Too Dependant on Google

It amazes me just how dependant we are on the Internet now. We receive orders, even from Trade Customers electronically. We talk in real-time using Skype and email. We send photos of new products in prototype development as they are produced, changing things almost in real-time using email and webcams.

At times, broadband fails and it’s a real pain, but normally BT react and in a few hours its back. When we had a longer problem this Autumn, we got a dongle and went on mobile broadband, which kept things going.

But, where we are dependant on Google, its much harder to find an alternative.

This week we have a problem which has shown me just how much we depend on Google. Our Sports Business is  growing and developing. Its new but, we are making good sales, and learning about the market. We have two sectors, Sports Balls and Sports Bras. We are trying to target niche areas of sports, where we can make a difference. Delivering great service and amazing expertise in difficult, hard to understand technical areas. We have recruited expert Sports People, and a technologist who understands materials and manufacturing techniques. We are in it for the long run.

But, we made a basic, schoolboy mistake on the Sports Bras website, We managed to accidentally add some code that asked Google to de-index it, and at the same time managed to load the web site to two domains at the same time, creating duplicate content.

The result is that Google has de-indexed the site. Instant relegation in search, and zero traffic. That means zero sales. And it has made me realize just how reliant we are on Google for business.

Its one thing to say, let’s be the best at this, so Google makes us number one. Then you get lots of sales. But, if for whatever reason, Google drops you, the sales go, and you are left with a massive problem.

Its like having only one massive customer. Fall out with them and its curtains. Best we remain friends, and stop the muppet mistakes.

Discounts at Busy Periods

We don’t supply any of the really big retailer shed style stores anymore, because we made a business decision not to.  Two of the Directors have worked for big Grocery companies in the past, non of which still exist, and the Supermarkets have a lot to answer for. So, we decided to support independents and the Internet.

But one of the issues that made us fall out was the pressure of the big boys to discount. And to discount at the peak selling times. So, this month you will see 3 for 2 on Toys, at the busiest weeks. It makes sense for the big retailers since they want a seasonal hook to get you in and spend the rest of your seasonal spend. discounts on Toys and Christmas Biscuits do the job.

But for the manufacturer it is suicide. They discount heavily at the period when they should be making money.

And now, in some of the markets we are in we see small players mimicking the big boys. So, in sports bras, there are promotions being planned for January, giving money off at the peak month. Everyone will be forced to do it, and every brand will participate.

there is a first mover advantage. The first retailer to go down wins. The first brand to offer retail support will win share, but the end game is everyone doing the same thing, making less margin at the time they should be making the most.

It does not make sense, but can we hold off? Of course not. See our range of Sports bras at www.sportsbras.co.uk .

 

TP Genius Trampolines Problem

Sometimes suppliers cause you trouble you don’t need, without meaning to. This week the problem supplier is TP. They have told us they have some new ranges for 2012. Next year, there will be 3 styles of TP Genius Trampolines.

There is the round genius that we have already been selling for the last 12 months. In addition we will have a green round version, that we have all been asking for. And to add to that comes a range of octagonal black ones that for the last year was exclusive to John Lewis.

Our problem is confusion and clutter. We already have 3 Skyhigh ranges, and 3 Jumpkings, and add in our rectangular and oval trampolines the range is becoming unwieldy and confused.

Do we go with the new styles, or simplify?

Tricky questions. What’s your view?

Water Polo – The Toughest Sport in the World

According to this article, Water Polo is the toughest sport there is. It beats Gymnastics, Rugby, Boxing.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/832927-what-is-the-worlds-toughest-sport/page/12

You have to be hard to play it.

 

Climbing Frames

The Climbing Frame Market is very competitive. And whilst we are busy tidying things ready for next season, we have started a new website for Climbing Frames.

www.climbingframes.com is not quite a complete site, but is ready enough to launch. Hopefully we are in time to get it out there and noticed in time to get some traffic next season. In reality the season starts Mid-March, so we have only 4 months. Tight, but possible, and even if it takes 6 or 8 months, it should be still good enough to amke an impact during the 2012 summer season.

With a domain like climbingframes.com, we want it to be the pinnacle of the climbing frame market, showcasing the very best products, the best service, the best in expertise.

It will take a while yet, but to help provide focus we have also had a restructuring here. Most people have had a new definition for the job, with new responsibilities. And we have created two new jobs, which we are recruiting for right now.

There is so much to do on the project. We have defined some fabulous new ideas in how climbing frames are bought that we want to trial on this website. So keep in touch and we will let you know which ones are working.

Pool Maintenance in the Winter

We are striving to become bigger in the winter, hence we have a new development, www.dollshouses.co.uk a new market for us. But until initiatives like that work, we still have plenty of spare man hours.

One project we embarked on this month is to tidy up our pools range. We sell Intex Above Ground Pools and accessories, and if the sun is not shining you can’t give them away. So, whilst we are in the dead season, we have tried an experiment.

Our existing main pool site is above Ground Pool Shop. It is fine, but we have a better domain name, which we have owned for a while but could not work out what to do with it.

So, we have switched our Pools Shop to www.abovegroundswimmingpools.co.uk . We just prefer the new domain. We were scared to switch, since we have lots of links to the old one. But, it seems that Google and the other search engines are more tuned in  these days to the need to change domain names.

So, we have changed. Hopefully over the next few weeks, the search engines will discover what we trying to do, and give us credit for doing it the right way, and we will not lose any search engine positions.

If it all goes wrong, there is plenty of time until the season.

New range of dolls houses

We are under pressure in the summer, and it seems to go so quick, but during the winter times seems to drag, and frankly, we don’t have enough for everyone to do.

So, it’s imperative that we develop more winter business. And as much as we would like to sell more climbing frames and trampolines in the winter, is not realistic, so we are working on developing new sectors that sell in the winter.

We are used to selling big toys. Things that are difficult to deliver and cost £100+. So for some of our new sectors, we were looking for things that were similar, but mostly winter sales.

So, our latest new sector is Dolls Houses.

We are selling houses from the Dolls House Emporium and from Le Toy Van, the two top dolls house brands in the UK.

There is a considerable dolls house Market in collectables, and expert furniture, to collectors, mostly adults, but we are targeting the home Market, where parents and grand parents buy for their children. It’s a Market we service well in the summer with our outdoor toys, so we are hopeful that we can learn enough to make an impact in dolls houses too.

We have put a specialist team on the project, but fully expect it to be Christmas 2012, before we make a significant impact. So it’s slow burn, learn as much as we can, and be selling loads of dolls houses next year.

On top of our other new sectors, selling Sports Balls and Sports Bras, hopefully, we can even our year up.

The rules of business (part two)

No one ever wants to make cock-ups, so when they happen there is something else going on.

Your business has a system for getting things done. Even if you are a one man band, you have a process and a system. Is the only way complex things can get done, especially if an action involves more than one person.

So, when the salesperson says to you that they will get something sone for you which is not regular, the chances of it going wrong are enormous.

Imagine a normal, simple order to delivery process. The sales person takes an order, the order processor, processes it, the stockmcontroller allocates it, the warehouse man picks it, and despatch send it. Five processes, for one simple order. Now, imagine that an order noramlly gets despatched tomorrow for delivery on the third day. But, in response to a request from you, the salesman promises to get it despatched today for delivery by 10am tomorrow.

Not too much of a stretch is it? Just get it packed and sent on a next by 10am. But think of the number of involved, and how many chances there are for it go wrong. It’s such a simple task, but ALL of the five people involved have to do something different from the norm to make sure it gets out as requested.

The salesman can simply forget. The order processor, used to having an extra day, perhaps normally does everything at 4pm after the courier has gone, so the sale man has to ask them to mKe sure they process it as a special. Similarly the stock controller has to make sure it gets done, and the warehouseman has to pick it faster than normal. Then despatch, used to send everything on a normal despatch, has to remember that this special one has to to go on a special 10am delivery.

So, five people, five actions, everyone is now special, and capable of going wrong. But only one of the five has actually had the conversation with you, and made a promise. Everyone else is just doing their normal job, but this one order out of all the orders has to be a special. The level of communication to make this non-standard thing happen is amazing.

No wonder it often goes wrong.

So, remember, in your own organisation and in those you deal with, if it’s not standard, it’s VERY likely to go wrong. So allow for it, cope with it, and apply rule one. never trust anybody. If you have asked for a non standard process, follow up writing and check that it gets done.

Otherwise expect to be disappointed.

Once you understand this rule, you can stop your business from committing a bad mistake. Because of rule two, things go wrong. But in trying to put them right, we also break the system, without remembering that things outside the system will go wrong. That’s why it’s easy to cock-up the cock-ups. It’s easy to make mistakes when putting things right, because you either are repeating the same non-standard thing, or put it right with a new non-standard thing.

So, when creating processes in your organisation, make room for a White glove process, where non-standard things get special treatment. But try and charge for them too, because they are naturally more expensive.

The rules of business (part one)

I have many pet sayings which I use everyday, often at some times, prefaced by ‘what’s the first rule of business. But in the last year it’s become certain, there is only one first rule of business. It is:

Rule One: Never trust anyone.

I don’t mean treat everyone as if they are dishonest, or trying to rob you, but merely, that not everyone who says they will do something will actually deliver, and if you assume they won’t then you won’t go far wrong.

It’s a rule we really do have to teach everyone who works here, but especially the young ones who have not worked in a similar environment before. They come in and naively take people’s word as their bond and feel let down when it does not workout as expected.

They can not understand that a supplier would let down a customer. When a supplier promises to send something and it odes not turn up, it seems unbelievable that someone would let their customer down. How could they? They think its down to a poor individual, and have jot yet learnt that it is habitual amongst nearly everyone. Theynhave notnyet been aroundlong enough to see themselves doing it too, and worked out just how easy it is to let people down.

It’s actually not that hard to beat most of competitors customer service, just make sure you never fall foul of the first rule of business. If your company becomes known for delivering first time, without chasing, you will be ahead of 98% of your competitors.

The solution to this first rule, and the way to make sure it does not trip you up, is to never trust anyone, so you always be absolutely clear about what you have agreed and what you expecting to happen.

The reason you are let down so often is not that people are useless, but mostly that they have not understood the conversation quite the way you have. Perhaps, they did not understand your urgency. Or you definition of as soon as possible or quickly is not the same as theirs. So next time, check. When they say they will get back to you, ASK them when? When they say they will get that product delivered fast, ask when? They might think next week is fast, you would not be happy with tomorrow afternoon. So, check and double check, and then write it down.

I fact I toyed with the second rule being ‘Confirm in writing’, but decided that it should in fact be the solution the first rule.

So, confirm everything. Simply write an email politely Confirming what you have agreed and outlining your expectations of what will happen next. If they have a different view of the actions required, it gives them the chance to come back and clarify. If not, it’s a deal.

Then chase it up. If it’s really important that they end it today for you to get it tomorrow, ask them to confirm that it has left. If no confirmation comes by say 4pm, then give them a call and check. There is still time to put it right. The worst that will happen is they think you are a worrier, but they will realise that its critical to you, and will feel more important that they are important to you, if you handle the conversation right. A good opportunity to get them thinking like you.

It’s not that anyone wants to let people down, they just do. The first reason is the simple one of clarity. It’s amazing how often two people end a conversation with two different ideas of what will happen next. The other reason is just busyness. When things are busy it’s easy to forget stuff. The follow up email makes it harder to fail on both counts.

The third reason is rule two.