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The September 2005 Issue of the Gots To Have It, Newsletter contains:  |
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Many of us go into business for ourselves for several reasons…freedom, to live out our dreams, to be as creative as we want, to escape the boredom of a 9-5, the list goes on. However, when many entrepreneurs finally do start their businesses, eventually they can work themselves to the bone and become that same evil boss that they ran off the ‘plantation’ from.
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How
did you discover your passion? When
and why did you start the business? Twentity.com launched August 2, 2004 because I was having a lull in the copywriting business. I needed a way to get my name out there more, and decided I was going to write a weekly column for the local newspaper. I came up with the idea to do a life skills column for twentysomethings, but when I submitted it to a couple newspapers no one wanted it. I really felt that this was an important topic to cover because being a twentysomething, there are a lot of questions I have and it’s hard sometimes to find out where to go to get the answers. So I took matters into my own hands and created Twentity.com. What
is your latest accomplishment? What
motivates you? How
do you relax or spend your down time? Three
of your favorite things: Zodiac
Sign Favorite
TV show Worst
Job Books
on Nightstand
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When you are in business for yourself, you can never have too much time management and organization. One of the most important things to have are systems in place. Many successful entrepreneurs I’ve met along the way have instilled in me the power of having certain procedures down. The best analogy I use for my clients is what I learned from Michael Gerber’s book, The E-MYTH Re-visited. He talks about businesses that run like well-oiled machines because of systems that are in place. McDonald's is one of the best examples he offers. At McDonald's there’s a pretty slim chance that the owner will be there when you show up to buy your Big Mac and fries. You see managers, you see cashiers, but where is the owner? Even though he or she might not be there, I can bet you the owner is confident that his or her team is doing everything that needs to be done, because of the systems that McDonald’s has in place. They have their manuals, training ( Hamburger University to be exact…that’s really the name of it). Their team knows that every Sunday at 8am, there is a team meeting. They know procedures for dealing with difficult customers, know what steps to take in order to start and end the day, and also know that the bathrooms should be cleaned throughout the day, (okay, maybe not all McDonald's, LOL) Well, you get the idea. They have many of their procedures down pat! If you think about it, pretty much any franchise is really a great example to look at when thinking of having tight systems in place for your business to run…with or without you. However, one might think, "Heck, I’m no McDonald's. I just make homemade soaps, or I just manage a Hip-hop artist, or I’m just an Executive assistant." You might skim through this article and think, "It’s really not a big deal. I don’t need all of that hassle." And to you my friend, I have this to share…. You can save a tremendous amount of time if you build your business better, work faster and smarter, but most importantly, be able to take time off and relax, when you do have your system running like a McDonald's restaurant! Here are 7 SYSTEMS to get you started: 1. Create your own focus days. Create specific days that you focus on various areas of your business and life, i.e. this comes in handy if you have a full-time job and a side business or two businesses. You’ll be able to set aside chunks of time; pay attention to that particular thing and only that thing. This means, when you are doing a sales call, that’s all you are doing. If you are writing bills and filing on Monday, you won’t set up meetings with clients on that day. As for a personal focus day, you can use this example: Sunday is family day where you don’t check email, you don’t call clients, you focus on the ones who should count first. Take a look at these articles that break it down even further! And start to design your own focus days and see your schedule begin to feel a bit better. http://www.cob.fsu.edu/jmi/articles/focus_days.asp http://www.90dayplan.com/article/manage.htm The key is NOT TO OVER SCHEDULE. BE REALISTIC. You might try to pack too many things in your day and then beat yourself because you didn’t accomplish them. Put it on the list and get it done that day! The Art of Getting Things Done is a great to check out. I love this book! It helps you with just your DAILY DRAMA of dealing with your IN BOX! 2. Create a company manual or how-to guides. This can include your mission statement, company history, product or service overview, employee policies, job descriptions, customer service tips, company goals, reward program for employees, etc… Anyone should be able to read them with ease and duplicate the steps in them. 3. Have templates of documents and contracts you use on a regular basis. Some examples you should have: marketing intro letter, follow up letter (i.e. send every three to six months, depending on your business), monthly newsletter, invoices, thank you letter (and make sure you buy thank you cards as well), employee contracts, commission-based contracts, referral contracts, consignment contracts, etc. Also take a look at Legal Zoom for some samples of contracts: http://www.legalzoom.com/legalzip/businessservices/index.html 4. Get that professional voicemail and fax system set up. For those of you with the sexy music or real laid back voicemail, "Whasssuuuuup!" , this tip is for you. Okay, I’m exaggerating here; but in any event, you might want to give up a professional number or voicemail, instead of your personal phone number to a potential client. Hey, image is everything! If you work from home or don’t have a business line as yet, try http://www.ureach.com. They have affordable toll free and fax deals. Think of a friend or family member with a great voice and have them do the message for you. 5. Create a filing system on your computer and off! Organize your filing cabinets so that important files are easy to find. It’s easy if you mirror the same set up in your physical files with the files on your computer, i.e.: Create a client's MAIN FOLDER and then a folder for each client. Take out inactive clients and create an INACTIVE folder. I was once told by my computer technician, Andrew Grant of CG Enterprises, to think of my desktop on my computer as a real desk. Wow, changed my way of thinking! Don’t have a zillion documents on the desktop and then you can’t find them. When you are done working on them, file them back in their proper 'virtual' folders. Just like you would a desk. 6. Start building a database. It should include a list of clients and business partners. You can do it in excel or your business files in your PDA. 7. Communicate with Your Team Often: Schedule a regular weekly and/or monthly meeting. Try to make it the same time and day so that it becomes a habit and everyone has it in his or her schedules. Don’t have time to do it face to face? No problemo… I use www.freeconference.com with my team. It makes it easy for people who are not in the same city and you can have a large number of people on the call when needed. Notice the key word…FREE! What works for Gots To Have It is a weekly Manager’s meeting where managers discuss developments in their departments, then once a month the entire team is on the call and we go over company updates, exciting news, ideas, feedback, employee of the month winner, etc. The better the communication with your team, the higher your business will soar!
Simone Kelly-Brown is author and founder of Gots To Have It, Marketing, a firm that specializes in marketing and empowering entrepreneurs with a series of workshops and networking events. Please view her company web sites here: http://:www.gotstohaveit.com and http://www.giventakenetwork.org.
Please, don’t start canceling any plans you’ve made to indulge in a fantastic getaway. Outcomes, such as the one illustrated above, can be avoided by making your business able to survive without your meticulous supervision day in and day out. Sounds like crazy talk in a world where many businesses begin to run their owners’ lives (instead of vice-versa). However, Susan M. Carter lays out why your business must be able to run without you and how to make that happen in her how-to guide entitled How To Make Your Business Run Without You. Although Carter’s examples in this book may not be as drastic as mine, she lays out various predicaments that small business owners often find themselves in, and explains how to avoid contributing to statistics such as for every four new businesses that opened their doors in 1997, three established businesses closed theirs. Carter counters such discouraging statistics with numbers stating that although 99.9% of business closures are small firms of 500 employees or less, 95% of all franchise businesses (most of which are also small businesses) succeed. “What does this have to do with me and my small business?” you ask. Franchises are required to fulfill certain qualifications in order to be granted licensing. These qualifications include “strategies, operation enhancement tactics, and procedural documentation” all laid out as a plan beforehand. All rules, procedures, and objectives are clearly printed in a manual of sorts so that there is never a question about what is to be done in certain situations. How
To Make Your Business Run Without You explains how to manage
your business like a franchise in order to ensure success. Carter
states that this is important to the growth and development of your
business because “the more your business success is dependent
on your personal day-to-day involvement, the more you put your business
at risk to falter and fail.” It is impossible to foresee the
obstacles that you and your business will face in the future (health
issues, market change, etc.), but you can plan ahead to help blunt
the force of such events so that you will still profit from your
business through hard times. Perhaps
entrepreneur and author Michael
Gerber said it best:
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For upcoming events in September and October go here: www.gotstohaveit.com/events.html or www.giventakenetwork.org/events.html
Excited new owner of “Jack of All Trades, Master of None” Miami, Florida July Event
Hi
Simone, June 1st Co-ed Give ‘N Take sponsored by Wachovia Bank
Brenda
Wyche Hunc Radio 99.1 FM interviewing Simone Kelly-Brown
Harlem Branch of Project Enterprise.org:Simone got their imaginations going with a creating writing exercise for their business future. Would
you like Simone Kelly-Brown to come speak to your group? Let us know:
bookings@gotstohaveit.com
or call toll free, 1-877-545-7352. For more photos view our Book Tour Gallery here: http://www.gotstohaveit.com/bookgallery.html
For details and application, please go here: http://www.giventakenetwork.org/eventmanager.html
Fill
out an application found here:
Read the entire article here: http://www.westchestercountybusinessjournal.com/current_issue//070405wsbz.html
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GTHI is a firm that specializes in marketing and empowering entrepreneurs with a series of workshops and networking events. For
further information view: www.gotstohaveit.com Until Next Month! Embrace
Your Power,
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