Self-employment
Swing your way to successMany entrepreneurs forget to have fun while building their small businesses. After all, it's not supposed to be all about hard work. "To me, being able to play while you do business is the perfect entrepreneurial lifestyle," Adrian Reynolds says. ROGER PIERCE |
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 [ 2005-08-17 ] |
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Adrian and his brother Warren own Reynolds & Associates, an independent investment advisory firm in Mississauga. They help clients sort through the thousands of investment choices on the market to find the right ones for their needs. "We don't sell any of our own products, so we can truly help our clients to access the best investment product for them," Warren says.
He says excellent service is the key to winning and keeping clients in the highly competitive investment industry. "It's important to offer a higher level of service than the other guy. We've never had a client complain that we give them too much service."
Their belief in doing business, having fun and serving clients well led the pair to launch an event called BizGolf. "Next to restaurants and coffee shops, more business is done on a golf course than any other place," says Adrian. "BizGolf combines our passion for the game with our goal of educating our clients to run their businesses better."
Adrian says entrepreneurs must remember some basics to doing business on the course. "Let the client bring up business," he recommends. "Different people have different tolerances for business chat on the course. Follow the other person's lead to avoid offending them -- they may not want to talk shop. Just try to build a relationship and relax knowing you can always talk business another day."
Held weekly at different ClubLink courses in the GTA, business golfers enjoy an afternoon seminar followed by professional golf instruction on the driving range and course. Interested participants may contact Warren at 905-507-8602 for details.
Doing business on the course
- Understand the difference between recreational golf and business golf. Recreational golf is about you and your performance, while business golf is about focusing on your client. Instead of trying to improve your score, concentrate on developing a rapport with your golfing partner(s). Make sure they're comfortable, ask plenty of questions and get to know them. Remember that people do business with people they like.
- Define your objective. Figure out why you're there. Is it to network? Strengthen a relationship? Introduce two professionals? Knowing your objectives can help you determine an appropriate strategy. Prepare for the day as you would any meeting.
- Know the basic rules and etiquette of the game. No matter your skill level, knowing the rules will impress clients and demonstrate your attention to detail. Following proper golf etiquette will reflect positively on your character.
- Never lose intentionally. As long as you conduct yourself well and follow the rules of the game, people will respect your abilities. Be gracious if you're trouncing them. Comments such as, "You're bringing me luck," or "This is the best game that I've had all year" help downplay your win. And, of course, it never hurts to compliment their swing.
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Entrepreneurship expert Roger Pierce trains people to start a small business in the Up & Running Biz Launch Program. www.bizlaunch.ca
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