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11 Things We Forget But Should Always Remember

January 26, 2016 by Lindsey Tolino

I forget the important things when I’m stressed. Do you struggle with this too? I focus on the wrong things and minimize the important while spiraling on the insignificant. I often need to be reminded of what’s important. So here are 11 things we forget but should always remember:

We can’t ask our employees to do something we aren’t willing to do.
Humility is unique and attractive.
People only know what we want when we tell them.
Customers are like wives – even when they seem locked-down, they still need romanced.
To-do lists are important, but people are even more so.
Autonomy and cooperation is life-giving for everyone. Micromanagement and dictatorship is exhausting and frustrating for everyone.
A genuine thank you can impact the receiver way more than we know.
Dedication is rare and precious.
Simpler is better. You can always expand.
Culture comes from the top but can revolutionize from the bottom.
The hard is what makes it great. If it wasn’t hard everyone would do it.

Life, work and business can all be hard. Even the weather seems out to get us at times. Let’s remember to pour ourselves into what’s important and care for those around us.

What are some things you remember to bring you back to what’s important?

Cover image info: Original, royalty-free image from Death To The Stock Photo.

About the author: Lindsey Tolino comes alongside artisans, craftsman and people monetizing their passions to help them create healthy businesses. She shares her heart at ToBusinessOwners.com. Follow her on Twitter @LindseyTolino.

Don’t Keep Customers Waiting

January 22, 2016 by Thomas

Where does customer service rank on your company’s list of important daily tasks that should never be overlooked?

While you would like to think that it is always a priority for most businesses, the truth is that is not always the case.

For whatever the reason, some companies simply drop the ball when it comes to providing consumers with solid customer service. As a result, some of those companies end up losing business, business that could have easily remained with them had they just been a little bit better about taking care of Mr. or Mrs. Public.

With that in mind, there are a number of steps you can take as a business owner to increase the chances of keeping customers happy, not to mention helping to promote your brand through their word-of-mouth efforts.

Solid Customer Service Equals Better Revenue

In order to keep your company’s customer service a step or two ahead of what the competition has to offer, make sure you:

Go that extra mile – Consumers expect satisfactory customer service, but what if you take it to another level? It is oftentimes the little things that set your brand apart from others, so go that extra mile for the customer. For example, maybe a customer purchased a product or service from you recently over the holidays. As an added incentive to keep them shopping with you, offer them a discount (maybe 10 to 20 percent off) on their next purchase with you. Given that many consumers probably had to watch their pennies over the holiday shopping season, a nice little reward for those who shopped with you last month could go far in making them come back to you this year and beyond;
On-time service matters – How many times have you gone in for a doctor’s appointment and waited and then waited some more? Yes, a doctor’s office is typically going to be busy, but that does not remove the frustration you have with being kept waiting for your appointment. The same holds true for businesses who have timed appointments with customers and also when customers are in line waiting to make a purchase. Whether you run a business office, a store, or even a salon, don’t keep your customers waiting. If you have a salon appointment book, try and stick to the times posted on it as much as possible. It just takes one unhappy customer to get the chatter going about how you can’t stay on top of times. When that happens, others (even if they’ve never been to your place of business) may think twice about doing business with you;
Avoid negative tones – Last but certainly not least; go out of your way to avoid customer service conflicts. Honestly, there will be times when you or one of your employees doesn’t meet a customer’s needs. When that happens, do everything possible to make amends, giving you a better chance of retaining that individual’s business. This is also true if you’re getting online feedback from customers. By all means, do not get into a tit-for-tat with customers on your social media pages. No matter how much you try, you will never win those battles. Worse yet, online comments are archived for all to see.

Providing consumers with solid customer service isn’t as tricky as it may seem.

Be responsive, reliable, and of course responsible when treating each of your customers.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Mindfulness for Entrepreneurs

January 21, 2016 by Rosemary

The idea of mindfulness conjures “touchy-feeliness.” Meditation, incense, perhaps some herbal tea.

But Ellen Langer, a social psychology professor at Harvard University, is more straightforward about mindfulness.

She says it’s simply the act of noticing change. If you want to be more mindful, simply put yourself in a context where you can notice change and then engage. No wind chimes required.

I found this strategy+business interview with Professor Langer fascinating. The interview focuses on mindfulness for senior executives and business leaders, but there are lessons for solopreneurs, consultants, and small business owners as well.

Mindfulness for the Entrepreneurial Spirit

To snap yourself out of auto-pilot behavior, change your physical context. If working from your home office is fostering bad habits, go find a co-working space with some new energy.
Stop being certain about things. Re-evaluate some of the long-held attitudes and beliefs you’ve become stuck with over time. Take a second look at your assumptions.
Explore different points of view, and notice how others express themselves. Find someone who will challenge your positions on a certain subject.
Look at distractions as potential opportunities. New things that come into your environment should be inspected, appreciated, and used as fuel for growth.
Think of the limitations you feel you have on your business right now. Are they real, or are they presumed limitations? How would you run your business if you assumed there were no limitations?
People create context as well. Surround yourself with people who energize and challenge you.
Noticing the things and people around you, in detail, makes you magnetic.

Take a moment and watch the video and interview linked above; what do you think? Can you find ways to incorporate mindfulness into your day-to-day business?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: Umberto Salvagnin

Keep Internet Thieves at Bay

January 20, 2016 by Thomas

If you run a business and think that you’re not a target, think again.

Whether your company is small, midsize or large, you have a target on your back simply by the fact that you are an entrepreneur. If thieves can get their hands on your products, services, and especially information that will lead to a financial windfall for them, you can be singled out at any moment.

With that in mind, it behooves business owners to make sure they have their backs and the backs of their customers covered at all times. Remember, it just takes one slip-up for a hacker to make your life and your financial life miserable.

Be Pro-Active and Not Reactive

In order to make sure your Internet security is protected as much as possible from hackers (namely identity theft thieves), keep these tidbits in mind:

Be Pro-active – The last thing you want to do as a business owner is always be reacting to things, notably hackers. It is no secret that hacking is a profession for countless men and women, many of whom don’t care if you play by the rules or not. In order to decrease the chances of being financially hit, make sure you update your Internet protection software regularly. Look for cracks and kinks in its armor, thereby hopefully seeing them before thieves do. Just as you would use the appropriate computer software to limit your kids’ access to reaching inappropriate websites on your home computer, the same care and concern must be done for your business site. The goal here is to make sure no one is getting through to your company website without your approval;
Watch for employee red flags – While it would be comforting to think that all of your employees can always be trusted with sensitive company and customer data, it has proven time and time again that that is not the case. Even though you might think that the attack or attacks will come from the outside, many businesses have unfortunately discovered otherwise. Lessen the chances your business will become a victim by making sure you hire the best and brightest employees. If during the interview process you catch any red flags (past firings from jobs for disciplinary reasons such as stealing from employers and/or hacking websites, run-ins with the law etc.), think twice about bringing on that applicant as an employee. Also be sure to alert all employees once they are under your employ that in no shape or form will you tolerate illegal activities, notably as they relate to misusing company or customer data. If someone is caught doing just that, let it be known they could lose their job and potentially face criminal charges;
Be careful with outsourcing – While outsourcing business tasks is something many businesses do on a regular basis, this is another area where one must proceed with caution. Let’s say you outsource some or all of your accounting or client marketing needs to save on some of the workload for your in-house staff. In doing so, you provide the individual or individuals who will be working on accounting and client marketing sensitive data etc. It could be weeks or even months before you discover someone is then using that data for illegal purposes. Along with the financial hit to you and some of your customers, the public relations mess now on your hands is just as bad. Make sure you thoroughly research who you might outsource work to in order to lessen the odds they will be a problem for you and your clients down the road.

Running a business these days of course carries risks, risks that you sometimes have little control over.

When it comes to protecting your business website (both from outside and inside threats), you do have more control than you might think.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and technology issues on the web.

Do You Truly Get the Most Out of Your Employees?

January 15, 2016 by Thomas

When it comes to getting the most from those who work for you, what practices do you have in play to do just that?

For some business owners, a competitive salary and a strong benefits package will do the trick. Others, meantime, will tout the opportunities for growth up the corporate ladder. Still others will highlight the working conditions at their companies are second to none.

No matter which group you fall into (maybe you even have tricks not mentioned that woo potential employees), always remember that getting the most out of your workers not only benefits them over time, but it is also crucial to obtaining and keeping happy customers.

With that in mind, here are some tips to getting the most from your workers each and every day of the work week:

Right tools – Do you provide your employees with the right tools in order to get their jobs done properly? Some workplaces are well-suited with the latest in technology (computers, apps, printers etc.), while others are working with equipment from years ago. In order to present both your brand and employees in the best light to consumers, make sure you give your team technology that is equal to or preferably better than what the competition has. This also translates to items such as their desks, chairs, lighting, cubicles etc. Whether it is time to order new desks or conference room chairs, make sure your staff doesn’t feel like working in your office place is akin to being in prison ;
Positive reinforcement – Very few employees will want to work for an owner who is constantly negative. Yes, there are times when you need to be direct with employees and even correct them, but those times should be in small doses, not to mention done via one-on-one terms and not in front of other co-workers. Although the employee is getting a salary (perhaps benefits), giving them positive reinforcement when they do something exceptionally well never hurts. You can take things an additional step by having “fun” contests in the different departments in your office. Put incentives out there for your employees to strive for can do nothing but boost morale and likely results;
Periodic reviews – You should also do periodic assessments with your staff, letting each of them know what is working, what may not be working, and how everyone can improve (including yourself) as a team. Some businesses are spot-on when it comes to doing reviews, others all but skip them. One of the advantages of doing such reviews in your workplace is that they can correct any missteps taking place, along with giving employees a goal or goals to strive for sooner rather than later. Keep any reviews professional (no need to browbeat an employee) and reinforce such meetings with positives overtones.

In order to get top production from your employees, make this the year that you truly see what is and isn’t working in your workplace.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business and marketing topics on the web.

You’re not “just” anything. Dare to dream.

January 14, 2016 by Rosemary

You’re not “just a blogger.”

You’re not “just a small business owner.”

You’re not “just a mom.”

You’re not “just a consultant.”

You’re not “just an entrepreneur.”

You’re not “just a marketer.”

You’re not “just a student.”

You’re not “just a struggling artist.”

See how that one qualifying word leaves everything in its wake smaller, less important?

The next time someone asks what you do for a living, tell them something fabulous and important about why you wake up in the morning.

“I teach–I fill children’s minds with useful information and possibilities.”

“I write–I share stories that inspire people to act on their dreams.”

“I advise–I help business owners map out their path to success.”

“I invest–I grow the future.”

Let’s give the word “just” a nice Viking funeral and find a new way to describe our path. Dare to dream big.

Featured image via Flickr CC: aotaro

This post has been listed as a suggested resource in a recent GeniusShared newsletter article by Jane Boyd entitled On Stories & Taking Risk.