Australian Inspiration for the New Year
Happy New Year fellows and ladies,
I feel refreshed and organised, ready to start a brilliant New Year. 2012 year will be the best yet.
How do I know this?
Simple. Goal setting creates outcomes.
Over the past five years I have made it my aim to start a family, move house, get married, rebuild half a house, gain promotion, run the London marathon and save the finance needed to start Meyers Estate Agents with Claire by October 2011. We now have over 54 properties on our books already with almost 30% of available stock sold.
I may have started Meyers Estate Agents from the 'shed in the garden', but now after several revamps we have a fully operational Administration Centre here together with top class digital phone system which has just been upgraded to 4 lines and 6 phones to cope with increased business levels. We are now fully capable of being able to cope with our next business goal, to move up to 100 properties for sale and to launch two more tiers of the business in 2012.
How is this possible?
Planning and execution.
Will it work?
Yes.
I am a huge believer in goal setting. When I first devoted time to a five year plan which ended last year, I wrote down all the things that I wanted to achieve and set about HOW to acheive them.
I put my goals up in my shower, they got wet and soggy, so I lamenated my goals and put them up again, so that at the start of each day I could remember what I will use that day for, to improve my drive and focus.
Some of my goals drifted and changed and some goals were added. When goals were achieved I crossed them off and comtemplated how to acheive the next ones. I also wrote a diary on a regular basis to help me understand what lessons I just did not learn, time after time. One read of that and I realise from hindsight what further change was needed.
On reflecting endlessly how I would start my own community powered estate agency rather than a corporate monster, churning money out of our pockets and blasting it profits into share options and dividends, I wanted to create a business that profited well but cost less and I could give £100 back to local charities per each transaction achived to support our local towns.
The inspiration for this was accidental. I was looking at business models in Australia and came across McGrath. John McGrath is a huge believer in presentation, service and community as well as property. His understanding of correct business models and customer focus is second to none. I liked what I was reading and then ordered his book 'You Inc' about his beliefs and how to start up the same for yourself and Meyers Estate Agents was born. He started from his front room over a decade ago and I thought, if he could do I can do it. This was the start of a long road of reading.
Goal setting is imperitive, there are so many reasons NOT to do things, not to spend time with the kids, not to make that phone call, not to start your own business, not to try and do a better job than others. My goal is to be the best, not the biggest. Small steps are the only way.
This year each day has been broken into small steps and instead of just writing a diary I am looking forward to keeping my blog updated frequently and seeing how 2012 unfolds.
One of our latest testimonials:
I am writing to say thank you to your wife Claire and yourself, at Meyers Estate Agents for the superbly professional way in which you dealt with the sale of our current property and the purchase of our new one. My wife, Jan and I were really pleased with the way you guys maintained full interaction with us at all stages of the proceedings / negotiations, we were at no stage left in the dark, wondering what was happening. I truly believe that your approach to your business, both professional and personal will hold you in good stead for a very successful future. I would also like to say that charges for your service were refreshingly inexpensive, which leaves that little bit extra for your clients (like us) to spend in their new homes. To anyone who may read this “thank you / testimony” let them be under no illusions, Meyer are inexpensive, THEY ARE NOT CHEAP, THEY ARE QUALITY. Jan and I wish you all the very best for what we believe will be a very successful future.
Again with thanks
Alf and Jan Sawkins
Our Brilliant Car:
Happy New Year Everyone
Mark and Claire Meyer
