OCMetro Business - (Hilary Kaye, NAWBO OC)

I'm desperately seeking an oasis of calm

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:21:00 GMT

This morning, I was taking a yoga class and trying my best to be “present.”

I tried to focus on my breathing – very slowly in, and then equally slowly out. I tried to remember not to hold my breath and not to breathe through my mouth, my usual means of getting air in and out. It's amazing that this isn’t second nature.

I tried to get my body into poses that felt foreign and verged on uncomfortable. Put simply: I tried to stay within the confines of my yoga mat for the full 90 minutes of the class.

I say tried, rather than did, because being “present” – without thinking about my future to-do lists or my past gosh-I-didn’t-do lists – is not easy. In fact, it’s a Challenge with a capital C. I’ll be doing fine for a while, but then some minuscule thought worms its way into my brain, and I’m down a rabbit hole. I know this is why meditation success has eluded me, too.

I’ve only recently begun doing yoga, though I've been thinking about it for years. It’s been hard to tear myself away from the endorphin rush of spin classes. But I know it’s good for me.

“Everyone is here to learn something," the instructor said this morning. "The limber people are learning to be strong. The strong people are learning to be limber. It’s all about practice.”

Frankly, I know I’m not limber, and I suspect I’m not strong either. I guess I’m there to practice everything. And especially to practice how to be “present.”

I hear people constantly talking about how much they dislike the frenetic pace we all live in today. There’s almost no escape. I don’t know anyone who LIKES this pace, yet we are all victims of it. I’m not sure there is a cure for this – but I can see clearly that the ability to distance yourself at least temporarily from this crazy frenzy is one way to lessen the negative impact.

Being a business owner is a blessing and a curse. I happen to consider it mostly a blessing, but I admit that being unable to turn off the noise in my head is a curse. For now, I’m going to continue to seek calm in my yoga sessions. I’m going to practice and practice and practice until my 90 minutes is an oasis in my frenzy. And then maybe my frenzy will be less so.

Are there any businesspeople out there who have achieved this yoga oasis and can give me encouragement? Or maybe some folks who have discovered a different way to cope with life circa 2010? Enlighten all of us, please!

Baseball and business

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:31:00 GMT

Baseball is my sport. Sure, I’ll watch a football or basketball game if a social situation arises and it’s prudent to do so. And, occasionally, I’ll watch tennis at Wimbledon time. But I’ve been a baseball nut all of my life – courtesy of my Brooklyn-born Dad – and there seems to be no sign of this passion subsiding.

When the World Series rolls around, and the playoffs involve either my favorite team, the Dodgers, or my second-favorite team, the Angels, I’m jazzed. It’s a bit strange that they both have the words "Los Angeles" in their names, but I guess that’s one oddity we’ve all learned to live with. So you can imagine my glee now that both teams are in the hunt. Ah, maybe a freeway series isn’t an impossible dream this year. SoCal would be bathed in crimson red and royal blue if this occurs, as L.A. battles L.A.

But why am I talking about baseball in a business blog? Actually, baseball and business have interesting parallels. I like to think of baseball as the thinking person’s sport. Baseball differs because it has only a moderate level of action. (OK, some people would call it slow.) It rarely succumbs to violence, and it displays carefully crafted strategies from inning to inning. Kind of sounds like a day in the office for me – moderate action, no violence and lots of strategy.

Just take a look at the Dodgers’ playoff games so far. In the first three games, they showed how baseball is a team sport. No one player carried the team, everyone worked together – superb pitching, timely hitting and strong defense. They tended to play “small ball,” rather than rely only on home runs. Starting pitchers laid the foundation, with the bullpen throwing strikes to close out St. Louis.

And the Angels proved the same thing on Sunday, sweeping the Red Sox with team play. After Sunday’s game, Angels Manager Mike Scoscia commented that “the house of cards topples if they don’t all do it,” referring to the two-out heroics of five players to fuel the come-from-behind win.

I think of business as a team sport, too. There’s no way I could do what I do without an A team surrounding me. And no one here hits home runs day after day, either. Each role is important, whether on the front lines or in support. We work in teams, and we all get excited when any one person or team scores big here. Sometimes, we hit home runs – getting clients’ news into top-tier media, even on the front pages or covers. Other times, we play “small ball,” getting little mentions here and there and using social media channels like Twitter and FaceBook to make noise to just the right audiences.

Another parallel between baseball and business is luck. Yes, luck. We encounter good luck and bad luck in business, just like in sports. In baseball, good luck can steal a win from an opponent, as it did for the Dodgers in Game 2 against the bad luck Cardinals. Dodgers Manager Joe Torre considered the walk-off win in the bottom of the 9th a lucky break. I was there, and I’m still marveling at the split-second turnaround from near loss to triumphant win, stemming from an unfortunate error by the Cardinals.

So, too, in business, we deal with luck. Sometimes a client’s positive news has a straight shot, with no interference. Other times, even blockbuster news can’t compete with Mother Nature, with reporters en masse diverted to wildfires, floods, earthquakes, etc. What do we tell our clients? We explain it was bad luck that their news came when no one cared about anything in business because fire was roaring through the canyons. We did our job well, but the result wasn’t there, through no fault of anyone’s, just bad luck. But that’s not what they want to hear. And that’s not what the St. Louis or Boston fans wanted to hear, either.

In truth, there are a lot of parallels between sports and business, not just baseball. These are some of my idle thoughts when I’m watching the Dodgers or Angels battling their way into the World Series. And if either the Dodgers or Angels are there in late October, you’ll know where to find me. And I’ll be hoping for a team effort and good luck.

To buy or not to buy

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:56:00 GMT

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why business people decide what to buy. There are so many options today, with variations upon variations for us to choose from. Whether it’s a product or service, we have a dizzying array pushed in front of us. Buying decisions that used to be straightforward and simple are now increasingly complex and often convoluted.

The biggest difficulty I find is figuring out if a company’s marketing promises are authentic. Am I going to get what I am being offered? Is there going to be a "bait and switch"? The phrase “customer-service oriented” seems to be lurking wherever we go. But how do we determine when it’s true and when it’s bogus?

In truth, whether we are buying a service or a product, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish among companies and sometimes incredibly tough to know what we need to buy. Is this product essential or just an extravagance? Will that service really help me do better in my business? I suspect that today’s fledgling entrepreneur is much more challenged in making sense of it all, as compared to my decisions a couple decades ago.

In this context, I have been thinking about what prompts ME to buy:

I think everyone would agree that having a personal relationship with the company in question is the absolute best option. Knowing the person making the claims gives me confidence that his or her statements are true (or, sometimes, lets me know that they are probably NOT true). In this age of impersonal communications – where e-mailing, texting, IMing and tweeting are commonplace – actually knowing the person on the other end of the transaction can’t be beat. In many situations, in-person meetings are not feasible, but even phone calls can allow a relationship to develop.

I’m also inclined to buy if someone I trust has recommended the company, product or service. Again, a no-brainer. Referrals from trusted folks are like gold, both for the buyer and the seller. And this is where genuine networking comes into play. A business person who operates in a silo is unlikely to get many referrals. But one who is part of the business community and contributes to the benefit of other companies is much more likely to be the recipient of a steady stream of referrals. Basically, if you provide excellent service or sell quality products that are reasonably priced, word will get around.

Next, unless it’s something new on the market, I’m inclined to buy from a source that’s been around the block a few times. I don’t want to risk an important buying decision on a company that has just hung up its shingle or rolled out its tent. Yes, it seems unfair to the newbies, but there’s something to be said about longevity, especially in today’s world, where businesses come and go in a heartbeat.

Customization is another characteristic I look for. I run a small business, and therefore I need services and products aimed at small businesses. I’m constantly being pitched by people with one set of services or one specific product. Their claim is that it’s “one-size-fits-all.” Wrong! In my experience, this rarely works for me. The business world is vast and consists of all kinds of firms, from the virtual sole proprietor working from home to giant global corporations and everything in between. The more customized, the better.

In thinking about how my own buying decisions are made, it helps me position my company’s services to meet these criteria. In looking over this list, I’m confident that our ability to thrive today is because this is how we do business ourselves.

My challenge to you: Think about why you buy. What prompts your buying decisions? And then reflect on whether you offer the same peace of mind to your customers/clients that you seek when you buy. I’m curious – do you look for the same things I look for when I buy? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Boring? Hardly!

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:04:00 GMT

When I was young and still thinking about the BIG question – “What do I want to do when I grow up?” – I didn’t give a moment’s notice to going into the world of business. After all, that was what my parents did. Both were business owners (my mom in manufacturing and my dad in retail), and both seemed tremendously fascinated with things I scoffed at: financial data sheets, employee hirings and firings, placing orders, making products, exhibiting and buying at trade shows – yuck! Growing up, it seemed to me that their work lives were woven into a fabric of boredom.

In contrast, from as far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer. My earliest recollection of this notion was at age 8. Whenever asked, I announced that I would be an author and write books. I wasn’t too far off – yes, I did write one book, and then spent plenty of time writing newspaper articles. And I didn’t regret my choice. What could be better than interviewing people with compelling stories and writing interesting (hopefully) articles?

Well, here’s the funny part – somewhere along the way, I discovered that the business world did not necessarily equate to the boredom I had imagined as a kid. True, the parts that seemed boring then are pretty much boring to me now, starting with those nasty financial documents that permeate the life of every businessperson, whether you are a words person or a numbers person.

But the part I didn’t grasp in those early years was the excitement of being in business and making things happen. Not just finding out and writing about things other people are doing, but doing things myself. And I have been particularly fortunate to have selected public relations as my industry, giving me the chance to make things happen for other people, too. That’s what it’s all about.

Boring? Hardly! Running the business creates a stimulating daily framework, different every day. And layered on top, like the proverbial icing on the cake, are little “rewards.” Just recently, I … :
•   met Nancy Brinker, legendary founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure
•   got a sneak peek at the Crystal Cove Alliance’s Prohibition & Jazz on the Beach benefit that’s scheduled to be held in September
•   watched the amazing Walker family (Farmers & Merchants Bank) receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards gala
•   promoted diversity in the booming green energy industry in California
•   watched Susan Johnson (Susan’s Healthy Gourmet) nab one of just five Orange County Business Journal Women in Business awards
•   helped Russ Williams with his passion for creating ethical excellence in the business world (watch for a don’t-miss event in September)
•   attended an O.C. Press Club gathering where the Fourth Estate debated the wonders of social media.

And those are just a few highlights. Whew! Who said anything about boring?

My point: Times change and perspectives shift. If my parents were still alive, they’d be shocked to see how I’ve embraced being part of the world of business.

Yes, I still write. But by opening my eyes, expanding my mind and doing business with my heart, I’ve created a slice of life in the business world that suits me just fine.

I’m curious – how many entrepreneurs reading this did a 180-degree turn to get to where they are now?

Media: savoring the old, embracing the new

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:17:00 GMT

As someone who is absolutely in love with traditional media – think newspapers, magazines, TV and radio – I’m feeling compelled to put in my two cents about what’s going on in the land of journalism. Yes, I know this is not a new topic, but I find myself bringing it up often in conversations, and it’s truly top-of-mind for me.

I confess, I have printer’s ink in my blood. For full disclosure of where I’m coming from: I read the L.A. Times, front to back, as a little girl growing up in L.A.; I was editor of my high school newspaper and then editor of my college newspaper (UCSB); and then went off to the Big Apple to the Columbia U. Grad School of Journalism. You can’t get more focused or dedicated than that. And then I worked as a reporter for a number of years before branching off into P.R.

So, I am deeply saddened that newspapers are vanishing before my very eyes. Reporters are suddenly not where they are supposed to be; we find out when their e-mails bounce back. Other reporters are there but are furloughed, which is almost the same as not being there. And those who remain are working their fannies off, sometimes carrying several more beats than ever before.

And let’s talk about the news hole – the term that refers to how much space there is for these publications to deliver news and features. It’s shrinking! I remember when I used to need two arms to cart the L.A. Times into my house on Sunday mornings. Same for the O.C. Register. And carrying them both in at once felt like a workout at the gym. Not anymore. During one windy day a few months ago, the Register was blown into the far corner of a neighbor’s yard. The heft of a newspaper carrying lots of stories and lots of ads is a thing of the past.

Am I crying about this? Yes. But I’m also rejoicing in the new opportunities. I am learning to love the social media channels that are literally exploding around us. They are new and different – something to learn, which I love. There is almost immediate gratification, as their viral nature makes things happen in the blink of an eye. Of course, I do feel a little overwhelmed. For someone used to taking in information while casually turning the pages of a newspaper, absorbing information via short bursts on Twitter or following links referenced in every social media channel is a shock to the system. I sometimes want to hold up my hands and say, “Whoa, hold on! I haven’t read and appreciated those last items yet. Wait!”

This is truly an interesting time in media. The old media hasn’t gone away. It’s still here, and it’s still important. Thumbing through a copy of Inc., paging through the Times or Register, or catching the evening news is still part of our lives – at least for those “of a certain age.” But catching up on Tweets, checking out what everyone is doing on Facebook or connecting with my business contacts on LinkedIn is quietly taking over more of my media time.

I don’t know when this straddling both old and new media will be over, and we will just be left with new media, social media, digital media – whatever you want to call it. In the meantime, I am relishing all of it. Savoring the old, and embracing the new. An interesting time, indeed, for a boomer news junkie.

No pink or red slips for me

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:06:00 GMT

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about being a small business owner and what this means in the face of the never-ending news barrage about unemployment, massive pink slips, work furloughs and the like. Sheesh, it’s not safe to pick up a newspaper, flip on the evening news, tune in to talk radio or glance at the news feeds coming in from Google, Yahoo or MarketWatch. You can’t even escape it in idle chitchat, whether in person or virtual. Understandably, it’s the talk of the day.

As a business owner, it’s the classic good news-bad news story. Yes, I am immune to getting a pink slip. That’s the good news. But if I were to get a pink slip, it would be red – colored with the red ink of a company gone bust. And that’s the bad news. Strangely enough, I rarely think about the bad news. I guess I have a do-or-die mentality. So, if I don’t think about not having a job, what do I think about?

I think about being responsible for keeping our team together, for continuing to give them jobs. And I think about what I need to do to make this happen. In reality, this year probably won’t be our best yet; but for me, success will be measured by having no layoffs, no shortened workweeks. Our team at HKA is superb, and the thought of losing team members to the economy is gut wrenching. But not just because I value their work – they truly need their jobs, their paychecks, their medical insurance. While some small business owners may be cavalier about keeping their folks gainfully employed, I suspect many of my business owner colleagues feel exactly as I do. And when push comes to shove and they have to do layoffs, there are many sleepless nights. I don’t envy them.

As we progress through 2009, I confess that I’m not entirely sure how to keep unemployment from our door at HKA, but I think I have a pretty good idea of our priorities. One is keeping our clients happy. They need to know how important they are to us (and they don’t know unless we tell them), and they need to know how important we are to them (results speak loudest here). Another priority is maintaining a steady flow of new clients. Even with the best attention from us, some clients will bow to economic conditions, and we will lose them, at least temporarily. New clients are an agency’s lifeblood. And a strong referral network is our oxygen. Our third priority is morale. If we are enjoying our work, we are going to be much more successful – individually and as a company.

So, when I’m tossing and turning at night, I’m not worrying about keeping my job. I’m simply going over in my head the best ways to keep our clients happy, keep our prospects coming, and keep our HKA team excited to be at work. I guess this is my own little contribution to the employment picture.

Not ‘Grown Up Digital’

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:54:00 GMT

I like to think I’m fairly open-minded and progressive. (OK, maybe not all agree with this assessment.) Still, I readily admit I’m a Baby Boomer, and this gives me a certain life perspective quite unlike the Gen Y perspective, or even Gen X, for that matter. I recently learned that these labels can be sliced and diced even further, with Boomers divided into Early Boomers and Late Boomers, each different in some ways from the other. But that’s another story. More on that later, maybe.

In reading a review of the recently published “Grown Up Digital,” by Don Tapscott (who earlier wrote “Growing Up Digital”), I reflected on how very true it is that Gen Y (or Net Gen, or Millenials; many names for the “kids” born between 1977 and 1997) is completely different on so many levels. Managing and working alongside several Gen Y folks, I can attest to the challenges – well, let’s call them frustrations – in dealing with Gen Y thinking. Fortunately, far more frequent are the pure joys of working with people who immediately, intuitively and enthusiastically “get” just about anything digital and are happily willing to share their digital and virtual “toys” – and are patient with what must seem to them the agonizingly slow Boomer pace of “getting it.”

I have ordered my own copy of “Grown Up Digital” – and in keeping with 2009, I’ve ordered it online. Which means I can’t begin reading tonight, but must wait for it to arrive. Driving to Barnes & Noble would be faster, but who has time for a bookstore visit when Amazon is so tantalizingly close? Yes, there are trade-offs between new tech and the old-fashioned way, which I encounter every day.

Gen Y folks are not conflicted by old and new ways. “Grown Up Digital” explains how their minds work – just reading the book review in the Financial Times of London (and reprinted in the L.A. Times) gave me insights that kept me exclaiming, “Aha!” Very simply, Gen Y’ers have digital blood flowing in their veins. They have “hypertext minds” that “play” with information, changing and moving it from place to place at will – rather than just passively absorbing the information, fact by fact. Yes, I, too, want to share things I’ve read and seen, but my first inclination is to physically rip it out of the paper, photocopy it and then hand-deliver, mail or fax it to the person. I rarely do this anymore, but it’s my natural thought process. When I stop and think further, I realize I can e-mail the link. Or send a Tweet on Twitter. Or scribble a thought on a friend’s FaceBook wall. Or send to one of my Linked-In groups.

Or, write a blog post with my thoughts. It’s a brave new digital world, and I – for one – am glad the generations are mixing it up in the workplace and in our personal lives. How boring it would be if I knew everything!

The roller coaster

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:30:00 GMT

When you have been in business long enough, the journey begins to feel like a roller coaster. Most entrepreneurs who have survived even one recession would describe the path as bumpy or choppy, if not filled with downright dizzying heights and sweeping lows. I have been fortunate to have a pretty tame roller coaster, with minimal white-knuckle time and not a whole lot of yelling going on. But it’s a roller coaster nonetheless.

Looking back over more than two decades in business, I’ve seen times when all systems are go and all lights are green. It can be absolutely exhilarating. I love those times! Likewise, there have been times when the roller coaster slows or even starts to race downhill – with flashing red lights in the distance. These are times when you feel the pressure of keeping forward momentum, keeping employees employed and just keeping morale up.

So here we are, amid the third recession in our company’s history. It appears to be bringing with it the very real threat of a downward spiral, an image of the roller coaster hurtling off the track and into oblivion. Some companies are facing this already. With massive layoffs and plunging sales volumes constantly in the news, every business owner needs to beware of both the challenges and the opportunities in this unusual marketplace.

I sure don’t have any answers. And each week I feel a little differently about what I’m reading, hearing and discussing with fellow business owners. My own way of dealing with this economy is, first, to be aware of the challenges and the potential of a runaway downhill roller coaster. This isn’t the time to put blinders on. Second, and even more important in my opinion, this is the time to be fully aware of the opportunities that are emerging. While some industries have been hit harder than others, opportunities can be found almost everywhere. Innovation is rampant. Our own field of public relations is evolving almost on a daily basis. So while some traditional doors are closing, many others are opening up.

We usually spend much of December planning for the coming year – developing strategic plans both for our clients and for the agency. You can bet that this year I’ll be focused on innovation and opportunities. And this, too, is exhilarating. If the road had been flat all these years, I probably would have been off on a new career adventure long ago.

The reluctant juror...

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:09:00 GMT

After I recently spent three days at Superior Court in Santa Ana – which meant I wasn’t spending three days at HKA, where I was supposed to be – I kept getting the same comment: “You mean you actually got stuck on a trial?” Often followed by this query, “Why the heck didn’t you tell them anything, just to get out of jury duty?”

I have to agree, those were my own first two thoughts. I had expected to spend one day at the courthouse – my annual civic duty that I never seem to avoid. And it’s unfortunate it arrived on a Tuesday, the day after a holiday Monday, making it a very long holiday weekend indeed. They say the jury call is random, but my annual letter from Jury Commissioner Alan Slater (who I know and he’s actually quite a wonderful guy, despite the jury summons his office sends) comes pretty darn regularly.

How I got stuck is the result of a few converging factors. First, our particular jury cluster of seemingly regular folks had more than its fair share of flakes. These were the ones who insisted they would be biased, no matter what question the judge or attorneys tossed at them. Some legitimately should have been tossed, including the menacing-looking gang-banger who seemed determined to acquit anyone, the confused-looking folks who claimed they spoke no English, and the dozing young man who suggested that his night job would make him snooze during a daytime trial.

OK, so maybe a dozen deserved to be tossed right off the bat. But the others? No way. Their excuses sounded like a chorus of whining. I particularly was annoyed by the guy in shorts and flip flops, who said he would be biased no matter what the case was about because he thought the justice system was “a joke.” When the Judge inquired, “Why?” He answered, “Because of O.J. and Rodney King.” The Judge spent a few minutes pursuing this line of reasoning, with similarly obtuse answers, and then gave up. I don’t think he wanted to deal with him in his courtroom. I didn’t blame him.

With all that going on, my options were limited. First, the judge was getting a bit impatient. Second, the jury pool still available to question was shrinking. And third, I suddenly felt a surge of civic pride while listening to the deadbeats try to wrangle their way out of service. True, I made one feeble attempt to respond to get booted off, but then shrugged and gave in. If they wanted me, I’d stick.

It was a simple case. Just a guy who wanted his day in court, but wound up with two guilty verdicts. All twelve of us took it seriously and debated the facts in the jury room, just as if it was a Murder One case. It was only my second trial (a pretty good record, since I’m called every year), and I have to admit it was a fascinating process. I won’t be as eager to duck jury duty next time I’m called. Now if only someone would tell my boss to pay me while I’m in the courtroom.

We're not alone (this isn't a UFO post...)

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:58:00 GMT

Some days, it’s very easy to feel alone as a business owner. The buck always stops in your office, regardless of how much wishing and hoping that it will detour to another location down the hall. It is just one part of the joy and pain of entrepreneurship.

Fortunately, on other days, I feel like I am part of a small army of businesswomen, with a platoon marching alongside, each carrying similar responsibilities, challenges, and ultimately, rewards. Monday was this kind of a day for me. Let me explain . . .

FACT: There are 1.3 million women business owners in the state of California. This is the fastest-growing segment of the business community. REALITY: This number is SO big it is almost meaningless to me. I don’t know 1.3 million women business owners.

What IS meaningful to me: the two dozen women business owners who gathered Monday in Long Beach at the NAWBO-California board meeting. This group, which meets three times a year, is a consortium of all the NAWBO chapters in California – currently 8, soon to be 9, stretching from Sacramento to San Diego. Together, we represented more than 1,400 women business owners in California. That’s a healthy chunk of the 9,000+ NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) members in the nearly 90 chapters throughout the United States.

We talked, we laughed, we even gently argued once or twice. NAWBO-California board members, plus at least one representative from each California chapter, conferred on which public policy issues in Sacramento were most critical. We offered up best practices to each other that have worked wonders in our own chapters. True, what works in San Francisco doesn’t always fly in Orange County, and what drives Los Angeles isn’t always the best idea for Ventura. But fortunately, through our commonalities, we could reach out and help each other – and all the women business owners we represented.

Earlier this summer on this blog, I posted my thoughts on the national NAWBO conference in Arizona: a very inspiring, huge collection of women from every walk of life. Today, my thoughts are more localized in California, but no less inspiring. After the formal meeting, I chatted over wine with two fascinating brand-new friends – Jane Skeeter and Sonia Cohen. Jane is an artistic woman whose company, UltraGlas, is a highly successful architectural glass company thriving no doubt due to her unusual dual left brain-right brain strengths. Sonia, whose charming accent quickly gave away her South African origins, thoroughly enjoys a well-respected advertising specialties business, Cohen Marketing International. Besides running their businesses, both are newly elected NAWBO chapter presidents (Los Angeles and Ventura), no small task.

Indeed, it’s hard to feel alone as a woman business owner when you have at your fingertips a group of powerful, HELPFUL, women who are eager to share good ideas, commiserate on setbacks, and become good friends. If you are a woman business owner, anywhere in the country, and haven’t checked out NAWBO yet, take a look. nawbo.org.

Thoughts from the bunker...

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:21:00 GMT

As a veteran business owner (the preferred way to say I’ve been doing this a really long time), I’ve weathered both mild and severe economic cycles. Each was unnerving. But I survived each one and, in fact, ended up thriving once all the dust settled. I’m not an expert, just someone who’s earned a few stripes along the way and has a few thoughts to share.

First, at the risk of sounding Pollyanna, attitude is exceedingly important during times like this. Sure, avoid being fiscally foolish, that’s a given. But keep your attitude soaring. There’s plenty of business out there in most sectors -- you might as well be the one to get it. And you will, if you continue to provide a great product or service, and keep the bar high as far as personal attention. Do resist the temptation to fall into step with doomsayers, who will quickly lead you into the doldrums. I see the difference when a company has a positive outlook, whether my company or any other. Your attitude is infectious – to your team and to your clients and customers. People want to do business with successful people who are positive in outlook. It can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Second, there is no better time to keep your team motivated and confident. When news reports focus on layoffs and the rising jobless rate, it can be tough either way – as an employee or an employer. As employers, we need to go out of our way to help our work teams feel comfortable working together and give them the tools and training to do a terrific job, at whatever they do. If the staff enjoys working together, it shows in their attitude. Yes, there’s that attitude word again. While attitude is intangible, a good attitude leads to a superior work product. And that’s what’s tangible and that’s what will keep a company in the black. On the flip side, the wise employee will recognize that jobs will grow scarcer, rather than more plentiful, at least for now. Hard work and a good attitude truly are the best insurance for keeping that job.

One more thought – whether business is roaring or creeping, now is not the time to do the ostrich routine. You need to continue to be visible. Don’t pull back and wait for it to be over. You need to be the guy that people think of, not the guy whose name they can’t remember. This may mean keeping up your networking – relationships are slow to build but quick to crash if you are suddenly missing. Don’t abandon your marketing outreach either, whether advertising or public relations. Keep out there, it helps. I’ve seen it help my own business and our clients’ businesses. Just make sure you are reaching the right audiences with the right messages. Unfocused marketing is even more disastrous during bad times.

I realize these are simple thoughts. But the truth is, they’ve worked for me.