My mother passed away on January 26, 2011. I was unable to work for two weeks as I traveled to Illinois to attend to family matters and the funeral services. As a freelance writer, being gone for two weeks meant contacting clients and explaining my absence. I don't have employees depending me. What if I had, though? How would my company have survived during those two weeks?
Life throws us all kinds of curves. Small business owners must be prepared. If you had to be absent for any length of time, how would your business continue? You cannot make yourself so indispensable that your business would collapse if something happened to take you away for a while. A contingency plan must be in place before the unexpected happens. Trusted employees must be trained in all aspects of the business. Small business owners tend to be a controlling lot. That is what makes for success. It's difficult to give up the idea that, as the owner, you are the most important cog in the wheel. While that's true in essence, ensuring that your business can run without you is vital.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
No New Articles for a Few Days
There will be no new articles for a few days so I can attend the funeral services for my mother.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Your Niche?
"Niche" literally means "nook" or, more descriptively, a corner. It's not large. In fact, it's a small, very specific place. And, all of your customers reside there.
Many new small business owners have a difficult time narrowing down their focus. Trying to sell a product or service to everyone is an easy trap to fall in to. Throwing precious advertising dollars into marketing campaigns and not targeting those who are the most likely buyers is a recipe for disaster.
Aspiring small business owners need to think about the following before going into business:
- What problem will my service or product solve for customers?
- Is there a need that is currently not being filled?
- How can I serve customers better than existing businesses?
- What will make my service or product more desirable than others?
- Given my unique products or services, is there enough demand for me to become successful?
Remember - you don't need a bazillion customers, you just need enough. Making them happy and keeping them coming back is the best recipe for success.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday Thought
"Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live." -- Mark Twain
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Finding Inspiration
"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."
-- Jack London
It's easy to fall into the trap of waiting. Waiting for inspiration, waiting for work to come to us, waiting, waiting, waiting for something to happen. The problem with waiting is that whatever we are waiting for may never find us. Isn't it better to go out and find it for yourself?
Inspiration can actually just happen. Those times come rarely during the course of our lives, though. Actively looking for inspiration can bring results much more often.
Business inspiration can come in any number of ways. Below are some methods for finding those sometimes illusive inspirational moments:
1. Brainstorm: Get a piece of paper and a pencil and write down whatever comes into your head. It may sound silly, seem impossible, or even stupid, it doesn't matter. A brainstorming session should be short, 15 minutes or less. After the session, put the paper away for at least 24 hours. You might surprised at what you came up with during that 15 minutes.
2. Look for inspiration: While running your errands, doing your grocery shopping, visiting the doctor - really look at everything around you. Don't take anything for granted.
3. Communicate: Talk with lots of different types of people, from other business professionals to family members. Don't forget the kids. Fresh ideas often come from those young minds.
Inspiration is out there. Sometimes we just have to open our minds to find it.
-- Jack London
It's easy to fall into the trap of waiting. Waiting for inspiration, waiting for work to come to us, waiting, waiting, waiting for something to happen. The problem with waiting is that whatever we are waiting for may never find us. Isn't it better to go out and find it for yourself?
Inspiration can actually just happen. Those times come rarely during the course of our lives, though. Actively looking for inspiration can bring results much more often.
Business inspiration can come in any number of ways. Below are some methods for finding those sometimes illusive inspirational moments:
1. Brainstorm: Get a piece of paper and a pencil and write down whatever comes into your head. It may sound silly, seem impossible, or even stupid, it doesn't matter. A brainstorming session should be short, 15 minutes or less. After the session, put the paper away for at least 24 hours. You might surprised at what you came up with during that 15 minutes.
2. Look for inspiration: While running your errands, doing your grocery shopping, visiting the doctor - really look at everything around you. Don't take anything for granted.
3. Communicate: Talk with lots of different types of people, from other business professionals to family members. Don't forget the kids. Fresh ideas often come from those young minds.
Inspiration is out there. Sometimes we just have to open our minds to find it.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Prosperity
"Prosperity is only an instrument to be used, not a deity to be worshiped." -- Calvin Coolidge
Oh, if we would only remember that. The pursuit of money over the best interests of our fellow human beings is all too common. Scams, selling potentially dangerous products, and identity theft are perpetrated every single minute of every single day. Most business owners are not in those categories, of course. But we may have been guilty of pursuing dollars to the detriment of our customers. Sometimes, there is a fine line between money and what's best for the customer. Business owners are human beings and temptation can be great.
We are in business to make money, to support ourselves and our families, and to enjoy life. Money is the ultimate goal. If we lose site of the fact that people are more important than money, we open ourselves up to feeling okay about selling substandard products or following procedures that hurt our customers, whether they realize it or not.
People first, business second is the most rewarding business philosophy you can live by. Nothing is more important than believing in your product or service, knowing it is beneficial to the customer, and treating customers like family.
Oh, if we would only remember that. The pursuit of money over the best interests of our fellow human beings is all too common. Scams, selling potentially dangerous products, and identity theft are perpetrated every single minute of every single day. Most business owners are not in those categories, of course. But we may have been guilty of pursuing dollars to the detriment of our customers. Sometimes, there is a fine line between money and what's best for the customer. Business owners are human beings and temptation can be great.
We are in business to make money, to support ourselves and our families, and to enjoy life. Money is the ultimate goal. If we lose site of the fact that people are more important than money, we open ourselves up to feeling okay about selling substandard products or following procedures that hurt our customers, whether they realize it or not.
People first, business second is the most rewarding business philosophy you can live by. Nothing is more important than believing in your product or service, knowing it is beneficial to the customer, and treating customers like family.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Spelling It Out
It's pretty common for small business owners to hire family and friends as employees. The wisdom of that decision is a subject for another post. Whether your employees are family, friends, or strictly staff, the best way to avoid the vast majority of employee problems and solve issues as they arrive is to have a detailed employee manual.
A precise employee manual should outline company procedures, rules, and consequences.
The following should be included:
1. Hiring procedures
2. Employee duties
3. Break and lunch time rules
4. Conduct
5. Internet use policy
6. Procedures for employee discipline
7. Procedures for employee termination
8. Employee responsibilities
9. Dress code, if any
10. Miscellaneous company rules and regulations
Each employee should have a copy of the employee handbook and be required to read it. Business owners should periodically update the manual and, again, require all employees read the updated material.
An employee handbook or manual is an essential part of successfully running a small business. It outlines expected employee behavior and defines procedures. Many employee problems could be avoided with an accurate employee handbook.
A precise employee manual should outline company procedures, rules, and consequences.
The following should be included:
1. Hiring procedures
2. Employee duties
3. Break and lunch time rules
4. Conduct
5. Internet use policy
6. Procedures for employee discipline
7. Procedures for employee termination
8. Employee responsibilities
9. Dress code, if any
10. Miscellaneous company rules and regulations
Each employee should have a copy of the employee handbook and be required to read it. Business owners should periodically update the manual and, again, require all employees read the updated material.
An employee handbook or manual is an essential part of successfully running a small business. It outlines expected employee behavior and defines procedures. Many employee problems could be avoided with an accurate employee handbook.
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