Читать книгу Small Business Revolution - Barry C. McCarthy - Страница 27

I'm a firm believer in following instructions or recipes as closely as possible at first. Then later on, experiment to your heart's content. Unfortunately, many people will see a set of instructions and kind-of, sort-of follow them while adding their own twist. Then if the desired outcome doesn't happen, they blame the instructions.

The way I see it, you want the help of someone who's been down a particular road before. You may not understand why the instructions are the way they are, but if you've found an expert, trust the expert. Then after you've followed those instructions as closely as you can, evaluate the results. If possible, discuss it with the expert. Only then is it the time to modify anything. As with the other decisions, this is something you make, one way or another, whether you're conscious of it or not.

In Season 4, Casey Cox wanted help to expand or franchise her successful Nooma Life yoga studios. She opened Nooma in Searcy, Arkansas, to an incredible response and subsequently opened two more locations in Arkansas. Casey was sitting on a great brand, packed studios, and a potential franchise concept, but she was spending time on the wrong things. She loved to choreograph the sessions and create new routines, but that wasn't where the money was.

We brought in Stacey Anderson, president of Anytime Fitness, to help Casey focus on what would bring her more value. Stacey helped Casey think beyond the routines to membership prices, social media, paying herself, and empowering her employees. It was the kind of “been there, done that” recipe/help that gave Casey the confidence she needed. Though her passion lay in creating and teaching her classes, success would come from focusing on the business elements.