Over the past 30 years, Bob has been working with hundreds of clients, helping them achieve their business goals. During those years, Bob noticed one important aspect of running a business overlooked by business owners; something that hinders them from well-deserved success. Bob calls the important aspect as “Durable Success” – the focus of Bob’s new website, BizCrafting.
Q&A: Noobpreneur.com and Bob Dunn
Noobpreneur.com: Hi Bob – can you tell use a bit about you and your business?
Bob Dunn: I’ve worked as a business advisor to private companies and their investors since 1981. In the last 10 years I have refocused and limited my practice to 1:1 work with CEOs of early stage businesses across a wide spread of industries. My main objective was fixing broken operating practices that were in the way of growth and expansion with about 400 clients over the past 20 years. Typically my services are retained on renewable 3 month remits. My average client engagement is about a year.
Noobpreneur.com: Please tell us about BizCrafting – what is it and how visitors can benefit from it?
All small business are crafted by their leaders i.e. they are shaped to fit their prevailing business climate using sound standard business practices adjusted to meet the needs of that business. That process of figuring which practices to adopt and how to adjust their use for a specific business is the art of BizCrafting. BizCrafting is a virtual advisory services that teaches, coaches and advises its clients and subscribers on the use of nearly 40 individual business practices that can be used to craft the business success.
Noobpreneur.com: I’ve read your statement in your BizCrafting.com – “No matter the industry that you are in, BizCrafting can help you achieve durable success for your business.” Can you tell us a bit about “Durable Success”?
Bob Dunn: “Durable Success” is defined as solid and continuing business success at least 4 years after launch. That time mark is chosen as it is the average time it takes the average annual crop of business to have been reduced to just 5% survival rate. If we can get a company past that point on a financially sound basis, the chances are the business will be around and successful as long as the CEO/Owner is still running the show and continuing their sound business practices.
Noobpreneur.com: What do you think about this statement: Anyone can be a successful entrepreneur
Bob Dunn: I believe that anyone can try to be an entrepreneur. I also believe that anyone should be able to try. BUT, more that 20 years of data and experience that fewer than 1 in 40 will succeed long-term to their own satisfaction with more than 90 out of 100 failing or giving up in less than 4 years. Entrepreneurship is a craft that can be taught and learned. However, as with all crafts, very few will become the master craftsperson at entrepreneurship that is required for “durable success”.
Noobpreneur.com: Any tips specifically for our readers?
Bob Dunn: Yes. (a) Few successful small business just happen; they are designed and crafted through infancy and adolescence to maturity – learn the skills to make that happen. (b) There are a well defined, learnable set of business practices tools that make the difference between success and failure – take to the time to discover what those practices are and how to deploy them for your business. (c) Most successes (about 7 of 10) occur with the assistance of a mentor, coach or guide – don’t be heroic and go out without someone looking over your shoulder.
Thank you, Ivan – please let me know if you need any follow up.
Thanks all the same, Bob, for your time and valuable insight!
I am truly intrigued by Bob’s statement that 7 out of 10 business successes happen with the assistance of a mentor, coach or guide. I can strongly relate to that in my early days of making money online.
I tried to set up an online business and failed miserably because I think I can do it all alone. Wrong. I was fortunate I have some online mentors who have done their trials and errors and generously share their advices with me, expecting nothing in return. And here I am, still working hard to get things going but I know I’m on the right track – thanks to my mentors!
So – do you want to connect with Bob?
If so, you can start by visiting BizCrafting.com. You can learn many things from the blog posts, as well as gaining immediate access to more resources – audio and video podcasts, tutorials, books and courses – by signing up for a free membership.
Giveaway!
So, here’s a little contest for you: Please share what you think about BizCrafting by leaving a comment on this post. I will then choose one commenter who will receive a copy of Bob’s book, Durable Success and the Business of Business (I’ve read Bob’s book – worth a million dollar!)
I will wait until the end of May 2012 to choose a winner – so, don’t miss out!
You can also get FREE Guidelines for Assessing Business Opportunities as well as a discount code that gives you 20% discount on Durable Success and the Business of Business from http://www.bizcrafting.com/media-assets.
Good luck in your entrepreneurship endeavours!
Ivan Widjaya
My business mentors rock!