How Openness Builds Better Business Relationships
Why we're sharing our knowledge
Something's been on my mind lately, so I wanted to explain it. It's about how we do things slightly differently at AMS.
If you've had a look at our website, you'll see we've got quite a few free training courses and how-to articles.
They're all there to help businesses improve their systems.
I've had people ask me, "Mark, why are you sharing all this information for free? Aren't you concerned that people will just use that and not need to hire you?"
Well, let me tell you a story...
Before starting AMS, I ran another business. I spent countless hours poring over spreadsheets, struggling to make sense of our data. I often felt I was lagging behind.
When I sought help, I found mostly vague marketing language and empty promises, but little practical advice.
It was frustrating, to put it mildly. I decided that if I ever sorted this out, I'd ensure others wouldn't face the same obstacles.
Some years later, here we are. At AMS, we've chosen a different approach.
We use the "They Ask, You Answer" principle. It's straightforward: when you ask a question, we provide a clear answer. We don't obscure information or hide it behind paywalls.
Why? Well, for a few reasons.
First off, we believe in being transparent. The way I see it, if we're going to work together, we need to trust each other. And trust starts with honesty. By putting all our cards on the table, we're showing you exactly what we know and how we work.
Secondly, we genuinely want to help. I remember how frustrating it was trying to improve my business systems without any clear guidance.
If we can help other business owners avoid that headache, then that's a win in my book. But there's more to it than that - by providing all this free information, we're not just helping other businesses - we're also showing them how we think and work.
It's like giving you a little taster of what it's like to work with us.
Now, you might be thinking, "If you're giving away all this information for free, won't that put you out of business?" It's a fair question, and I'll be honest - it crossed my mind when we first started down this path. But ultimately business systems are complex beasts.
Of course, our articles and training courses can help people understand the basics and maybe even implement some changes on their own. But every business is unique, with its own challenges and quirks.
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That's where we can help. While our free resources can point businesses in the right direction, we're here to help them along the twists and turns along the way. We can provide that tailored advice and support that you just can't get from an article or online course.
Plus, by being open and helpful from the start, we find that when businesses do need more hands-on help, they're more likely to come to us. They already know how we think and work, and they trust us.
An example
We had a client, let's call him Bob, who runs a manufacturing business. Bob had read through a lot of our articles on inventory management and had even taken one of our free courses.
He managed to make some improvements to his system on his own, which was brilliant. But as his business grew, he realised he needed more help to really optimise his operations. When he came to us, we weren't starting from scratch. Bob already understood the basics and had a clear idea of what he needed. This meant we could get right into the nitty-gritty of his specific challenges, saving time and getting results faster.
Now, I'm not saying this approach is always easy. Creating all this content takes time and effort. Sometimes, after a long day of working with clients, the last thing I want to do is sit down and write an article or record a training video. But then I'll get an email from someone saying how one of our articles helped them solve a problem they'd been struggling with for months, or how a free course gave them the confidence to tackle a system overhaul. That makes it all worthwhile.
We like to play a role in building a community of people who are all trying to improve their operations and grow their businesses. By sharing our knowledge freely, we're contributing to that community and helping it grow.
Of course, we're not perfect. We're learning and improving all the time. Sometimes we might miss the mark with an article, or a training course might not cover everything you need to know. That's why we always encourage feedback.
If there's something you want to know more about, or if something isn't clear, tell us. We're here to help, after all.
Now, you might be wondering how you can make the most of all this free information we're putting out there.
Well, here are a few tips:
Don't be afraid to reach out. If you're stuck or need clarification, drop us a line. We're always happy to help.
We know that improving your business systems isn't a sprint, it's more like a marathon; it takes time, effort, and often a bit of trial and error. But with the right guidance and support, you can make significant improvements that will help your business grow.
So that's why we've decided to open up our knowledge base and share what we know. We believe that by being transparent, helpful, and focused on building trust, we can create better relationships with our clients and contribute positively to the business community.
Is it always easy? No. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
Check out our Knowledge Centre here: https://www.allmysystems.co.uk/knowledge-centre/?e-filter-768dde4-category=ams-club
Until next time, take care and do let me have any comments or feedback.