The Laundry List Blog

I saw this story earlier, and it moved me, so I wanted to share it with you:

A boat was docked in a tiny fishing village. A tourist complimented the local fisherman on the quality of their fish and..... asked how long it took to catch them?

“Not very long,” the fisherman...

Did you know that 20% of your efforts equal 80% of your results?

And conversely, 80% of your efforts only equal 20% of your results?

Knowing this, you MUST understand what activities add up to the few things that can create dramatic results for you and your company.

You need to spend your time on...

Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. It takes drive, patience, leadership, optimism, and the ability to shift economic resources from an area of lower into a higher productivity and greater yield.

The only way to do this is to see yourself as a value creator. And to create more...

Most drycleaners are unclear about the purpose of their marketing. If you ask a bunch of drycleaners why they do marketing, you might get answers like this:

• “For better brand awareness”
• “To get our name out there”
• “To keep up with our competitors”
• ...

Over the past year, in this Monday marketing column, I have laid out the sequence of the Client Journey. We Attract, Acquire, Appreciate, and Ascend our clients. And we keep an ever-vigilant eye out to retain clients that have become out of pattern or lost. These 4 A’s, along with the...

At times, we make certain things out to be more difficult than they really are. This can create anxiety, fear, and even paralyze us from taking action. Let’s make a commitment to not do that with marketing.

To keep things simple, at a minimum you need just a few marketing systems if...

Last week, we talked about The Money Pyramid, and how it applies to the target clients we intentionally go after.

This week, let’s look at it from a little different angle.

Where is your company on The Money Pyramid?

Where are you on The Money Pyramid?

Where do you want to be?...

I first learned about The Money Pyramid from one of my mentors, Dan Kennedy.

He proved that, on average, if you line up 100 people, clients, or companies, you will see the following segmentation:

1% are rich
4% are prosperous
15% are making a good living
60% are struggling financially (living...

Are you playing to win, or are you playing not to lose?

Most people who have a scarcity mindset are playing not to lose. They are trying to hold on to what they have, they believe opportunities and resources are limited, and to grow, they have to take something away from someone who already has...

You could have the very best marketing ideas.

The very best offers. The most exciting company news.

But if you don't have your clients' data points, you won't be able to communicate the offers and news to your clients.

I am a firm believer in delivering a similar message across many marketing...

Your doctor has the power to prescribe. If your doctor reviews your labs and sees that your cholesterol is high, then he/she will likely prescribe a statin like Crestor to reduce your cholesterol. You don’t question this. Your doctor is an expert. Your doctor is your trusted advisor.

Your...

If you are finding success elusive, take a look at your commitment level.

Have you created a meaningful, motivating vision for your life?

Does your business properly fit into and support that vision?

If not, there is likely a disconnect between what you are committed to and what you want from...

The most successful dry cleaning businesses deliver consistent cash flow to the owner with the least amount of assets. And this is done with the owner spending very little time in the business's daily operations.

To do this, the owner and leadership team of the company must understand how money...

What’s Marketing?

Putting the right message in front of the right list.

Let’s unpack that because this one sentence can, and will, change your life.

Step #1: Determine the right list

There are two “right lists.”

The first is a list of your current clients,...

Ten years from now, most people will be a 10-years older version of who they are today.

These are most often the people who have settled into a mindset that allows them to stay within their comfort zones and limiting beliefs.

If you are stuck in this routine, you are likely waking up doing the...

There is no relationship between being good and getting paid.

 You could have the best attitude in the world or the worst attitude in the world and be broke either way.

It was only a short 22 years ago that I was a broke dry cleaning owner with an eviction notice on my duplex...

Do you need more money?

The best people to get money from are people that have already given you money in the past.

Just like the very best place to get water is a well where there is already water. Keep going back to the same well, and keep pulling up water.

Or like oil wells. In...

You could have the very best marketing ideas.

The very best offers. The most exciting company news.

But if you don't have your clients' data points, you will not be able to communicate the offers and information to your clients.

I am a firm believer in delivering a similar message across many...

Your top 20% of clients give you 80% of your sales. They trust you the most, and they want a relationship with you.

Your bottom 80% of clients only give you 20% of your sales. They are not as interested in having a relationship with you, and they see you as a transaction.

Build your business...

Your success is dependent on your ability to solve problems that your target client cannot or will not solve on their own. And your growth is dependent on spreading the word about the problems you can solve and then coming up with new solutions to new problems.

For example, as dry...