If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m in the business of helping you build your own prosperous legacy business.

But you might be wondering what exactly a legacy business is. It might pop images into your mind of a family business passed down from one generation to another. Or perhaps you think of leaving a legacy, as in a building bearing a family’s name on a college campus.

Those are certainly the products of legacy businesses, but I prefer to take a wider view. A legacy business is one that the owner, clients, and larger community are proud to call theirs.

“Legacy is when you teach and transfer the habits that build character, integrity, and wisdom that will ripple through eternity. Legacy is a transference of habit.”  –Tom Ziglar

So building a prosperous, sustainable legacy business is a choice you make each and every day. It’s thousands of choices, actually.

Legacy building requires the discipline to take action day in and day out to grow your business, the persistence to keep going when you face obstacles or stumbling blocks rather than getting sucked into the trap of disappointment, the ability to problem-solve in the face of adversity, and the clarity of vision to create the right action steps.

There’s no being passive or resting on your laurels when your goal is to build a legacy business. That’s why it’s essential that you actively equip yourself with solid strategies to make it happen.

I’ve noticed that when I talk about strategy, some people start to tense up. I think it’s a personality thing. Some entrepreneurs prefer to fly by the seat of their pants. To each her own, but that’s not the way to build a legacy business.

It’s worth breaking down what strategy is really all about and how good ones can help you because even if the thought of strategy makes you nervous, the truth is, you too can use a good strategy. I promise you won’t feel tense by the end of this article. In fact, you’ll feel more self-assured.

So you have your goal, and then your strategy, and then your tactics. Think of it as a pyramid with your goal on top and many tactics on the bottom.

If your goal is to build a legacy business, your strategy is to become the most trusted, go-to person in your industry who clients happily refer their friends to. You could have a hundred different tactics to achieve your strategy, such as…

• Hosting networking events for the industry
• Putting a referral system in place
• Always keeping your word to clients
• Sponsoring a conference
• Consistently reminding clients how much you value and appreciate them
• And so on

Each of those tactics serve a strategy in pursuit of the goal.

Of course, I’m simplifying things a bit. You’re most likely going to have a few strategies to meet your goal of a legacy business, and within each of those you’ll have several tactics, some of which may overlap. Strategies that successful legacy businesses often have include:

• Trust — building it with your clients and your employees
• Growth — always focusing on achieving more
• Investment — in your team members so they can be successful, as well as in yourself

Take time to think about what strategies you most need in order to build a legacy business. Put them into your own words. And then take a fresh look at your tactics to see if they make sense with your strategies.

What’s so brilliant about having solid strategies is that if something doesn’t work, you can look at each tactic to see what went wrong, rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

For example, let’s say you’re not on track to meet your financial goals so far in 2018. The first quarter was below your projections. Rather than feeling like nothing you do is good enough, or you’ll never grow your business to the size you want, you can proactively take a look at your tactics. Maybe you’re not making enough cold calls or incentivizing enough referrals.

Pick new tactics, but keep your solid strategies in place.

Building a legacy is about more than making money or putting your name on a building. It’s about instilling character and integrity into every action you take.

At Celeste Giordano Coaching, I teach my clients how to build the legacy businesses they want, the same way I have done for 40 years. If you want to take your business to the next level, with a legacy you can be proud of, contact me today. You’d be surprised how quickly and easily we can start building your legacy.

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Unlock Your Full Potential!

Blueprint Magazine – Volume 3

I’m thrilled to share with you our latest edition of The Blueprint Magazine. This issue’s theme is “Unlocking Your Full Potential!”

A few articles in this issue dive further into this topic:

• “New Year’s Resolutions: Make Them Simple and Easy to Accomplish” by Becca Tebon on page 7
• “Why Small Businesses Outsource IT Support and Services” by Jason Rush on page 8
• “Why 4D Communication is the Better Way of Selling” by Brigitta Hoeferle on page 15″
• Small Simple Changes Make All the Difference” by Joan Williams on page 19″
• Moving from Comfort with Courage” by Pauline Duncan-Thrasher on page 20

Click here to download your free copy.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus^TM” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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