Flush the Fish (all the way)

It is indeed a sad moment in a child’s life when a pet fish takes a gravel nap. Yes, the call for Dad to fetch the net can be filled with tears, but at least there is a fast and convenient way to send the little guy to a happier place. But recently in our house, a funny thing happened on the way to the water treatment facility.

We had seen warning signs for days that my 6-year-old’s Black Skirt Tetra was headed for the Nemo-themed tank in the sky. Drifting instead of swimming, ignoring food and a general aloofness allowed us to warn our daughter that his time might be short. She was OK with that. And, she was OK when the time came for me to handle things.

She was not OK with what happened next.

Early in the morning, I snuck in the room, scooped him up, dropped him in the bowl and flushed. I saw him start making concentric circles like a penny in one of those big yellow things, so I put down the lid and went to work. Mission accomplished.

It wasn’t until later in the day that I received word that my sweet daughter had woken up and trotted herself into the bathroom only to look down and discover that she was not alone. A scream, a call to Mommy and general disdain for all things Dad quickly followed. I was able to make it up to her and she forgave me – because she loves me.

But how many times in our business do we forget to make sure the job is done? Really done. Especially if it is one of those projects that has taken forever, it is easy to want it to be over so badly, that we fail to finish strong.

Never assume anything, confirm everything and make sure all expectations are met. It won’t take long, but it can make all the difference in keeping your people happy. Even if they do love you!

Have a wonderful holiday.

Work More? Try Save More First

As belts tighten and budgets shrink, we are forced to make difficult decisions. For most of us, that includes looking at how much money we are making and what we are doing with what we have. Many of us have the flexibility to pursue additional income by taking on more clients, working overtime or freelancing in the evenings and on weekends. But at what price?

When my wife and I discuss meeting our obligations in times of uncertain income, my primal instincts as family provider are to do whatever it takes to make more money. I tell her about potential new clients, more networking opportunities and new organizations I want to join to extend my outreach efforts. I tell her that although I will be gone more, it is necessary to make up for making a little less than we are used to.

She responds in a manner consistent with her primal instincts as the smart one. “What if instead of concentrating on making more money, we concentrate on spending less?” she asks.

Hmmm. Sounds crazy, but it just might work. Her point was not that I shouldn’t work hard, but that maybe there were other ways to keep everything afloat that would not take time away from my family. Since that conversation, we have made changes and have been reminded that being a good steward of what we have makes sense no matter the economic climate, both at home and at work. What if instead of using everything we make, we use only what we really need and use the rest for doing good stuff – like giving to worthy causes or helping a neighbor. And even if we do use everything we make but can avoid having to work more to make ends meet – that also is a step in the right direction.

In addition to saving money (BTW – check out the coupon blogs on the list over there → if you want to get really serious about it), you often can find money hidden in your house. In fact, there is a new business in town that makes it pretty darn simple to do just that.

Cash From Your Closet, the brainchild of a smart and motivated pastor’s wife and mother of four, offers busy people an opportunity to sell their stylish but dust-collecting designer clothes without ever leaving their home. Simply e-mail her with what you have, she fires back an online quote and if you like it, she will pick up the items and hand you money at your convenience.

I am not sure how making money could be much easier than that.

She is looking for designer clothing (Coach, Dooney and Bourke, Louis Vuitton, Brighton, Prada, Gucci, etc.) as well as children’s toys and clothing (American Girl, Gymboree, Chez Ami, Plantation Shop, Amanda Remembered etc.) and even stuff like sunglasses, handbags, perfumes, toys, baby gear, jeans, coats, old toys and fun costumes. For more information, visit http://www.cashfromyourcloset.com/ or email owner Susan Gilbert at georgiagilbert2@aim.com.

As I have said before, all challenges present opportunities for those able to recognize them. Sometimes, that means filling a new business niche, and other times it just means making positive changes in your life you might not ordinarily be motivated to make.

Pride Cometh Before the Fall

Seeking ideas for the upcoming holiday season, my wife recently delved into her stash of old “Family Fun” magazines she keeps on a shelf in the garage. As she was flipping through the fall-themed pages, she came across an ad on the back page of the October 2004 issue that caught her attention.

She said, “Take a look at this,” which diverted my attention from a lame attempt to work on a story and watch the World Series at the same time.

The ad she held was striking and simple – dominated by a huge company logo on top. It was the kind of ad that rock-solid, trusted and well-branded corporations use to drive home their position as an industry leader.

The ad copy was minimal and direct.

“THE FINANCIAL ORGANIZATION
TO CHOOSE FOR YOUR
GREAT-
GREAT-
GREAT-
GREAT-
GREAT-
GRANDCHILD.

Over $700 billion in assets, 50 million customers and 85 years of experience say we’ll be around. For her and her grandchildren, too.”

The ad was for AIG.

I guess they were unable to foresee a $100 billion federal bailout as part of the plan for keeping that promise.

Given today’s economic outlook, it might be best to promise stability and great service for only this generation – two generations tops. Long gone are the days of tradition-based arrogance. Instead, we should be focused on what we are doing now to best serve our precious customers and survive in a rapidly changing world. Kind of exciting, huh?

On a lighter note, keep those blogs coming. Send me yours or your local favorites and I will include them on this page for all to ponder.

Finally, Dave’s Presidential Poll Tracker remains open for another week. So be sure to vote. If you have already voted, you can vote again from another computer – ACORN style!

Send Me Your Blogs, Yearning to Breathe Free…

My two boys, ages 3 and 8, enjoy doing many things together – including battling with lightsabers and watching sports with their dad (for a little while anyway). But what they enjoy most lately is taking hundreds of tiny plastic pieces of varying sizes, shapes and colors and turning them into amazing and creative Lego masterpieces.

They build things that roll, fly and shoot with an ingenuity that both impresses and makes me jealous. I usually end up building things like walls and towers. They are always kind, though, and encourage me with a “Wow, Dad, that’s cool,” as they buzz around me with a reasonable facsimile of the Millennium Falcon.

What is incredible to me about their creations is how a pile of seemingly random pieces can be combined to create something that inspires a young imagination. As we learned in high school, it is the principle of Gestalt in action – that the whole of something can be greater than the sum of its parts.

It is that principle that is driving my desire to create a Web site that serves as a launching pad for our area’s many blogs, most of which are relegated to relative obscurity. I would offer this blog as an example. With a regular readership of around 100, it is reaching some people, but I have received just enough positive feedback to convince me that more might be interested if they knew about it.

And I am not alone. There are local blogs on life as a state worker, movies, Seminole sports, clipping coupons, politics, raising children, marketing tips, recipes and many more. But how do people find them? For most bloggers, readership remains stagnate because they barely have enough time to write them, much less aggressively promote them.

My idea is simple. I am creating a Web site that connects Tallahassee-area residents to the dozens of smart, insightful and creative bloggers in our area. The concept is based on the idea that the collective strength of the small, faithful readerships of each blog listed will create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Readers will be exposed to a new universe of possibilities on the site, which will increase readership for all.

To be fair, the Tallahassee Democrat offers blogging opportunities on its site, but there is a fundamental difference. I am not asking anyone to create a new blog on this site, only to allow me to point people to your already existing blog. You don’t have to change anything. I will even give you some advice on using one of the free services to start a new blog, if you are interested. Just email me. Blogs are a great way for business people to share expertise, comment on timely issues and offer best practices – all while building your brand and increasing awareness of what you do.

What I ask in return for being listed is that bloggers encourage their readers to check out the mother ship with a link that I will be providing so they can read other local blogs of interest.

As of today, everything will start from here while we work on building the site, which will be at www.blogahassee.com. I will let you know when the new site is up and running. So please send me your blogs (dave@salestouches.com) and forward this to your blogging friends. I am willing to consider all blogs that are written in good taste and are appropriate for a family-friendly site.

Thank you in advance for your help in making blogahassee.com a success.

'Keep Swinging' is Good Advice

Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of attending the Chamber’s Annual Breakfast Meeting at the Civic Center. It was an informative and entertaining blend of speakers and workshops as well as a delightful introduction to incoming chairperson Glenda Thornton.

Set against the unignorable backdrop of collapsing economic conditions across the globe, the tone of the meeting was realistic, but upbeat and optimistic. Thornton quoted childhood hero and former home run king Hank Aaron who said that no matter the conditions, the only way to move forward is to “keep swinging.” It is solid advice, especially since the alternative is to hide in the dugout.

And if your wish was to hide, yesterday’s breakfast was the wrong place to be. The Chamber was expecting 400, and they were setting up extra tables to handle the overflow. There was excitement in the air that would seem ridiculous given the current environment if not for the reality that the business leaders in this community are not ready to give up. In fact, it appears that there has never been a better time to network, share ideas and learn more about each other.

When times are tough, it is important to get back to basics, and there is nothing more basic than a handshake, a smile and scrambled eggs.

Speaking of networking, I experienced my first large gathering since being sucked into the Facebook vortex. I was greeted by a number of acquaintances and colleagues in a manner that was much more familiar than would have occurred pre-online connection. It remains an interesting concept to me that people you don’t talk to with your voice can know so much about you. In events like the Chamber meeting, it allows a warmer hello and a skipping of the default “what have you been up to” questions.

It reminds me of my time as editor of Tallahassee Magazine in the early ‘90s. I would often write about my children and things going on in my life, and people I barely knew would ask me how they were doing or how something worked out. Now, everyone can do that through online networking, or even more so with a business or personal blog.

Blogs are actually what I wanted to talk about this week, but I somehow got off course, so it will have to wait. But as a preview, you will notice some new categories in the right sidebar column. I am convinced that there are a lot of really cool blogs in this town that not enough people are reading. I would love your help in finding and sharing them.

Again, more on that next week, but in the meantime, feel free to forward me the URLs of any local blogs you like – or write – and I will include them on this page. I think there is great potential in this and I am excited to share my ideas.

I can sense your anticipation.

Dave is now friends with…

I had one of those “ah-ha” moments last week that I usually make fun of people for saying they have. It was a moment in which I heard something very familiar, but it was as if I had never heard it before. I was in my weekly Chamber Leads Group meeting when someone described a proactive approach to connecting with new people on a regular basis. It allows her to introduce herself in person and – well, that’s about it.

She offers a very specific professional service – OK, that sounds weird – she is a lawyer who specializes in an area for which her new contacts are unlikely to be in the market. But that makes no difference to her, just as she knows the majority of those who see her ads in the newspaper won’t need her either – at least not today. But someday they might, and it is quite probable that they will know someone else who will.

The point is that networking is simply about expanding your circle – connecting to one more person who will know someone else who just may be fascinated to learn more about what you do.

This concept is certainly not new to me, but the utter simplicity of its mission is. I too often rate contacts in terms of the likelihood that they will ever directly lead to business. But that is a short-sided and unenlightened view of the beauty of networking. The truth is that everyone is worth getting to know – not in a Dr. Phil kind of way – but because you have no idea what lies on the other side of that business connection.

Of course, today, network expansion has been made exponentially easier through online tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Trusteria.com and others. Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant at first to spend time on such endeavors, but I now am a true believer. It is a blast to spend a few seconds in your day reading the thoughts of people you know and gaining at least a drive-by view of their lives. It is simple human dynamics – the more you know people, the more comfortable you are with them, and the more likely you will be to think of them when a potential business connection arises.

Online networking is an incredible way to stay connected with friends, reconnect with past colleagues and reach out to people you sort of know but would be much more hesitant to approach at a party.

In Facebook specifically, which is the most visual of the ones I use, you just see someone you recognize, click on a link and ask to be their friend. And unlike my similar strategy used in middle school with the “Do you like me?” notes complete with check boxes, my success rate here has been incredibly high.

It also is a good thing, of course, to join professional groups, attend networking opportunities in person and become part of your community. Pressing flesh is not always my favorite thing to do, but I realize that it is an essential part of the mix in promoting my business and myself.

So let’s encourage each other by connecting online and in person – sharing ideas, opportunities and prospects. After all, we can all use a few more friends.

ISO Generator or Ice Cream Scoops

If we are hit by a storm any time soon that knocks out our power for any length of time, my family will be hosting an ice-cream party for the ages. No, we won’t be celebrating our lack of modern conveniences, but rather trying to consume a cache of the dairy delight that is incredibly disproportionate to the amount of other, more practical, foods in the house.

Normally, we would not own enough ice cream to supply one of those trucks that blares creepy music around unsuspecting neighborhoods, but the recent demise of the Killearn Albertson’s proved too strong a temptation.

After driving past the board-toting, earbud wearing, profusely sweating people providing roadside reminders that the discounts were increasing by the day, we finally stuck our heads in during its final hours. On the last Saturday, after my wife came home with a decent collection of marginally useful food products at 90 percent off, I grabbed my hat and jumped in the minivan with one goal in mind – score some cheap ice cream.

Inside, the store already had a moved-out odor, and there were large piles of sand on the floor – I assume leftover from bags recently used to protect the store from rising parking-lot waters resulting from Fay. It just added to the ambiance.

I headed for the near-empty coolers and bumped carts with those cleaning up on some kosher foods and bakery deals on leftover cakes and pies. With some searching and a distinct lack of pickiness, I pushed our ice cream total for the day to around 20 half-gallon cartons. It was all Breyers and Edy’s, but most of our favorite flavors were long gone.

At around 50 cents a carton, it was still quite the deal, even though they were slightly squishy and some certainly appeared destined to be used only for some creative shake concoction. I even grabbed three cartons of what I later discovered was a cherry-flavored frozen dairy dessert – whatever that is. I am still the only one who will eat it – and that is strictly out of a sense of duty.

So what happened to Albertson’s? I do not have any inside scoop on its corporate health or profit margins, but I do know one thing. It was pretty gross in there. I know people who shopped there, and I don’t think they are gross, but on the rare occasion I stopped in that Albertson’s, I could not wait to get out. Even the checkout was weird. Your groceries were placed on a spinning counter that was very small, and your cart went on one side while you stayed on the other side. It just didn’t make sense.

I hate to hear about the demise of any business – especially if it is locally owned. I feel like regardless of the nature of the business, we all have a kinship in trying to create something significant by providing a product or service that makes people’s lives better or other businesses more successful (which of course, makes their lives better).

So if you are still plugging along, congratulations and stick with it. Over the last few months, there certainly have been times that I have questioned my immediate future, but I am still here and I even found time to crank out this blog – which is a good sign.

So don’t give up, focus on what you do best, keep networking and provide the kind of customer service that your customers love to brag about. And I guess, don’t be gross. I don’t have the energy to sift through your stuff for the last, half-melted carton of Rocky Road.

'Girl You Know It's True'

Have you ever noticed that we spend most of our lives trying to be something that we are not? When we’re young, we want to be older, and when we’re old, we redefine what old is.

The same is true in business. For many of us, we do everything possible to appear larger than we are. In proposals or even conversations with prospective clients, I most often say “we” in referring to who will get back to them or who will be executing some task.

Outside of graphic design, there is rarely anyone else involved in the services I deliver. I guess I am always afraid that sounding like a one-person shop might scare some people away. But then again, when you hire me, you hire me. A lot of times, big companies will use their “A” team to pitch a potential client, only to immediately turn the reins over to an entry-level person as soon as the account is secured.

We must remember that it is tempting, but ultimately fruitless, to project something that is not authentic. Looking your best is one thing, but manipulating people is quite another. That truth was made clear this week during the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Beijing.

The ceremony was absolutely breathtaking – an amazing feat of technology and human precision. Its visual impact and seemingly perfect execution was almost intimidating, but was it actually as perfect as it seemed?

It turns out that the climax of the production – a surreal display of fireworks surrounding the stadium – was indeed too good to be true. Realizing that there was no way to secure the 29 locations needed to pull it off and not wanting to add to the already poor air quality, organizers decided more than a year ago to enhance the show with digital fireworks. And since the Chinese controlled every video feed from the site, everyone in the world saw the same thing – even the people inside the stadium.

A couple days later, it was revealed that the emotional and patriotic anthem sung by the cute 9-year-old girl was not quite as it seemed, either. Now, we in America are certainly not shocked by the concept of lip-synching. I remember the silly “live” performances on “American Bandstand,” and who can forget any number of Britney Spears stage disasters or even Ashley Simpson on SNL?

But this was not a case of mouthing the words to your own pre-recorded soundtrack, this one had Milli Vanilli written all over it. The Olympic organizers decided that the real singer, a talented 7-year-old with an imperfect smile was simply not cute enough to represent her country on the world’s biggest stage. So they simply replaced her. Well, everything except her voice. They morphed the two into the perfect performing child, and we were all enchanted by the performance.

I think it is a shame that the powers involved felt the need to compromise the integrity of the event by trying to fake us out. Would it not have been amazing enough if they played it straight? How are they perceived now?

We as a nation do not expect perfection (just look at our elected leaders), but we do expect honesty. I think the same is true of our clients. We may not be the biggest company around, but this is what we can do, and this is what you can expect. All the cards on the table.

Plus, you never have to worry about the CD skipping.

The Poor House

As the economy continues to tank, stories of financial hardship are becoming more commonplace. Businesses are going under and personal bankruptcies and home foreclosures are everyday occurrences in this pre-election, oil-centric environment that we are slowly accepting as normal.

As a small-business owner fending off client budget cuts and soothing potential customers suddenly stricken with T-Rex arms as they reach for their wallets, it is easy to empathize with others who are struggling to make ends meet.

Then I read the story of the Harper family from Lake City, Georgia, near Atlanta. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, their circumstances might. In 2005, they were one of the families on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” As is always the case, this family was living in a decrepit, old house and had it replaced with a mini-mansion – this time built by Atlanta-based Beazer Homes and an army of local volunteers. In addition to the house, Beazer raised $250,000 in contributions that included college funds for the children and a substantial home-maintenance fund to keep things going after the cameras were all gone.

A little more than three years later, the house has been foreclosed on. It seems that the family decided to cash in their newfound equity and take out a loan for $450,000 to pursue a brighter future by investing in a construction business. Needless to say, things did not go as planned, they cannot make their payments and next week their house is scheduled to be auctioned away.

Have a hard time believing anyone could be so stupid? Or so greedy?

Well, as a favorite ESPN football analyst and ex-FSU quarterback likes to say, “Not so fast, my friend.”

As I recently recounted, my laptop computer decided to stop computing while I was on the road, and I had to replace it. Just after I ordered it, I received the pleasant surprise that an insurance policy on the old laptop would pay for the new one. I got the check yesterday.

As I am looking at the check, knowing full well that the charge for the new Dell is weighing on my VISA card balance, I confess that alternative uses for the newfound and unexpected money began to flash before my eyes.

Now, a mid-level notebook computer is certainly no half-million-dollar house, but nobody ever gave me a house. Don’t we all do the same thing from time to time on a much smaller scale?

Haven’t we have paid for a dinner on our card and been reimbursed by a colleague in cash? Do we always set that money aside and use it to pay off the charge? The point is that we need to be disciplined enough to remain fiscally sound – especially in times like this.

When money is flowing, we can make mistakes and make up for them later. If we make a big enough mistake now, there may not be a later. So, I am speaking to myself and all the others tempted to think that reliance on credit is OK and it will be easier to pay off later when things get better.

It is a dangerous game that seems especially tragic when so much money is involved. I wish the Harper family the best and hope that faced with the same decisions on any level, that we would be a bit more prudent.

Rolling with the Punches

Doing work away from the office is easier than ever these days with smart phones, laptops and flash drives at our disposal to make any location with electricity and an Internet connection a virtual office. But what happens when one or all of those devices let you down? I can now say with great certainty, virtually nothing.

Last week I had the pleasure of taking my three oldest daughters (17, 14 and 12), with me to a client conference in Orlando. While I was attending my meetings, they got to swim, explore and appreciate their environment – free of responsibility and full of stuff people of greater means take for granted.

In between meetings and before our weekend excursion to Universal Studios and dinner at the Hard Rock Café, I planned on getting some work done on a couple projects that were behind schedule. Just before we left, I also found out that there were two e-mail newsletters that would need to be sent on Friday from the hotel. No problem, I thought, as the app is online and I will have my laptop ready to go.

On Friday morning, however, it quickly became apparent by the absence of beeps and blinking lights that my laptop was not ready to go. Anywhere. It was dead. Instead of panicking, I tried to borrow one but eventually ended up at the Hyatt Business Center. What a friendly sounding place – a business center. I was pleased that they provided hard-working guests such a helpful amenity, and I was anxious to get started.

The nice, older gentleman behind the counter pointed me to an available computer and gave me a quick overview of how to swipe my credit card to get things going. OK. Swiping is generally not good, but I understand. This won’t take long.

Then I saw the rates. One dollar per minute. Wow. No surfing today – just right to business. I logged in to Web mail, grabbed the info and darted off to my site to create the newsletter – clicking as fast as I could. Not making the experience any more pleasant was the battery-operated wall clock above me with a very loud second hand ticking away as if to mock me.

I thought I was making pretty good time until a message popped on the screen warning that my $50 authorization was getting close. I frantically finished the newsletters, logged out and went back to the room where my sympathetic girls got the good news.

Instead of spending the afternoon writing, I was taking them to Downtown Disney to find souvenirs for the younger siblings -- as long as we were back in time for my last meeting of the day.

We were, and we had a great time (although I certainly was spending money faster than a dollar per minute). The point is that when I knew that my circumstances were set and I would be unable to get any more work done, I was able to let it go and take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy my wonderful daughters. Instead of frustration, my natural response, I had a peace about my inability to do what I thought had to be done.

We are faced with those kinds of circumstances all the time. Meetings get cancelled, computers crash and cell phone batteries die. What we do next is what really matters. How we decide to adapt to the reality that we are not in control of everything goes a long way in determining how we do in business and how much we enjoy it along the way.

Now, while the next few days at the office were even busier than I expected, a part of me was really happy that my laptop decided to die that day. Guilt-free, weekday time with my kids is indeed a rare pleasure – one I did not want to waste.

Through the Eyes of a Child

As part of my Father’s Day festivities this year, I received a very sweet memento from my 6-year-old daughter that she made for me in Sunday School. It was a laminated certificate in which she gave responses to questions intended to reveal something about me and our relationship. It is a time-honored tradition shared by many faiths (I assume), and I looked forward to reading what she had said.

It started with the basics such as our names and my favorite food, which she said was pizza, and then moved on to more telling questions. Her favorite thing about me is that I read to her every night, which is not completely accurate, but we have made our way through a few selections from her new detective “chapter books.” I’ll take it.

Then she had two “complete the sentence” questions that really revealed an interesting reality for both home and the office. She said, “My dad likes to…take breaks from work.” And she followed that with, “I love my dad because he …sometimes stays home from work.”

Once I got past the thought that her teachers were probably not terribly impressed with my ambition or work ethic, it made me realize how snippets of time – captured moments – can make such a lasting impact on our memories and view of reality. As I have discussed here before, I really struggle with working too much, not too little, and I am constantly searching for the proper balance between being with my family and providing for our financial needs.

But I think there is an important lesson here. While I am not a “quality time instead of quantity time guy” – quantity is crucial and cannot be made up for through intensity – there is something to be said for making moments count. And the same is true as we deal with clients.

While we are busy with everything we do to keep the business moving forward, a well-timed personal communication with a client can go a long way in keeping them connected. A phone call, a lunch or even an e-mail just to check in, say hi or ask how things are going will do wonders in that department.

I think it is awesome that my daughter believes that there is no place I would rather be than home with her and the rest of the clan. And she is absolutely right. I think our customers can have that same feeling – without having to read to them at night.

Keeping Our Ears to the Ground

I have a pretty basic question for you this week. Should we ever stop being open to new possibilities concerning our career? I mean, should we ever stop thinking about the potential of something different, something challenging, something better?

If any of my past employers would have asked me that question while I was still on their payroll, the answer would most certainly have been, “Yes. I cannot possibly imagine anything more satisfying or rewarding than working for you.” Which at various times in my career would have been the truth. I have been blessed to work with and for some wonderful people who have taught me much.

And this is a tricky issue for me, because I am a big believer in contentment. I watch people waste so many good years waiting for things to be better or sacrificing way too much to “make it,” but they never do. Because you never can. If our motivation is getting more stuff or having a fatter savings account or a larger investment portfolio, then the wheel never stops spinning. We can’t “make it” when the bar is constantly being moved higher.

That is not what I’m talking about. I am referring to the spark inside that keeps us on our toes and open to new ideas. It is the balance between being grateful for what we have and being curious about needs that are not being met. In my career, there has always seemed to come a time when I started wondering if there was a new way to apply what I was doing, or if a slight shift in focus might open up new opportunities.

That was certainly the case when I started SalesTouches.com last year. A few of my regular writing clients were cutting back, and I needed to explore new applications of my skills. When requests for a couple e-mail newsletters were made and research uncovered a gaping hole in the market for businesses and organizations looking for more than an online, do-it-yourself option, I was off and running.

This is where I would love to say, “and the rest is history,” but I’m not quite there yet. I’ll keep you posted.

So even after I owned my own business for seven years, I was still changing, adapting and getting excited about new opportunities. I guess I have answered my own question. You don’t have to leave your job to take on new challenges, just find a way to do it better, and always keep your ear to the ground.

Just Say No

Four days. Normally, that length of time is a mere blip on the radar of our busy lives, but when your spouse is out of town, the whole time-space continuum thing seems to change a bit, and the days get substantially longer. Last week, my wife dared leave our six children and me alone to fend for ourselves while she attended a conference in Orlando. While I should probably point out that “fend for ourselves” included having a detailed list of activities, prepared food and schedules to follow – not to mention a couple meals from my mother who lives a mile away – it was still a significant change in our daily routines. The stuff she is responsible for is hard, and I had plenty of my own stuff to do, too.

In fact, in the days just before she left, I did the unthinkable – I turned down two assignments from important clients who needed some writing done on very short notice. Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to accommodate their requests, but this time I knew in order to do so I would have to neglect my family responsibilities. In reality, I should always take on just what I can fit into a regular workweek, but that is difficult when you are piecing together your payroll every month.

But there is more to it than that. I hate saying no. I hate letting clients down. Even if they don’t see it that way, that is how it makes me feel. In addition to not making the money, saying no presents the danger of the client finding someone else to meet their need. What if the new person does a great job? What if the client likes them better? What if I am no longer considered the “go-to” guy?

All that went through my head just before I more thoughtfully considered what really mattered. Yes, my clients needed help, but one of the reasons I wanted to work for myself in the first place was so I could do it on my terms. I knew there would be rare times when I would have to choose family over work. And this was one of those times.

While my children could have survived a couple more hours without me, I didn’t want them to. And although I could have used the extra money, I will be OK without it (I think). I realize that I am not breaking new ground with the “priorities” discussion, but sometimes it takes a real-life, real-time decision to put it to the test.

My wife came home (always a good sign) and things are back to normal. I just want to make sure that from now on, “normal” means I am home when I need to be -- even if that means giving up a job here and there.

Car Buying Part II

Last week, I shared that I was looking for a car for my 17-year-old daughter. And although we were scared off the bargain lots by a discontented former customer, our search remained on track. In fact, last Friday we found a great car through the Democrat (yes, the old-fashioned way) and bought it on Saturday.

The car is an older Honda Accord with a significant number of miles on it – but the seller was the original owner, she took great care of it, and it runs like a champ. Truthfully, I am a little jealous, because while my wife and family have a pretty sweet ride, I am stuck making the two-mile trek to work each day in the ’97 minivan. I guess it says something good that my daughter has a cooler car than me – at least that is what I keep telling myself.

What made the process particularly stressful for me is that I know very little about cars, and I would never buy a used car north of 100,000 miles without someone telling me it was OK. I needed someone with experience and knowledge to check it out, look for things I don’t know exist and give me a fair and truthful assessment of the situation.

I was willing to pay for such advice, and I did. It was worth every penny. I got a glowing report and bought the car with a confidence that I would not have had on my own.

What do we do to give our customers that same sense of confidence in what we offer? Do we consistently provide wise counsel? Do we go beyond even what they are asking to help ensure their success? Do we know their situation well enough to anticipate questions and be ready with good answers?

Building trust to the point that our customers don’t want to make a move without checking with us first is a beautiful thing. That kind of relationship builds loyalty that creates an excitement that is hard to contain.

Want to get your customers talking about you? Make yourself invaluable to them. Do the little things to remind them that making a decision on their own is just not worth the risk.

The Value of Reputation

Last week, I took my 17-year-old daughter shopping for a car. And because the life of a writer/e-mail newsletter creator/blogger is reasonably modest (at least all the ones I know), we were forced to bypass the dealerships with the lighted signs and fancy showrooms and head for the trailer offices, dirt lots and windshields with phrases scrawled on them like "Low Mileage" and "AC Works" in yellow wax.

I was led to one particular lot on West Tennessee Street through an Internet search and quickly found myself inside a car that was not at all what the 18 online photos had led me to believe it was. After a disturbing test drive, we returned the car and began to look around for a hidden gem amongst the clunkers. As we were searching, out of nowhere we hear someone yell to us from a car whizzing by. It was a middle-aged woman yelling something like, "Don't buy a car from there." I looked at my daughter and father-in-law (who was in town visiting) and asked, "What did she just say?"

Within seconds, the passionate consumer advocate had done a U-turn and came back around for a more personal interaction. She proceeded to share her unfortunate experience with this dealer and warned us not to trust anything we were being told. Although I was sure we were not going to find the right car there before she dropped by, she motivated me to get to my car just a little more quickly.

Reputation is an important thing, and it certainly doesn't take much to ruin it. We can do everything right for a really long time and then make one mistake that deals a significant blow to our public perception. The kind of error that hurts is not the honest mistake but rather the intentionally poor or neglectful treatment of a customer. I am going to assume that none of us would knowingly lie to a client, but allowing something bad to happen to someone who has entrusted us is a tough situation to explain away.

Again, I doubt it would ever be intentional, but being lazy or inattentive for even a short amount of time can result in damage to that business relationship and cause your reputation to take a hit.

As my good friend Jay Colle likes to say, Tallahassee is the world's biggest high school, because someone you know will know someone who knows you. Your reputation is especially important here, so protect it with everything you’ve got.

By the way, we are still looking for a car.

Revealing Circumstances

Someone told me many years ago that the best way to determine a person’s character is not to watch how they act, but rather how they react. How do they respond when things don’t go their way, when they are jolted by the unforeseen or are simply treated poorly by someone else?

How many times has someone surprised you with a snippy comment that seemed out of line? How many times have you surprised yourself?

What does this have to do with business? Everything. Because our character as a business owner or manager is the single-most important factor in the long-term success of our company (in addition to details such as having a viable product, a receptive market, and a solid business plan). Who we are sets the tone for everything that happens under our watch – whether we acknowledge it or not.

Even if we say all the right things and outwardly do all the right things most of the time, how we react in a time of crisis or when a client is unfair or a vendor lets us down will ultimately reveal itself for all to see. And it is not about losing your temper, it is about responding in a way that is consistent with how you conduct yourself no matter the circumstances.

So what’s the best insurance against a public character meltdown? While I certainly have had my share of regrettable reactions, I find that doing my best to make the same decisions whether anyone is watching or not certainly helps. If I work to consistently make ethical, stand-up decisions that steer clear of gray areas and long explanations, then I am less likely to be caught off guard. It is like the familiar sports mantra that you only play as well as you practice. It applies to business as well.

Speaking of sports and character, I really want to encourage you to watch the following clip from ESPN. It tells the moving story of two college softball players who demonstrated exceptional character in coming to the aid of an opposing player – just because it was the right thing to do.

It makes me hope that I would have done the same.

Check it out here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jocw-oD2pgo&feature=related

Think Golden on Rules for Customer Service

OK, so this recession thing is indeed causing people some problems – especially if they ever find themselves with the need to travel by motorized vehicle. But I am sticking to my guns that tough times require us to stress the fundamentals of good business, and there is nothing more fundamental in business than treating our customers well.

Really well.

What exactly does that mean? While the definition will certainly vary depending on your business, I was reminded during a Chamber Leads Group presentation yesterday morning that there are a few non-negotiables to keeping customers in the fold.

Frank Kapplow, the owner of Delmas Diamonds and Jewelers, shared that his business is not only surviving, it is thriving. His sales are up significantly over the same period last year, and there are no signs of slowing down.

But how can that be? People don’t buy custom jewelry and diamonds the price of used cars during a recession. Ah, but there’s the twist. Some people do. And what Frank does is make sure that if those people make their way into his store, they understand that they are not going to be treated more fairly, receive better service or get a higher-quality piece anywhere in town. And certainly not from the Internet.

He admittedly spends more time than he probably should with each customer. He may sell his pieces for a tiny bit less than he could – if he really pushed it. And he goes against convention by showing invoices to customers, sharing markup rates and giving the lowest price the first time – even on his original, custom work. “If I give a price and then I negotiate down to a lower price, then I was not being honest the first time,” he said with an earnest conviction.

In other words, he treats his customers exactly like he would want to be treated in the same position.

So how do those of us who are not in a retail setting apply those same principles? Well, for starters, we can make sure we treat every client or customer like we really need them to survive (probably not a huge stretch these days).

I received an e-mail last week that a prized prospect was hiring my company to create their new e-mail newsletters, and when I got the news, I sent a quick thank you, did an internal “yea” and moved on to put out fires. After hearing Frank yesterday, though, I went straight to my office and shot the new client an e-mail stating simply how happy I was to be working with him and how much I looked forward to helping him be successful.

It was a small gesture, but within minutes, I received a response echoing my sentiments. Since he doesn’t know me (he is in Gainesville), it was essential that he hear from me that I appreciated his business and that I would do everything possible to exceed his expectations. He now knows what to expect from me – now, I just have to make sure I do it.

Thanks, Frank, for the reminder that the Golden Rule still rules.

Facing the 'R' Word

Word on the street is that there is a recession in town. It is bearing down on consumers, causing businesses to tighten their belts and slashing budgets, profit margins and overall confidence in our way of life.

So what do we do as innovative, proactive business people?

I would humbly assert that we do only what we should be doing in the best of times. Run lean? Yep. Be frugal? Sure. Be thoughtful with every decision and make the most of every opportunity to market, sell and properly position our business? Without a doubt.

I have seen some very useful lists for how to combat a downward economy, but they all are really just important reminders about how to do business the right way – no matter which way the market is headed or how much a half gallon of ice cream costs. The advice is solid any time, it just so happens that it is now more important than ever.

I acknowledge that there are fundamental economic factors in play that make commerce more challenging at certain times, but I still ask the same question, “What are we supposed to do about it?”

It is not like we can take a time out until things settle down.

We charge forward with confidence, because we know what we’re doing and we hope for the best. We are smart about money, creative in our marketing and wise with our hires. We make every decision count and we stay focused on our goals. If we get knocked down, we get back up – because it’s the only choice we have.

And when we get through this time and ask what’s next, we already have the answer.

More of the same.

Photo: © Lindwood Farm, Incorporated

The More Things Change...

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the challenge of prioritizing your work time. I asked: “So what do you do to guard against spending time on good stuff, but not the best stuff? And how do you figure out what the best stuff even is?”

I got some interesting responses through e-mail and conversation, but perhaps the best input I received was from my 85-year-old grandfather who lives in Ohio and is apparently still cool enough to blog.

His no-nonsense approach, learned through decades of successful sales, management and business experience, got right to the point.

“Dave, business practices have not changed much over time,” he said. “The best advice I can give you is that you have to learn to separate the chaff from the wheat. Without new business coming in, everything else is inconsequential! So that must be uppermost in your mind at all times. I know you have a million and one things to do, but somehow they will get done.”

So there you have it. Nothing else matters if you don’t have clients (or customers). What a novel idea. Of course, you should make sure you are taking good care of the clients you already have, but I think from his perspective that is a given. Creating a revolving door doesn’t get you anywhere.

Being a smart businessperson means staying in business – something that is a whole lot easier when someone is buying what you’re selling. And while there are at least a million other things we can be doing, take it from a wiser Fiore than myself – keep new business coming in and let the rest take care of itself.

That is my goal this week (and beyond). What about you?

In Search of the Retainer

Staying busy is great, but knowing you will be busy is even better. Whether your business is creating custom monthly e-newsletters (just off the top of my head), cutting lawns or dry cleaning expensive suits, earning the business of your customers on a regular basis is the ultimate goal.

In my corner of the business world (writing/PR/marketing), that means acquiring retainer clients. Retainers, as most of you are probably aware, are monthly payments from a client based on an anticipated average number of hours spent on their account. Some months you may lose a little, while other months you end up a little ahead in the ever-present battle of time spent versus money earned. The goal is that it all works out in the end. And for that, you may choose to reduce your rate a bit and promise priority service – all for the security of knowing that you can count on that income every month for some decent period of time.

Some retainers are monthly, even when the services are not. I have a friend who divides his lawn-service fees over 12 months, even though the majority of the work is done in maybe eight or nine months. That makes sense, because it spreads the financial responsibility of the client evenly throughout the year and allows my friend to have a dependable income all year.

For other kinds of businesses, the corresponding goal is to keep clients or customers coming back month after month – to keep them choosing you every time they are faced with the same purchase decision. Of course, customer service and the consistency of your product or service are big factors in customer retention, but depending on how often that decision is made, customer loyalty can be tough to maintain. Chances are, there is always a cheaper option or a new kid on the block ready to do anything to grab a few of your customers.

So what do you do to convert project clients into retainer clients or keep your clients coming back month after month? (We are not looking for trade secrets, just general principles that others could apply.) And how important are regular clients to your business plan?

Let’s talk about it.

Last Week's POLL QUESTION RESULTS

Apparently, most of you (57%) are not phased by wearing the same outfit two days in a row if a) no one sees you the first day and b) you don't spill anything on yourself. Good to know.

When Hard Work is Not Enough

After a week of enthusiastic, but time-consuming posts, I have decided on a schedule of weekly musings that should be far more maintainable. I expect to post a new entry – and new poll question – each Wednesday by noon. I appreciate the encouragement to invest this time in offering topics of discussion common to those of us who are living on the edge (in a Killearn sort of way, at least).

This has been one of those weeks in which effort has not resulted in corresponding income. That was perhaps the biggest lesson I learned when going into business for myself seven years ago. How much or how hard you work has nothing to do with how much money you will make. Sure, it does in the long run (if all goes well), but you can’t pay yourself with a timecard (if those even still exist).

There are just too many other things to do that have nothing to do with generating income. There are too many projects that take too long to bill. There are too many prospects that remain prospects. And there are too many distractions to knock us off track.

I know, I know. Time management. But it’s more than that. It’s about balancing our daily activities so that we are providing flawless customer service, pursuing new business and attending to the tiny details that keep our doors open.

There are plenty of work-related activities to keep us busy. But it is too easy for an entire day to go by without moving the essentials forward. So what do you do to guard against spending time on good stuff, but not the best stuff? And how do you figure out what the best stuff even is?

Let’s talk about it.

Achieving True Success Takes Time

I’m not sure how smart it is to go all “preachy” in the fourth day of a new business blog, but this being Good Friday, I figured I might get a pass.

As small-business people, it is very easy for us to work all the time. There always is something else to do – one last e-mail to send, one last report to complete or a quick call to return. The truth is that running a business is 24/7 – and for most of us, the wheels never stop churning, even when we are home with our families.

And there’s the problem. I’m sure many upcoming blogs will deal with this issue in some way, but let’s look at it today in the biggest picture possible. No matter how much there is to do, all our work is in vain if we let it define who we are.

We are not our business. We are not successful because we make enough money to support our family. We are successful because we have a family that loves us and would rather spend time with us than go to Disney this summer (although, admittedly, it might be close).

I say this as I didn’t get home until after 7 last night and will probably have to come in for a couple hours tomorrow (Saturday) morning. I am not naïve, and I realize that it takes time to make a business work – it just can’t take all our time. And even more importantly, it can’t take all our heart.

Don’t give your family your leftovers. Striking a balance is not easy, but it is essential. Think about what your kids will remember about you in 10 years. Think about what your spouse thinks of you now.

Again, I am not saying this as one who has completely overcome this common pitfall, just as one who loves his family more than his job.

And on this weekend, as we celebrate the resurrection of the One who loved us enough to die on the cross for us, let’s not miss an opportunity to love our families by giving them what they want most – us.

Have a blessed Easter.

Backing Up to Move Forward

I spent part of this morning writing a client e-mail newsletter that focused on the importance of backing up your data on a regular basis. The necessity of backing up our work, files and financial info (not to mention recent music downloads) is certainly not news, but how seriously do we really take it? What would happen to you if everything on your hard drive(s) was suddenly and unexpectedly gone?

I mean seriously gone.

While I am religious about backing up my QuickBooks files, I am less committed to regular data backups. And since what I sell is my time and what I create using my computer (as opposed to using the computer to keep track of what I am selling), I am in especially vulnerable.

I would probably most miss the thousands of e-mails that serve as a contact resource and history of client communications for much longer than they should. Maxing out Outlook is not a good strategy either, but that is another conversation.

The point is that even if you are a one-person shop, your data is the foundation of your business -- something you don't want to be without. So back up, back up, back up.

If you are interested in talking about good local resources to help you do that, please post them here. We could all benefit from your experience.

The Rollercoaster of Confidence

How’s business? While nice and well-intentioned, that question is most often intended to have the return volley power of a “Howya doin’?” The polite and expected answer is “fine,” accompanied by a confident head shake and slight lifting and scrunching of the bottom lip. (Do that now. See?)

But in reality, that question is a real one for many of us every single day. That is because the status of our businesses can change quickly. And so can our confidence. Some days we are king of the world, while other days we are a bit more unsure about the status of our empire.

In fact, how many of us -- no matter how long we've been in business -- still ask ourselves if we are doing everything possible to give ourselves a fighting chance? Or if we are really “on to something.” And how long before the darkest parts of our minds are free from thoughts like getting a regular job would be a whole lot easier?

So what is the answer? Admitting that things are slow and you are exploring a variety of options to make things happen is certainly OK if that is indeed the case. These are tough times, and many established businesses are struggling to meet payroll and pay for lots of overhead.

But we are lean and agile. Let’s take advantage of our size to adapt quickly, explore all our options and make the most of our resources. There is nothing better than working for yourself – even when the immediate future is unclear.

And that’s how business is. Thanks for asking.

Starting the Conversation

If you are like me, you are suspicious of any business person who has time to blog. While I generally believe that time is better spent actually doing our business than talking about doing it, there certainly are some subjects worth discussing.

It is my hope that this blog serves as a sounding board for area small businesses to share ideas, frustrations, challenges and opportunities. There is much we have in common -- probably more than we even realize -- and I hope this forum will bring those into the open.

This is not intended to be a portal for small business resources. It is not intended to be a networking site. It is not intended to be a harvesting site for new business. But if a little of that happens along the way, that's OK with me.

This blog is an open conversation between business people waking up every day facing the same issues. Where we go from there is up to us.

Let's talk.