Your Future – How to Know What’s Next for Your Business

In all probability, the sun will rise tomorrow; just as it will also set, and night will replace day. We believe in the certainty of this taking place based on experience, history, the current state of affairs, and sciencey stuff that is beyond us yet in which we have faith. So, there is a fairly inevitable part of your future but, there are many areas where we believe we can never know what’s next.

For example, what the heck will your teenage daughter or son be doing with their friends after the Big Game Saturday night? What color and fabric will her prom dress be? When will he (if ever) start taking his curfew seriously?

Teenagers aside, predicting the future is not only difficult, but it can also be dangerous. For example, while certain luxury furnishings may have a great track record for dealer sales, trends change, shapes become overdone or obsolete, and colors of the year will shift, well – yearly. And yet… And yet… a good buyer is an informed buyer, using experience, history, trends, and market research to avoid over- and under-buying product that is likely to be in demand next season.

What Will Tomorrow Bring?

“Challenging the belief that the future is unknowable,” futurist Rebecca Costa believes in a “series of [what she identifies as] ‘knowables’ that can be possessed about most any given situation based on history, current circumstances, and myriad other algorithms that allow for reasonably accurate predictive outcomes.” (FurnitureToday.com)

“To help companies systemize their efforts to confront complex change, she outlined six steps: identifying the challenge or need; categorizing opportunities into market-driven (incremental) change or ‘moonshots’ (higher risk, higher reward) opportunities; developing separate processes for each of those two categories; realigning talent around personality predispositions; evangelizing from the top-down; and systematizing and institutionalizing [what she describes as] a ‘predaptive’ culture.”

“The most notable change from more traditional business practices is the development of separate processes for market-driven opportunities and so-called moonshots, and the corresponding alignment of talent accordingly.”

“Costa outlined two personality types common to professional organizations which she termed ‘racers’ and ‘climbers’. Racers are expert multi-taskers, highly verbal, high energy, performance-oriented, and are easily frustrated by process and protocol. Conversely, climbers are persistent, analytical, evidence-driven, process-driven, and prefer written communication.”

“Companies that use a single process for market-driven and moonshot initiatives often have these types of individuals working together, which often frustrates each and stifles development. Costa’s advice is to separate the processes and the individuals with racers focused on market-driven developments and climbers focusing on moonshots.”

Keeping It Simple

If that doesn’t make your head spin...

From our perspective as mere forecasters and experienced business prognosticators based on current trends and experience (We certainly do not claim to be futurists), we will try to simplify a predictive model that works for us:

• Be objective and uncompromising as you evaluate your business.

• Pay attention to local market forces as well as trends you see in the trade.

• Be conservative in your vision of the future of the market and your place in it.

• Take things to their logical, inevitable conclusion.

• Prepare yourself for anything.

And never forget – interior design is a local business!

Ted remains available for his impressions of issues like these and for business consulting to the trade. All you have to do is… Contact TD Fall today.

AI in Interior Design – From the Common to the Uncommon

Artificial intelligence in interior design has become a fact of life. In other words, AI applications are a common tool for designing and creating virtual and augmented reality experiences for clients, allowing them to visualize their space before any physical work is done.

Less common is the use of AI among designers to tackle the day-to-day minutiae of running their business. Despite the broad use of such applications among the business community at large, it is uncommon for designers and dealers to employ AI-based solutions for more mundane tasks that devour so much time and effort from a business owner.

From payroll to client follow-up and even from client acquisition to forecasting to help plan for the future, artificial intelligence administration applications enable a designer to spend more time working with clients, and even more time to… design beautiful spaces.

How AI can Help Small Business Owners

A September article at FurnitureToday.com states, “The furniture industry has gotten on board with A.I. and its content-creating subset, generative A.I.”

Further, they declare, “Whether retailers are deploying virtual reality technology to show how home furnishings will look within a room, adding chatbots to their online customer service applications, using A.I. for business forecasting and data analysis, or using it to write copy for press releases or product descriptions on their websites, interest has been growing.”

And, clever people that they are, they inquired of the free-to-use AI-generated chatbot ChatGPT itself to explain to them what the future of AI will look like for the furniture and design industries:

• Advanced AR/VR experiences: Future applications could include more immersive AR/VR experiences, allowing customers to virtually rearrange furniture in their spaces or explore entire room designs.

• AI-powered design assistance: Retailers could offer A.I. tools that help customers design their spaces by suggesting furniture layouts, color schemes, and complementary items.

• Sentiment analysis: A.I. could analyze customer reviews and feedback to gauge sentiment and identify areas for product improvement or customer service enhancement.

• Smart showrooms: Physical stores could incorporate A.I. to create smart showrooms, where A.I.-powered devices interact with customers, provide information, and even simulate different lighting conditions.

• Sustainability and material sourcing: AI could be used to trace the origin of materials, assess their sustainability, and provide customers with detailed information about the environmental impact of products.

• Emotional A.I.: A.I. could be used to understand customers’ emotional responses to different designs, helping retailers create emotionally resonant marketing and product strategies.

• Predictive maintenance for furniture: A.I. could be used to predict when furniture items might need maintenance or replacement based on usage patterns and material degradation.

• Collaborative design platforms: AI-driven platforms could facilitate collaboration between customers, designers, and retailers, enabling real-time design modifications and adjustments.

• Automated personal shopping assistants: A.I.-powered virtual assistants could help customers navigate through the purchasing process, offering personalized recommendations and facilitating the buying journey.

• Interactive in-store experiences: Physical stores could use A.I. to create interactive displays and experiences that engage and educate customers about furniture features, materials, and design options.

Does anyone else think that list is a little intimidating?

Using AI is Inevitable

Granted, We may have seen a few too many sci-fi movies but, asking an AI-generated app what the future looks like for AI-generated apps sounds a bit creepy to us. Seems like they’re just asking the darned bot to take control of things from them. (Have these folks never seen 2001 A Space Odyssey?)

Seriously, the burdens that can be lifted from a business owner’s shoulders are almost too numerous to count. And, it’s only going to grow: “Few segments [of the economy and business] are growing at the rate of the artificial intelligence market. What was estimated to be a $140 billion industry in 2022 is expected to grow to nearly $2 trillion by 2030, according to Next Move Strategy Consulting.”

(After reading this, you may want to watch something like “White Christmas” before bed tonight so you can avoid dreams of various artificial intelligences attacking you.)

Ted remains available for business consulting to the trade and as a potential guide for the use of AI in design as well as for furniture dealers. (Unfortunately, he has yet to learn dream therapy.) But, if you’d like to chat with him about your design business nightmares, simply… Contact TD Fall today.

Artificial Intelligence – Will it Hurt or Help the Furnishings Industry?

Artificial Intelligence… The very words can frighten us after seeing or reading countless movies and books where the friendly helper becomes a deadly foe. And now, we see it making an impact in the home furnishings industry – an impact that will affect all of us eventually (if it hasn’t gotten to you already).

So, what is AI? “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is machine-displayed intelligence that simulates human behavior or thinking and can be trained to solve specific problems.” (SimpliLearn.com)

Further, AI is already impacting all of our lives on a daily basis.

• As per Gartner, 37% of organizations have implemented AI in some form. The percentage of enterprises employing AI grew 270% over the past four years.

• According to Servion Global Solutions, by 2025, 95% of customer interactions will be powered by AI.

• A recent 2020 report from Statista reveals that the global AI software market is expected to grow approximately 54% year-on-year.

Technology is Changing How We do Business

OK, so why should we worry about using Artificial Intelligence for interior design or in retail furnishings? Well, according to Ashley Furniture CEO Todd Wanek, “By the end of this decade, there will be two types of companies. One, that’s in business using A.I., and the second one that’s out of business. I think it’s going to be that impactful.” (FurnitureToday.com)

Admittedly, that is a pretty bold claim. Then again, it’s not like a smartphone, tablet, or laptop is NOT being used to help interior designers reimagine a homeowner’s space. Or, to help a furnishings dealer show a client exactly how a new piece of furniture will look when placed in their home.

Apps like these are the very definition of Artificial Intelligence and they’ve been available for quite a few years.

“Home furnishings retailers are deploying [AI] with virtual reality technology to show how home furnishings will look within a room. They’re adding chatbots to their online customer service applications. They’re using it with business forecasting and data analysis, as well as to write copy for press releases or product descriptions on their websites.”

AI Will Boost Productivity

Clearly, AI can make our lives easier – when used effectively. The fear of AI comes from imagining what the logical implications of employing such a powerful technology might be moving forward.

Could AI be developed in a way that it could design custom furniture on its own? Could it take over for interior designers and reimagine a client’s space without the designers’ input? Just how far will we go?

Mr. Wanek explains, “There’s a tool called Midjourney right now that we’re using. We’re using it for creative service. Our design team is using it to help design product[s]. It’s unbelievable what it can do in five minutes, which would have taken hours before. In our product knowledge team, what would have taken them three weeks, they got done in three days just through ChatGPT.”

Additionally, he shared, “We’ve deployed it already in some cases, like in transportation and accounts payable. We’ve also deployed it in human resources. It goes through resumes and helps identify whether the person applying is capable of working for our company.”

Whether we like it or not, new technologies – including Artificial Intelligence – are having and will continue to have a meaningful impact on our industry. To quote our hero and mentor:

“I have an idea that AI needs to be humanized for designers. It's already having an impact on our industry and the early adopters will own the largest market share.” (Ted Fall)

We’ll be examining this issue in future posts about how and whether Artificial Intelligence will hurt or help the furnishings industry.

For now, Ted remains available for his impressions of issues like these and for business consulting to the trade. All you have to do is… Contact TD Fall today.

You ARE a Happy Business Owner (Whether you know it or not!)

Did you know that, as a business owner, you're happier than your employees? That’s right, the latest research indicates that despite the trials and tribulations of starting and running your own business, “entrepreneurs are happier and healthier than employees”. OK, so what?

Well, we love to work with happy entrepreneurs; creative people who find joy in the work they do because they’ve discovered a variety of ways to help and support clients who need them. And, according to more from Inc.com, “Despite the uncertainties of starting up, entrepreneurs on the whole actually report higher mental well-being than those comfortably ensconced in a steady job.

That said, however, we’ve also found that entrepreneurs who are forced into unfamiliar areas of running their business are far less happy. Just a few examples of these might be strategic marketing, lead generation, and writing a blog.

In fact, experience tells us that, once a new business reaches a certain level of success, these areas can become overwhelming and can suck the energy and joy from running your own business. In other words, if your expertise lies in designing and realizing spaces for living more comfortably or filling those spaces with luxury furnishings, it’s highly unlikely you’ll have the time (or inclination) to learn the fine points of say, online marketing.

That’s why we’ve been sharing a few business practices that we, and Ted, believe can help to smooth things out for you!

Ted Fall’s #1 Practice for Small Business Owners

It’s not at all unusual for a highly focused, energetic entrepreneur to suddenly feel overcome and defeated by the demands of promoting their business. Even those who recognize and accept that they can’t be everything to everyone will often try to do it all themselves. (Remember, you also can’t be all things to yourself!!!)

And so, we’re forced to ask, as a business owner, do you feel like…

• Your endless to-do list is getting the best of you, robbing the joy out of a business you once loved.

• You are drowning in projects you know you should do, but can’t find time for.

• You need help but don’t want to try one more mediocre design apprentice, only to be disappointed.

• You’re tired of the revolving door of support, where you’re the only one who can really run your business.

First and foremost, Ted’s advice is this: stick to what you love and do best. If you hire good people to support you while focusing on client acquisition and satisfaction, your revenue and profits will take care of themselves.

We would never claim that we could do what you do better than you, but we can confidently declare that we can support you by doing the things you either can’t or do not want to do. The things that are critical to your long-term growth and success – and which will enable you to focus on the things you do best – servicing clients, designing gorgeous spaces, offering the best home furnishings money can buy, and increasing profitability.

Learn More from Ted Fall Consulting

Virtually every interior designer and luxury furnishing dealer will experience frustration from the demands of running their business. This is normal. However, that does not mean you can’t find the support you need that will enable you to focus on the reason you started your firm – helping your clients live better, more comfortable lives.

If you’re struggling with the daily demands of building or running your business, Ted can help. Simply… Contact TD Fall today for professional business consulting to the trade.

Are You Afraid of SEO? No worries, mate! It’s really not that scary.

What do you think of when you see the letters S-E-O? Do you think of a man in a hockey mask, carrying a chainsaw, chasing you through your home? Or, maybe the neighbor’s Rottweiler is “joining” you for your morning run? If so, you’re not alone. Many website/blog site owners are afraid of SEO, even more than a trip to the dentist; while the actual phrase “Search Engine Optimization” will send them back to bed to pull the covers over their heads.

Fear not! As usual, the team at TD Fall is here to help you overcome your fear and optimize your website to the max!

Is your website optimized for search engines?

Do you have a list of effective keywords for your content?

Has traffic to your website stopped growing?

What is SEO?

First things first – and let’s keep it simple. SEO is not some kind of mysterious, online magic that can only be performed by uber-geeks. On the contrary, Search Engine Optimization is a set of techniques and strategies that are used by successful websites to generate interest from the search engines, helping them to direct visitors to your website. Basically, if the search engines are the traffic cops pointing folks in the right direction, then SEO is the map that they use to safely and efficiently lead those folks to you.

Now that you know the purpose of SEO, you can begin to understand its value as well.

Many people seem to believe that Google and the other search engines are like God; all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-loving. Well, while the first two may be true, Google, Bing, and Yahoo will only “love” you, and by that we mean send prospects to you, if you give them a reason to. In other words, when your site is properly optimized, you give the search engines a reason to point people in your direction – to show you some love.

So, what does all of that mean? It means you need to develop a list of high-value phrases (also known as keywords) to drive your content. Then those phrases and their synonyms need to be plugged into the Metadata for your pages and posts, as well as all images and videos.

In other words, you need to learn a bit about organic SEO.

What is Organic SEO?

In short, organic SEO is a strategy of using targeted phrases to direct the search engines toward your content. The techniques for doing this vary, from “on-page” to “off-page” SEO.

On-page SEO involves using assorted keyword phrases within the content you publish, such as titles, headers, images, and page URLs. This also includes your “Metadata”, the information that exists “behind the scenes” of each page, but which the search engines use to identify and rank your content for their search results.

Of course, variations of your targeted phrases will also be used within the text you create, as well.

Off-page SEO focuses on increasing the authority of your website through the act of getting links from other websites; a completely different strategy.

How does SEO help me?

OK, you're asking now, what’s the payoff for doing all of this work? Again, let’s keep it simple:

• Improve your ranking in the Search Results (SERPs)

• Improve your Google Page Rank

• Increase traffic to your website

• Enhance brand awareness on your website

• Build your online reputation

• Make more sales

In an increasingly competitive online marketplace, it has become ever more important to use every tool available to get yourself seen and heard. Ignoring website optimization out of fear or confusion is no longer an option.

Besides, if it’s simply more than you can handle, we are “in the know” with folks who can help you optimize your website for all the search engines. (Wait, you mean there’s more than ONE?!?)

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the idea of search engine optimization, and are still afraid of SEO, we can hook you up. So, feel free to…   Contact TD Fall today.

Design Revenue Streams – Can You Think of Ways to Create More Revenue?

OK, all you lovely, loved, and faithful TD Fall’ers, it’s time to talk about creating revenue: finding alternatives to your regular design revenue streams. This notion came to us thanks to a recent article from the Business of Home website titled, “4 designers share how they landed their side hustle”.

BTW, while the phrase “side hustle” is massively popular these days, it seems to be a bit tacky to us and undervalues the importance of generating alternative streams of revenue. (But hey, maybe that’s just us?)

As the article’s author Marina Felix writes, “Creating an additional revenue stream in your business may come with a clear financial incentive, but that doesn’t mean it has to lack passion.”

Pump Up The Revenue (examples)

The following examples will be largely taken from the article highlighted above:

• Go ahead, get artsy

“The [painted] art walls [I make] called ‘Wow Walls’ came about in 2018 as a desire to have my interiors be a little bit more creative. I also wanted my clients to feel like they were the muse. Of course, they are the muse, but this gives them a larger-than-life mural that is inspired by them as part of the space. A lot of times the walls are part of my projects, and I have had some clients reach out to me for extra walls later on. I also have some people [who] call me … to have a mural commissioned like a piece of art [which] adds another layer of income for me. – Alicia Bailey, Bailey Li Interiors, Glen Ridge, New Jersey

• Memberships are All the Rage Today

“I always envisioned Jenni Kayne as a lifestyle brand encompassing apparel, home, and all the details of everyday living, and the apparel side of the business existed for many years before we decided to venture into home decor and furniture. I’ve always been passionate about interior design, and as we started to pursue brand projects … it felt like a natural next step to launch Jenni Kayne Interiors. While product design plays a major role in my work in interiors, in April 2022, we launched our membership program, The JKH Membership. For $150 annually, our members receive 20 percent off every furniture and home decor purchase—they also have access to exclusive perks from partner brands … JKH Membership is also open to designers through our trade program, so in addition to all of the perks that regular members receive, trade members get an exclusive 25 percent off all furniture and décor … [A stunning]70 percent of all furniture purchases are made by members. … and we have seen high renewal rates.” – Jenni Kayne, Jenni Kayne Interiors, Santa Ynez, California

• Preach It… Teach It… Workshop It!

“I worked at [hospitality brand] Sonder for a couple [of] years as a senior designer. I had people coming to me all the time – on LinkedIn, or friends of friends – asking, ‘How do I get into interior design? I really want to do it, and my job is not fulfilling.’ This happened so much that I thought there was really a need for something there that helps people with the business side of [setting up an interior design business] … When I created The E-design Workshop in 2019, there were a lot of up-and-coming websites like Havenly and Decorist that were hiring freelance designers consistently to serve their clients. It seemed like a good opening to create something useful that people want. It’s [become] kind of an evergreen thing.” —Rachael Simon, Rachael Simon Studio, Chicago

• Get to the Root of Your Creative Side

“I’m a fourth-generation artist. My family is full of women artists, painters, and musicians. I’ve always loved painting; I’ve just done it more as a hobby and a meditation. It was something that was part of my heritage, but I never knew how much of it. I worked for [the] textile company Holland & Sherry for a few years, assisting with product development and designing the showrooms … there, I learned a lot of resources and about color and texture. During Covid, when everything shut down, I pulled out my paintings and was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, I need to start putting this together in the textile form.’ So I started researching. I found a great local printer, and they use eco-friendly inks, which I really loved. Designing wallpaper was something that I just felt very moved to do, and I’m doing it slowly.” – Kathryn Hunt, Kathryn Hunt Studio, Mattituck, New York

What’s Up With That?

Existing as we do in such a creative industry, we find it surprising that so few of us figure out new ways to generate new revenue streams outside our comfort zones. These talented “industry pros” however, do not seem to have that problem.

Have you found ways to generate more income? Have you even thought about trying to? If you were to accept such a challenge, where inside yourself would it come from?

Remember, our hero Ted Fall remains available for business consulting to the luxury furnishings and design trades. Maybe he could help you brainstorm ideas to generate new revenue streams. Couldn’t hurt, right? So, go ahead and…   Contact TD Fall today.

Client Attraction Tips - Who Is Your Ideal Client?

“How do I attract more clients?”

Without a doubt, client attraction is one of the greatest challenges for businesses when developing an online marketing strategy. This is true not just for emerging online business owners, but even for veterans of the internet marketplace. Regardless of past success, client attraction remains an important element of your business, leading to increased referrals and long-term growth – as well as a steady revenue stream.

Attracting new clients requires two basic steps:

1. Creating or enhancing your brand

2. Identifying and appealing to your target audience

Being recognized as an expert in your niche, someone who can offer solutions is critical to your success. However, it’s just as critical to understand the needs, wants, and desires of potential clients. In other words, HOW you present yourself is as important as WHAT you have to offer, while knowing WHO to target is as important as knowing WHY they will benefit from your services.

Identify Your Ideal Client

To become a client attraction guru for your online business, you have to be able to step into your ideal clients’ heads. If you can create a clear profile of who they are and what they need or want, you’ll be able to speak to them in a way that will make them WANT to work with you! You can repeat this process over and over again when creating new products or services. The result is marketing materials you can use in multiple ways.

Of course, to accomplish this, there are a number of questions you’ll need to answer:

• Who is your Ideal Client?

• What are their Pain Points?

• What are your Solutions?

• What do they need to Know/Learn/Do to find a Resolution?

• What is their Ultimate Why for Seeking your Help?

• What is their Ultimate Outcome?

• What will Success look like?

Ultimately, your goal is to answer the most basic question of all for them, “What’s in it for me?” If they can’t identify a benefit from working with you or from buying your product, they won’t.

When you’ve completed your Ideal Client Profile, develop one simple sentence to put it all together: what’s often called an “elevator statement”. When you’ve finished, you’ll discover a stunning type of clarity around who you want to work with and what you can do for them!

Your elevator statement can then be used in multiple ways: in conversations with potential clients; in networking situations; as material for your home page – and as inspiration for blog posts, articles, newsletters, and list-building materials.

If you have more than one ideal client, work your way through this process again to create a new profile. It’s just that easy, and that hard.

Once you’ve created your unique, identifiable brand and developed your ideal client profile, you can begin to generate content that enhances your identity and speaks directly to your target audience, enabling you to take your client attraction strategy to a new level.

Remember, Ted remains available for marketing and business consulting to the trade. Simply… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

What Does Success Look Like… To You?

Pretty much everyone wants to be successful, right? Few people say that, as a child, they wanted to grow up to be a failure but, success has no universal meaning. That is why the most popular question among consultants, mentors, and coaches is usually: What does success look like?

You probably noticed the part that’s missing there: To you.

For us, that’s the most important part of the question because each of us has our own definition of success. “A state of prosperity or fame”, which is found in a dictionary, seems far too narrow and narcissistic. “An event that accomplishes its intended purpose” is too shallow. “An attainment that is successful” too circular (success is about being successful).

Plus, in the face of our new changing world, each of us will surely answer that question differently than we would have just a year or two ago.

So, perhaps we should ask instead: What does success look like – to you – among shifting today’s paradigms?

Set a Flexible Business Vision

While it may be true that life seems like it hasn’t changed much for those of us who work in the virtual world, many feel isolated, and others are living in fear. Moving forward, there may be some serious residual anger from folks who lost income or loved ones. Even relationships are being stretched to their limit in some cases, with differing views on causes and potential solutions causing conflict.

With these things in mind, preparing your business for our current business environment should be high on your list of To-Do Items now. In other words, whatever you're doing now to keep your business viable, be conscious of the fact that your short-term choices may have long-term consequences. So, be prepared, and be flexible.

Without sounding too negative, there could be some significant changes in how you're able to do business. Granted, for first-world economies like ours, a dystopian future is unlikely. Yet, you should probably take into account the range and severity of the challenges others are facing.

Whatever your niche, your vision for the future of your business should include the evolving needs of potential clients, such as:

• Safety – Set conditions that ensure the safe operation of your business.

• Authenticity – Be sincere in all you do, and respect others’ need to express their needs, fears, and frustrations.

• Stability – Be the rock they can rely on, the stable foundation from which to move forward.

• Reliability – Bring back as many familiar faces as possible and commit to being there for your clients.

• Meaning – Significant changes require a significant response. Be true to your vision of the future and share it freely.

It should also be mentioned that, if you work with a team, they too will seek these qualities (and more) from their leader. (Maybe our recent blog post on goal setting for your business will be helpful.)

It’s becoming a bit of a cliché in the world of sports, but it is no less true that, for a leader, the greatest ability is availability. Be available. Be visible. Be relatable.

Are you struggling to decide what success looks like for your business? Maybe we can help. Simply… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Business Goal Setting Tips (How to Set Up Your Business for Success)

Advice about goal setting for your business (and life) is ubiquitous among coaches of all types, and that’s a good thing – sort of. This is especially true in the new year.

The problem develops when you recall that, on average, eight of ten yearly resolutions are never realized. In fact, they are usually forgotten as early as February each year. That is a stunning lack of success in the face of so much “expert advice” about how important it is to set goals.

The possible reasons for this failure rate tend to be more a matter of opinion than of scientific fact but, one thing must be said… If you regularly struggle to set and reach business goals, it’s because you’ve not been taught how.

Wait, wut?

Yes, Virginia. Goal setting is a learned skill that requires training and practice. It is not “instinctive” and is barely intuitive. Despite our tendency to endlessly look to the future, hoping always for good things to happen, we are frequently blinded to the present by our focus on tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year.

In other words, we lose focus on the practical day-to-day steps that need to be taken to reach the end result we hope for; that One Big Goal every coach tells you to set each year.

Successful Goal Setting Starts with Small Steps

Turns out, successful goal setting requires you to focus on the small steps you need to take to get to your Big Result; the boring, daily routine that will eventually get you where you want to go.

While this may fly in the face of currently popular belief, the truth of such a claim should be obvious. After all, if you're climbing a ladder to reach the roof of your house, you have to do it one rung at a time. The same is true for reaching your One Big Goal; there must be a clearly outlined, step-by-step process to get there or you will fail again.

You Need a Goal-Setting Strategy

So, rather than repeating those steps here, let’s take a look at what your goal-setting strategy should be:

• Be realistic – No matter how high you want to reach, if your goal is unrealistic, you’re setting yourself up to fail and you will never get there. Big goals are fine because they give you something worthwhile to aim for. However, they have to be reachable, or you will remain in that 80% of folks who never reach their goals.

• Set positive goals – Setting negative goals for the new year is probably the most popular approach; to lose weight or quit smoking for example. These are rarely successful. Instead, it’s better to put a positive spin on the changes you want to make: to get more exercise, to eat healthy, to wear the patch, etc. Turns out, a positive mindset is far more powerful than negative thinking.

• Recruit others – Sharing your goal with others will help you stay focused. Sharing it with your team will enable and engage them in helping you get there. Do NOT be shy about telling someone about what you hope to achieve. Instead, get them on your side and allow them to encourage and support you in your efforts.

• Make a plan – You’ll need to outline the steps along the path toward the result you want to achieve. It’s important to always remember that you're in the middle of a process here; a progression from point A (setting your goal) to point B (the realization of your goal). There are no shortcuts.

• Daily follow-through – If small daily goals are the secret to successful goal setting, then following through on them is the only way to get there. This is your responsibility and only you can ensure these tasks are completed. The benefits of being diligent are outlined below.

Of course, all of these ideas are great in the abstract but, that begs the question of how to put them into practice. Below is a very simple example of how to reach a new business goal for the year.

Your Big Goal: Increasing Income!

• So, at the top of the pyramid: your Big Goal = Boost Income 25% this year

• Next level of the pyramid: 4 Quarterly Goals = Boost Income 6.25% each quarter

• Next level of the pyramid: 12 Monthly Goals = Boost Income 2.1% each month

• Next level of the pyramid: 50 Weekly Goals = Boost Income 1/2 of 1% each week

Do you see how easy it is to increase your income by 25% next year – IF you think of doing so in terms of Less Than 1% per week? Your half-a-percent per week goal quickly becomes more than 2.1% per month, which is more than 6% each quarter, which will easily surpass your 25% Income Boost for next year’s Big Goal!

Easy peasy! Who knew successful business goal setting for boosting your income could be so simple? (We did. LOL)

Are you looking for more tips on goal setting for your business, or other marketing ideas? Ted is available for business consulting to interior designers and luxury furniture dealers across the US. Simply… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Bye, Bye Resolutions & How Acceptance Lowers Stress

That’s right, it’s time to say bye, bye to your New Year’s resolutions and accept that making them didn’t work out – again! Does this sound like you? Yeah, you’re not alone (believe it). You’re also not alone if you’ve made resolutions every year for decades and rarely (if ever) followed through on them.

But that’s OK because, depending on whom you believe, something like 80% of resolutions goes bust within the first month or two of every year. This begs the question of why we keep doing the same old thing and expecting a different result. (We all know what Einstein said about that, right? Coo-Coo for Cocoa Puffs!)

Why does this happen so consistently? Well, stated simply, it’s because you're human: life and work get in the way while enthusiasm fades. Other priorities kick in. Old habits persist and are hard to change. Limiting beliefs hold you back. It’s hard to let go of last year and focus on this year. You always aim too high and fall short. The list is almost as long as the number of people who make resolutions each year.

So, what to do? What to do?

Change Your Mindset and Accept Slower Change

Making changes is NOT easy. Truly, old habits die hard, and familiar ways of thinking (and feeling) become like that worn-out but comfy old sweater you can’t throw away. Yet, it’s also true that sometimes what’s familiar no longer works – and that’s when changes need to be made.

(BTW… Though this is a business blog, these lessons apply to both your personal and business lives.)

In practical terms, change is stressful and can be frustrating. Failing to reach goals is discouraging and the resulting negative expectations lead to a self-fulfilling lack of faith in yourself. All of this can lead to a persistent, negative mindset that virtually guarantees your goals will not be realized.

“The unfortunate truth is that change, all change, entails some degree of emotional friction, which in turn generates a ‘heated state’ we call stress. Whether you're feeling anxious, depressed, frustrated, fatigued, weak and out of control, or simply bored, emotional friction (stress) becomes the high-octane fuel of failure. When it comes to handling the stress involved in change, many well-adjusted, happy, overweight, out-of-shape people share the fundamental problem of self-sabotage.” (USNews.com)

So, unless you change your mind first, you can’t expect change or acceptance to follow.

Power of Positivity & Successful Goal Setting

Professor Carol Dweck at Stanford University has found that when it comes to achieving success, more important than believing in our abilities is the belief that we can improve upon our abilities. While much has been written about how these beliefs shape our individual success and well-being, her latest research suggests that these beliefs also exist within our organizations, and shape our ability to create innovative, risk-taking cultures and have happier employees.

Research done at Harvard has shown that, if you train yourself to see stressful situations as challenges rather than barricades, a situation to overcome rather than an impossible barrier, you are far more likely to experience “good” stress rather than “bad” stress in that situation. Doing this then leads to the release of the “feel good” enzyme dopamine which leads to a more positive mindset.

Further, as presented by researcher and psychologist Shawn Achor in his entertaining and very popular Ted Talk, there is also ample research that shows a positive mindset affects every aspect of life, including work. Positive people are happy people and happy people are successful people – not the other way around.

As he explains, and as the latest research into the structure and function of the mind suggests, success does NOT lead to happiness; happiness leads to success!

In other words, mindset is the key to success in life and business because a positive mindset leads to:

• 23% Reduction in stress

• 39% Better Health

• 31% Increase in productivity

• 34% Increase in positive social interaction (relationships)

• 37% Increase in Intelligence

“Huh?” Yes, take a look at that last one again. A positive mindset will not only reduce stress, improve your health, make you more productive, and improve your relationships – being positive will also make you smarter!

While there is plenty more to be shared on the relationship of mindset to successful yearly resolutions and goal setting, we’ve pretty much hit the limit for a blog post. So… stay tuned for more in future posts.

Looking for more tips on goal setting for growing your business? Ted remains available for business consulting to interior designers and luxury furniture dealers across the US. Simply… Get in touch with TD Fall today.