Get Smarty - Smartcuts are Shortcuts with Integrity

If you are not a big business book reader because the ones you read in the past were just too tough going, then Shane Snow’s style of writing will refresh and motivate you.

The stories within Smartcuts make perfect sense to the point being made and because there are so many stories, you don’t really feel like you are reading a book to learn from at all which motivates you to keep going because its actually enjoyable.

I like to think of myself as a very simple person, I hate complicated and highfaluting so if I can understand it and get benefit from it, then the rest of the world will. I am a good barometer!

The 9 points or principles he talks about can be applied to any business and I applied them to a new venture I am involved in to see how it stacks up.

Bliss in a Box is a small self-gift that includes great chocolate, something lovely to drink, a fragrant body product and some steamy romance, all wrapped up and delivered on a monthly subscription to your door. Targeted at 30-55 year old women, It’s in its very early stages; in fact it’s only 3 months old.

Here are the 9 principles and how they work out for Bliss in a Box:

1. Hacking the ladder – how can Bliss take two rungs at a time to save time and achieve success in a much shorter time frame?
2. Training with masters – focus on building relationships to find the perfect mentor, don’t just ask a famous person and get knocked back, it has to be the right relationship for both of you.
3. Rapid feedback – have enough people tried Bliss in a Box and given constructive feedback that I can work with? Do I need to get more people to try it to generate more usable data?
4. Platforms – the digital age has given us a whole lot more tools to market a business with so Bliss in a Box needs to be present on all of the female dominated platforms with relevant content that is fun, or helpful, but not hypeful.
5. Catching the wave – the subscription based business model is getting more and more common so the wave feels right for me to surf, but does the actual product need tweaking? Back to needing more rapid feedback?
6. Super connecting – find ways to work with the giants that already have an audience you would kill for but who you are not in competition with. Develop a win win for both sides.
7. Momentum – a great depicter of success is how much momentum can be generated at launch. No interest, no business, simple.
8. Simplicity – the box concept is very simple as well as cash positive.
9. 10 x thinking – it’s about getting people to slow down for a few minutes each month and spend some ‘me time” to experience Bliss. Coke wanted to get the world to sing, can I get the world to slow down and savour a few moments of their own time occasionally?

Having checked Bliss in a Box against the principles, I have a clear list of areas that I now need to focus on quickly to make sure it is a success and not another smart idea that didn’t really take off. “Smartcuts are shortcuts with integrity” is a simple motto to employ. There have been many great business masters previously that have done the hard graft so why not learn from their efforts and give ourselves a better chance of success? Smartcuts seem like a smart idea to me.

What shortcuts with integrity have you used in the past for success?

Check out Shane Snow's Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success out now!

I am the author of three books on social

media marketing and building relationships and you can find them all here. You might like to subscribe to me for more useful updates and if you are looking for a speaker or trainer for your next event, I would love to hear from you so do get in touch.

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