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adam mckee business owner grows with pumpkin plan

How Long it Takes to Build Consistent Growth with the Pumpkin Plan

It takes time to build your dream business, but consistent work pays off with consistent growth.

Just ask Adam McKee, owner of Contemporary Woods Furniture in Nebraska. Contemporary Woods provides custom woodworking for cabinetry and furniture. When he purchased the company, he thought he had a business that would grow without much work. Soon into his journey, he realized he was wrong. And he set to work trying to find the right process, coaching, framework, anything, that would help him grow.

That’s when Adam read The Pumpkin Plan, about 4 years ago. Adam was tired of doing business the way he had always done it before. He felt like his back was against the wall.

 

“There are many ways an entrepreneur can face poverty. It’s not just money. It’s emotions. It’s time. It’s family. It’s feeling beat down. It’s feeling like you’re not in control. Feeling like you’re held hostage by your work…Mike Michalowicz’s vision of eradicating entrepreneurial poverty spoke to all of those for me.” – Adam McKee, owner of Contemporary Woods Furniture

 

Watch our interview with Adam here.

The Resources

The Pumpkin Plan book provides so many resources for business owners to use. Adam loved the homework at the end of each chapter and still has those pages dog-earred.

However, after working on implementing The Pumpkin Plan on his own, he reached out to Pumpkin Plan Your Biz and downloaded the booster pack, plus found a Pumpkin Plan Strategist.

Adam said, “After he got all the resources he thought, ‘I should have started here first.’ I guess you could do it on your own, but it’s so much faster to do it with help.”

What were the resources that made the biggest impact on his business early-on?

Core Values and Defining Who You Are

Adam worked with his Pumpkin Plan Strategist through the vision process to create a clear vision of where his company is headed and what their mission is. Adam and Contemporary Woods are working to be the foremost maker in the region, inspiring the celebration of craft.

Defining his ideal clients also made a huge difference for Adam. His ideal clients give him great referrals to other ideal clients, and they’re easier to work with.

Defining your niche

The Top Client Wish List interviews provided powerful insights. Adam really enjoyed connecting with all of his best clients in these personal interviews. Not only did he learn a TON that he could use in his marketing, he also built long-lasting relationships that he enjoys.

Timeline – How Long Does it Take to achieve Consistent Growth?

Big changes just don’t happen overnight. Adam and team made a lot of changes during the first year. Many of them were foundational and inspiring.

But it took Adam about a year to see real traction in the process. “It’s all about the building blocks to get you where you want to go.”

With consistency and a plan, Adam says he was able to look back at his progress over multiple quarters and the year. There was real joy in seeing forward momentum!

Progress is always a process. Adam uses the Pumpkin Plan as a feedback loop that he monitors regularly to make sure he’s on track, and he’s getting it right.

Quick Wins From Implementing the Pumpkin Plan

If you’re looking for quick wins, you don’t have to look far. For Adam, the most immediate wins came with a change in mindset. For example, as he implemented the Pumpkin Plan he realized he didn’t have to be the victim in his client interactions.

He also felt immense confidence and personal gratification that he was leading his company on the right path.

Maybe the biggest wins during those first months came from teaching their clients how to work with them better. The communication increased. Boundaries were defined. And it all made everyone’s lives better.

Word of Advice From Adam – Get a Business Coach

“Talking to someone who has implemented the Pumpkin Plan with a lot of different businesses is when you get the big AHA! moments,” Adam said.

For example, the Vendor Well technique is a very powerful tool for generating referrals which Mike Michalowicz explains in the book. But Adam didn’t fully understand how to use it until he worked with a Pumpkin Plan strategist, enabling him to fully implement the strategy to generate ideal leads.  Having an outside perspective was a big game changer. And now he has partners in his industry that send him referrals all the time.

→ Hire a Strategist

Adam says Contemporary Woods is still working on the journey to their goals after 4 years. But they know where they are going, and they’re closer than ever before.

How can you use the Pumpkin Plan to Produce Consistent Business Growth?

If you’re a business owner who wants…

– personal gratification from your business
– to know you’re on the right path to growth
– to find clients that share your values
– to receive client feedback that makes you love your work again
– to experience aha moments that supercharge business success
– a vision that gets you out of bed in the morning

then 🌱 Download our FREE – Pumpkin Plan Booster Pack to receive all of the tools Adam mentions in his interview.

And take Adam’s Advice… 👉 Hire a Pumpkin Plan Strategist to Grow Further, Faster

Find Adam McKee at https://contemporarywoods.com/

calculating expense and return on investment

Business Coaching: Expense or Investment?

Do your clients see your services as an investment or an expense? If you are a business professional, such as a coach, consultant or accountant who provides services to small businesses, the answer to this question is key to your growth potential.

What is the difference? Aren’t those terms interchangeable? No! The underlying beliefs around expenses and investment dictate your client’s perception of YOUR value.

Expenses are a necessary evil…

Let’s explore beliefs around expenses. In the mind of a business owner, expenses are a necessary evil, something to be kept to a minimum. Expenses represent money that leaves the company, never to return again. Expenses are often on the chopping block. The client will use price as the deciding factor between competing products or services.

So who wants to be considered an expense? Not me!

When a business sees your offering as an expense, they will consistently evaluate not just whether they can find a less expensive option, but whether they can cut that product or service all together.

An investment today implies a return in the future

The word investment implies something totally different. When you make an investment today, you expect to get a return in the future that is GREATER than what you initially invested. For business coaches, consultants, strategists and other professionals, the key to receiving high value for your services is to demonstrate that your clients will get an exceptional return from their investment.

If you and your client both receive high value from the work that you do together, you have created the ultimate win/win!

If you would like to learn more about how to Be A High Value Business Coach, click below to join our week-long Bootcamp (presented by Donna Leyens and Mike Michalowicz).

Be A High Value Business Coach

How to define your ROI

The next question you want to know the answer to is how to define the return on investment (ROI) so that your client knows what they are getting. A financial gain is very straight forward. For example, if you invest $10,000 in a coaching program and you gain $20,000 in sales as a result, you have just received a 100% return, or double, on your investment.

There are other ways that professional services can provide a return. For example, let’s say the work you do results in your client saving 2 hours of time per week, or increasing productivity by 50%, or eliminating employee headaches. Those results also have value, and you can determine what those things are worth to your client.

Another factor in determining the investment value of your offering is risk. Every investment has a risk/reward ratio. The riskier the investment, the higher the expected return.

When you offer a service, such as coaching or consulting, the results are not guaranteed and therefore the client’s perceived risk appears high. Clients might hesitate to invest if the chances of achieving their desired results (return) feel unlikely. If you can point to past or proven results, however, the investment feels less risky and the client is more likely to move forward.

“I love the Pumpkin Plan Strategy Tools. They’re fantastic. And I just continue to get more and more value out of them every time I use them.”

Christeen Era, Certified Pumpkin Plan Strategist, Founder, Core Growth Strategies

Would you like to learn more about creating and receiving high value for your business coaching/consulting services while helping your clients grow profitable businesses? Apply to get certified as a Pumpkin Plan Strategist.

1 Easy Way to Fill Entry-Level Positions with Great Employees

Do you find yourself in the position of constantly hiring for entry-level positions, and feeling frustrated by the poor quality of the applicants?