the risks associated with them. As an RN, my wife tried to highlight many of the positive results of immunization but to no avail. Apparently, our good friend’s mother doesn’t think they are a great idea and told her daughter that she has read many articles online that suggest that immunizations can cause problems in young children.

You may be wondering what this has to do with small business. Well, the lesson is that the thoughts of our trusted advisors – whoever they are – trump those of “industry experts.”

As a small business owner there are several things that can be done to utilize this to your advantage. Consider some of the following ideas:

1. Spend more time ensuring the satisfaction of your current clients. They are the trusted advisors of many potential customers.
2. Take someone you don’t know to lunch once a week in order to develop your network. You may become the trusted advisor.
3. Adjust your sales message to educate the potential customer. Create an opportunity for them to have their own epiphany of value about your product.
4. Don’t contradict a potential client’s trusted advisor.
5. Focus sales efforts on benchmark companies that are well respected and successful.

My wife and I believe that there are more positive than negative consequences associated with immunizations. But that’s really beside the point. What we believe is only applicable to us and to those that view us as trusted advisors. Being right or wrong is irrelevant; it’s your ability to influence opinion that matters.

Jake Lunt is the General Manager of Idaho Operations for A Plus Benefits Inc.

I walked into the sales office this morning and noticed a catastrophe on one of the desks. A smattering of business cards covering every inch. They weren’t in any particular order, at least as far as I could tell.

Maybe the owner of the desk knows which company’s card is located three cards from the top of a small pile in the upper left-hand corner, but to me it is a mystery. Not only is the collection a disaster, but it is also serving no purpose, unless he is hoping to liven up his working environment with a bit of creative decorating.

If your desk is often found in a similar state of despair, you aren’t using those business cards to their full potential. Next time you find yourself at a networking event, continuing to pick up business cards, try a different strategy.

During the next week, call those individuals you are genuinely interested in getting to know. Invite them for coffee or lunch. Timing is critical, if you want the person to remember who you are. If you haven’t made contact within a week of receiving someone’s card, it’s probably too late. They won’t remember you, nor should they. You haven’t given them any reason to.

Before the meeting, try to learn some background on the contact, company and the industry. Explore what intrigued you about the individual in the first place.

The purpose of the meeting should be to genuinely get to know them. Making a friend will get you further than trying to make a sale. It may take more time to build a positive working relationship, but this kind of connection will ensure that they think of you and your company in the future.

Following this guidance will make sure you don’t miss out the opportunities hidden under the third card from the top of a small pile in the upper left-hand corner of your desk.

Samantha Bushard is an HR employee for the Idaho office of A Plus Benefits, Inc.