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4C-4P Guide to Running Your Own Business Promo

 

Excerpt From "The 4C-4P Guide© to Running Your Own Business"

4Cs

Chapter 1

Consistency

BC:   Let’s talk about the first “C”, Consistency.  What do you mean by that?

SM:   With Consistency, I’m talking about consistent products and consistent service, every time.  That’s what your customers are looking for, consistency.  They want that product to be the same every time they walk into the store.  They want the service that they get to be the same every time they walk into the store.  And so you as a business owner, as a business manager, you have to work to develop consistency.

Now when we talk about consistency as far as the product is

concerned, here’s an example.  Say you own an ice cream 

shop, and you make a chocolate malt for a customer.  Now the 

customer liked the malt, so when they come back the next day, 

they’ll  expect that malt to be like the one they got the day 

before.  And if they come in a month from now, they expect 

that chocolate malt to be the same.  The same taste, the same 

flavor, the same amount, the same consistency.  Customers 

expect the product to be the same, regardless of when they go 

to get it.  We are all aware of a well-known fast food chain that 

thrives on consistency.  It doesn’t matter where you are, in 

what part of the country, you know when you walk into that 

restaurant the hamburger and fries are going to be the same.  

It’s going to be made the same, taste the same.  That’s what 

we’re talking about when we talk about consistency as far as 

the product is concerned.

Also when we talk about consistency, we talk about service.  

You have to treat your customers the same every time.  You 

have to be glad to see them every time.  Your customers have 

to be getting the same level of service in the same timeframes, 

all the time.  Even if you’re having “bad” day, your customers

expect you to be pleasant, friendly, and professional every

time they do business with you.  Consistency in service is an

absolute key to running a successful business.

Something else a lot of small business owners don't think

about is consistency in dealing with employees.  You want to

treat those who work for you the same.  You don't want to 

show favoritism one way or the other.  Set policy, set rules, 

and require all employees to adhere to them.  That will create 

consistency when dealing with employees.

BC:      That’s a lot to think about.  So, how does a business 

owner make sure they are being consistent in those areas that 

you discussed?

SM:     There are two keys: Clear Expectations and Adequate

Training.  When we say clear expectations, that means that 

everyone, from customers to employees, has to know what's to 

be expected.

When a customer comes in to get a product or service, they

have to know exactly what it is that you're going to be

providing.  And that has to be clear.  When you're dealing

with your employees, it has to be clear as to what's expected of 

them.  You have to have guidelines that say exactly what you

expect.  These are the things that you are going to be expected

to do.

So that’s the first key, clear expectations.  Customers have to 

understand what it is that they are getting, and employees 

have to understand what is required of them.  The second key 

to developing consistency in your business operations is to 

provide adequate training.  First you make it clear what is 

expected, then you provide the training.  Now you might say, 

“How do I train my customer about the product that we

serve?”

First, and foremost, you have help your customer 

understand how the product will be served.  Now some 

customers will question what you do.  They’ll say, “Well, when 

I was in San Antonio, I got my pizza cut in squares,” or “When 

I was in New Orleans, I got my shirts put on paper hangers.”  

But you, as the business owner or manager, have to let 

customers know that you serve your pizza in slices, or that you 

put shirts on wire hangers, and this is how you’re going to do 

it for them.  And so you train your customers.

BC:      That’s an interesting concept.  I think you have to be 

careful not to offend your customers though.

SM:     Oh, I agree, but the clearer you make it upfront, the less 

likely you are to have problems later.

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The 4C4P Guide(c) to Running Your Own Business

Question.  How many people do you know who have said they want to own and run their own business?  Now, out of those, how many do you know who have actually started their own business?  Finally, out of all of those who have started their own businesses, how many are successfully operating today?

And there's the rub.  Many want to start their own businesses, few ever do, and even fewer are successful. That’s why I wrote The 4C-4P^© Guide to Running Your Own Business.  I wanted to share some simple operating concepts that any small business owner could use.  The book is a unique training manual that focuses on eight basic business principals.  The 4Cs are Consistency, Customer Service, Cooperation, and Common Sense.  The 4Ps are Professionalism, Preparedness, Public Image, and Positive Attitude.  An entire chapter is dedicated to each principle.

Whether you own a restaurant, a shoe store, a computer store, a real estate agency, The 4C-4P Guide^© to Running Your Own Business will give you insights into how you can run your business better.  The book is written in a conversation/discussion style format with author S. A. (Steve A.) Miller and former Customer Service Manager Brenda Coleman, providing timely and insightful examples, and pertinent recommendations.

My wish for you is that when you get to the last page of the book, you will have learned some things that will help you run your business better.

S. A. Miller

About the Author

S. A. Miller (Steve A.) is a screen writer, producer, director, author, and the owner of The Video Factory, a video production company that produces motion pictures, promotional videos, and training videos.  He has been a small business owner for over thirty years.

https://soulvisiontv.com/4c4pnewpage2025.htm

Behind The Movie: The Making of Love Never Was the Issue

The following is an excerpt from the book, Behind the Movie  The Making of Love Never Was the Issue- Episode Three: The Heart of the Matter.

Rehearsals

           Because Dianne and Bobbye were not in Fort Wayne we used technology to conduct some rehearsals. Only Scenes 1-17 were initially rehearsed. These were the first scenes of the movie and focused on the heart attack and the medical and emotional response to it. We would hold rehearsals in library meeting rooms and Dianne and Bobbye would join us via Skype® or FaceTime®. Rehearsals were the opportunity for cast members to meet each other and establish some level of rapport.
           My focus was totally on Scenes 1-17. That was the only part of the script that the actors received. It was important that we represent the initial medical scenes as accurately as possible.

September 22, 2018
          Saturday, September 22, 2018 was the first day of shooting and took place at McMillen Health. This is where we shot all of the hospital room scenes. All of the principal characters were involved. We started around 8 am and finished up around 4 pm. It was a productive day and a good start to the project. I had worked a long, hard time to get this day done and it felt pretty good.

September 23, 2018
           Sunday, September 23, 2018 was the second day of shooting. The scenes shot that day were the bank scenes and the surgical waiting area scenes. All scenes were shot at the Minority Entrepreneurial Center between 10 am and 2 pm. It was a shorter day, but still productive.

Second Thoughts
           I honestly had a psychological let down after those first two days of shooting. In my mind I had prepared and planned for those first two days of shooting for nearly ten years and suddenly they were done. While some would suggest I should have been elated to have finally gotten my project off the ground after so many years, there actually was no joy. The reality of what had taken place on those first days did not live up to my expectations. I thought I had made some good decisions, but in my private reflective time, I confessed to myself that my dream was not matching my reality. I even thought of dropping the whole project because I couldn’t see how the project was ever going to match what I had envisioned it to be.

Getting Out of the Funk

           I didn’t schedule the next production date until October 27, 2018. I convinced myself that chucking the project would be an insult to both me and my Spirit. My Spirit had sustained me for so long that it just didn’t seem right to stop. During those ten years of waiting there were a lot of days filled with thought. There were times I was convinced that the project would never happen, then something would happen and I would get energized again. Going through this for nearly ten years was hard and I am still assessing the emotional and psychological price I may have paid. But what I know is that my Spirit never wavered. My Spirit told me it would happen and I had to have faith in my Spirit.

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Thursday April 4th, 1968

Thursday, April 4th, 1968 is the story of a group of high school students who are traumatized by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis in 1968.  While the students try to process their grief, anger, fear, and confusion to this national tragedy, one student, Moses Derrick has to make a personal decision that will impact the rest of his life.

Moses is a track star at Central High School and is preparing to run his last race as a high school senior on the same day that Dr. King is being laid to rest.  Classmates, family, and friends try to convince Moses that it would be disrespectful to run, but Moses knows that running this race is his last chance to achieve his dream of winning a state championship; a dream he has been pursuing his whole life.

Thursday, April 4th, 1968 powerfully narrates the challenges of relentless peer-pressure, unwavering family expectations, and tremendous internal conflict that Moses faces in pursuing his dream.

webpage: www.SoulVisionTV.com/thursdayapril4th1968.htm

 Available in Paperback at:

Amazon

Available in E-book at:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Apple iBooks

Overdrive