Back to work in the nick of time

Life can really be a black hole. Things were moving along with this business when, 2 weeks before my daughter's 2nd birthday, we started working on all these projects around the house. Now, 3 1/2 months later, I'm still not done with all the projects and my business has been left in a coma. Normally I would never allow this to happen, and I highly recommend not trying this for yourself, but in this particular case it may have been the best thing for me.

When I was in school, I was a total procrastinator. Even with crucial, grade changing work I would wait until the day before and scramble to get it done. The funny thing is, this is not how I treated my business or how I have ever worked for others. I fully embrace the idea of getting things done immediately so you can go back to them and tweak them if need be or move onto the next task. My theory on why I was like that in school is it was for me and I realize now, at 41, that my self esteem was a big player then. I wasn't worth the effort so I didn't put it in. At the same time, I was working my first jobs and I was an aggressive go getter that accomplished task as quickly as they were assigned. These tasks were for other people, not myself (at least this is how I thought of them).

By taking this time off, 2 very important things have happened. One is that now I have a time limit that I must adhere to or my business is dead. The second is I could really give this whole thing some thought and I am now actually more excited and into it than I was 4 months ago. I love this business and now know it is my true passion. This type of realization doesn't come cheap but it was well worth the journey. Plus I accomplished a lot of the task, large and small, that have been looming around the house.

To sum this up, finding an employee like my teenage self is a very good thing. I worked like a driven adult and cost my employers very little. As an adult, it's good to look back on your work life objectively and see what traits you like and dislike so you know how to conduct your business going forward. As a small business owner, not beating yourself up when a stall or false start happens and letting things grow naturally can tell you a lot about what you should be doing. Going forward, I expect my business to move at the speed of light but this trial and retooling will prove to be invaluable in the long run so don't be afraid to go with the flow once in a while.

Stop Look and Listen

One thing that's not easy to do is listen. If you've ever had sales training you know that the best thing you can do is shut up and listen but this goes against the nature of a salesperson which is to talk. It's ironic that the gift of gab got you there but the gift of really being able to listen will make you successful.

So far, the way I've been attempting to get business is by pounding the pavement. I tried targeting certain types of businesses that I know really well and sent them letters followed by a phone call - not even a tiny glance let alone a nibble. I tried cold calling businesses in a particular area - even worse. When I walk into a business and present myself to the owner, I at least feel I have a fighting chance of getting past their justifiable defenses. By talking to customers face to face, I can hear what they really have to say without just hearing, "No thanks".

By really listening to what people say, I'm not only getting clues as to what I can possibly do for their business, but I am also picking up ideas that can help me and my other clients. For example, I went into 5 different businesses in a strip mall a few weeks ago. 3 of them claimed they didn't need my services and rushed me out as if talking about issues might cause them right then and there. The other two, while telling me that they didn't need my services, welcomed me in and gave me valuable information. One place was an awards shop that actually could use my help but just didn't want outside advice. Although I think she was misguided in her thinking, she did tell me about a website that has proven to be very helpful with networking. In fact, I'm recommending it to all my clients as an undiscovered avenue to promote what they can do.

The second place was a salon that really is run very well and could benefit from me but if I was the owner, I would probably pass also as it really is running very well. I had a great discussion with the owner and walked away inspired to help others. This encounter benefited me and that is absolutely as valuable as getting a client. Taking the time to listen and not just walking out after a "No" has put good stuff in my "bank".

Listening does not just give you the clues as to how to close your customer, but also can whisper clues to help your business going forward.

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Lists Lists and More Lists

So I've been trying to think about my business rather than just forge ahead. Since I don't have myself to hire, I have to try and do my service for myself. This is as challenging as I tell my customers it is. Once you start thinking about your business, 1 or 2 things get focused on and very quickly, that 1 or 2 things becomes 50. I find that making a goals list (which includes a timeline), a daily and weekly To Do list and just a general list of ideas seems to work best for me. These have to be looked at and updated every couple days in order for them to work.

Another thing this does is establish priority which is vital to any business. One thing I found was this blog was not a priority every day so I've cut back the time spent on it for now. What also surfaced regarding this blog is that it is important and should be updated at least weekly or it's just a waste of time for the reader and myself. A lot happens in a week, even at this stage where it feels like a bit of a waiting game.

When I mentioned providing my service for myself, I actually meant sitting done and writing a plan, just like I do for my customers. Not a business plan, that's done, what I mean is an action plan that I can then build my goal and To Do lists from. I'm aware that this feels like a lot of paper pushing but it's really not, I use a computer...

All joking aside, it's vital to do this paper pushing in order to create your business and fuel it's fire. The way I do it may not be the best way for you to do it. I've certainly had ways of doing this proposed to me that fell by the wayside almost as soon as the words hit my ears. Not every idea works for everybody. What I'm really getting at here is, in the beginning, it's vital to put pen to paper and really hash out every detail of what you need to do. Make this a practice and you will find a way that works for you. I've already, only a few weeks into my business, discovered 30 year old businesses that need to hear and do this just as much as the start up. This helps bring your business into focus and helps you stay the course.

I didn't forget about you.

Boy have I been busy. Each day I'm accomplishing more and more. The response has been very good so far but no money, honey. This morning Martha and I had a discussion about how much time I spend on this new venture and how to structure our week. Starting Monday, I'm working 8 to 4. I'll do this Monday through Thursday and then everything else that happens is just gravy. Stay tuned for a real update. Today is Friday and it's family time. No matter what, this is an essential element to the success of this business!

To the zoo!

Tomorrow is a BIG DAY

So was today. I finished one plan and wrote another. All 3 that I have written have been so vastly different. I can't wait to see what a months worth of plan's looks like. I'm hoping it doesn't look like I did 3 for free and that's all folks.

As The The said, "This Is The Day"

Today, February 2nd, 2009 is the official first day of Southgate Small Business. Until now, I have just been preparing and researching. Today I turned on the open sign (figuratively). This is a significant day in our lives around here. After our last business closed we said we would never do that again, of course 10 minutes later we were discussing what our next venture should be, but we really didn't know if we would ever do it again. And here we go again. This is much different than last time. The most obvious changes are that Cella was a retail store with multiple employees and a store front and crazy expenses from the get go. What I'm doing this time is a service business with little to no overhead, no merchandise management and the only employee is myself.

So here's the big reveal for those of you who don't know anything about this. What I do is work with small business owners, managers and/or sales people to uncover and solve issues their businesses may be having. My goal is to guide them on whatever I can to help their business succeed. The whole reason my company exists is to make small businesses healthier and stronger. It's may way of helping out this country, it's economy and our families economy at the same time.

I started today by writing my first "Plan" and doing some research for my next client. I have three "Plans" that I'm am writing this week and expect to pitch before next week starts. I'm really pleased with the results of my efforts today and am confident that what I have to offer is unique and of a high quality. My goal is to really help these businesses succeed. My first plan involved basic marketing and limited PR. This is what this client needs desperately and has not done at all. I know that if he follows my advice, his business can only increase.