Sometimes, business owners become so narrowly focused on their own organization that they don’t even consider that they might be able to learn something from another business that will help them be more successful.

We can all learn lessons from what another business is doing or not doing, even if it is a different industry or profession.

In this episode, Sharon shares experiences she has had with businesses that could have done better, and helps you see what you can learn from these situations and then possibly implement them in your own business.

Isn’t it worth less than 15 minutes of your time today to listen to this episode, in case you can learn what you can do to help your business grow and prosper?

In this episode, you will learn:

You might keep doing the same thing over and over in your business, but instead of it moving you forward, it might be pulling you down without you even realizing it.

Imagine being at a restaurant where the roof is leaking right above you, yet the staff doesn’t seem to be concerned about this. How would you feel if this happened to you?

Are you tired of hearing or reading about how businesses or business owners are claiming they are the #1 expert in (the world, etc.) or that they offer the best products or services in their industry? How can they make that claim when so many others are making similar statements? Doesn’t it start to bug you after a while?

In the examples that Sharon shares with you, discover what you can learn about how other businesses are operating and where you can possibly make some changes to ensure your clients keep coming back, and also win new potential clients.

Points To Ponder:

# 1

Where do you need to clean up your environment – this can include a physical location, your website, emails you send out, etc., where your client or prospective client can see how you are running things and what your priorities are?

# 2

What message are you sending regarding the service or product you are providing to the marketplace?

Are you making claims that are essentially not true just to appear better than the competition because you think people will believe you?

# 3

What can you do to take better care of your client to show you genuinely care about them and the business they give you?

Imagine having your business connections and your clients WANT and LOOK FOR ways to refer new clients to you consistently.

In this episode, Sharon shares two different situations where each business owner was looking at how they could reward people for referring them new business.

It doesn’t have to be expensive or hard to set up. Just imagine how that person feels when they are acknowledged in some way for connecting you to a new client.

Isn’t it worth less than 15 minutes of your time today to listen to this episode, in case you can learn what you can do to help your business grow and prosper?

In this episode, you will learn:

How to consider setting up a referral program if you don’t currently have one.

If you do have a referral program, then the importance of taking the time to look at how it is performing for you.

In the examples shared in this episode, you may gain insight that you had never considered before.

It is never too late to set up a referral program to thank your clients for bringing you new business. Even if your profession or industry doesn’t have this type of arrangement, why not be the first and see how you can increase your business by simply showing appreciation to your clients for the introductions they make on your behalf?

Points To Ponder:

# 1

If you do have a Referral Program, is it a consistent system that you and your employees use regularly and that your clients are well aware of?

And do you keep track of the referrals so that you can see how well it is doing or what tweaks you can make to ensure more referrals come in?

# 2

If you don’t currently have a program, will you take the time to consider how much money you’re missing out on by not having a Referral Program in place?

#3

If you don’t currently have a Referral Program, how could you reward your referral partners for their connections in a creative way?

Or if you do have a program, how could you make some changes that encourage your clients to actively refer you?

Branding is such an important part of a business’s success, and can often be overlooked once the business has been created. Consider this thought - When you are branding, you’re branding, and when you are not branding… YOU’RE STILL BRANDING!

In other words, even if you are not intentionally branding your business, it is still being perceived in some way by your clients and prospects. So, how do you want to be recognized?

In this episode, Sharon gives three great examples of bad branding, even though the business may not be aware of how they are showing up.

Isn’t it worth less than 15 minutes of your time today to listen to this episode, in case you can learn what you can do to help your business grow and prosper?

In this episode, you will learn:

For so many businesses, they don’t realize how they might be perceived, even when they are not intentionally considering their brand and how it is recognized.

In the examples shared in this episode, you may gain insight that you had never considered before.

It is never too late to make adjustments to show potential and existing clients why you should be their choice to work with or buy from.

Points To Ponder:

# 1

How are you currently keeping track of how your employees are representing your organization, both while you are in view and when you are not there?

# 2

Do you acknowledge employees who represent your organization well, and show them as an example to the rest of the staff, or perhaps reward them in some way?

# 3

What type of training/re-engagement is needed to make certain that your clients enjoy a great experience when interacting with any and all levels of your business?

Many businesses never take the time to consider where their clients come from, how they find out about the business, and why they decide to use that business's services or buy their products. Businesses then don’t know where to spend their advertising money or their time and resources to acquire new clients.

In this episode, Sharon shares two experiences of conversations she had with a business coach who didn’t know who his digital agency was targeting for new clients, and then a customer who went to a new hairdresser and didn’t have a great experience.

Isn’t it worth less than 15 minutes of your time today to listen to this episode, in case you can learn what you can do to help your business grow and prosper?

In this episode, you will learn:

How to look at where you are spending your time and money to gain new clients.

Are you even tracking how new clients find your business, because many businesses don’t even think of doing this? If not, then they are possibly wasting their money, time, and resources in the wrong places.

Do you empower your staff in some way to fix situations when a client isn’t happy with the service or product they have paid for? If not, then this episode may give you some things to consider changing.

Points To Ponder:

# 1

Do you currently have Standard Operating Procedures within your business (even if you are a solopreneur) so that everyone understands what they can do when a client complains or is unhappy?

I also mentioned SOPs and why they are important in episode 1.

So, consider going to listen to that episode, if you haven’t done so already.

# 2

Have you worked out the cost to acquire a new client for your business and looked to see how effective your current methods are?

And, do you know the lifetime value of your client so you know how much you can spend to acquire a new one?

# 3

Do you ever ask a new client how they heard about you? This question is often overlooked by a business when it gets a new client.

This would help you know where to spend your time, resources, and money better.

Have you ever considered how important having good communications with your clients is to the growth and sustainability of your business? Too many businesses miss the mark on addressing their clients' concerns, fail to update them on important information, or neglect to consider how to communicate with them on an ongoing basis, so they keep coming back.

In this episode, you will hear about two situations where the businesses didn’t keep Sharon up to date on purchases she had made. In one case, she will probably never shop there again because there is a lot of competition to choose from.

Isn’t it worth less than 15 minutes of your time today to listen to this episode, in case you can learn what you can do to help your business grow and prosper?

In this episode, you will learn:

Where a couple of businesses Sharon dealt with failed in their communications with her, and how you can learn how to better communicate with your clients.

In each of these examples, you will see where they missed the mark in providing good customer service in simple and easy ways that have now cost them future business. Something that any business that wants to be profitable would want to avoid.

Points To Ponder:

# 1

How are you (and if you have staff) currently communicating with your clients, and how often are you doing so?

# 2

How do you address customer service concerns?

Please hear me when I say, if you don’t think you have clients who are not pleased with every interaction they have with your business, then you are probably fooling yourself, because no person or business is perfect.

# 3

What can you take away from the examples I’ve shared with you, so that you can make changes in your business today? Do you have SOPs (standard operating procedures) set up?

The Duh Factor Podcast is for small business owners who are doing the work, making decisions every day, and still feeling frustrated because growth isn’t where it should be. I’m Sharon Worsley — a self-described people watcher. I spend my days noticing what businesses are doing well, and what they’re quietly getting wrong without realizing it. Each week, I break down real-world situations to reveal the overlooked behaviors and decisions that hold businesses back. No hype. No hacks. Just practical clarity that leads to those “oh… duh” moments. Once you see what’s been hiding in plain sight, you can’t unsee it — and that’s often what finally gets your business moving forward.