Tips

For folks new to business, figuring out how to manage one can seem a little bit like getting to the Wizard’s chamber in the Wizard of Oz. 

You know that amazing, tangible sense of passion, talent and determination when you’re interacting with someone who is seeking and living their truth? Imagine a room full of women whose energy felt like that… times a million.  

That is exactly how the Daring Women event felt. Between the speakers (small business owners to Alaska Airlines board members) and crowd, it was definitely an energetic, inspiring and empowering room to be in!

“Did you ever stop to think that a dog is the only animal that doesn't have to work for a living? A hen has to lay eggs, a cow has to give milk, and a canary has to sing. But a dog makes his living by giving you nothing but love." -Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People

My father was a CPA with a sense of humor. While the literal translation of CPA is Certified Public Accountant, my dad had t-shirts printed up for his team emphasizing and embracing the stereotype often associated with accountants.

Wearing multiple hats and trying to be “all things to all people” means time management is something with which most business owners struggle. If businesses are fortunate enough to have employees, the workload can be shared. However, if the business owner or manager doesn’t know how to effectively delegate (i.e. “let go”), overseeing the work of another can too readily become yet another task on the to-do list.

Bolded below is a very simple (but effective) delegation tool provided to me 15+ years ago at a management training seminar.

LEVELS OF DELEGATION

You started 2018 strong.

So strong, in fact, that you’re reading this blog while enjoying a freshly-made, home-grown salad for lunch (hold the dressing) before jogging on your treadmill and after getting a full nine hours of sleep the night before, into which you were gently cocooned by thinking about the full quarter of your paycheck you just stashed away into savings.

And what if I told you that doing all of those things today, and only today, would pay off for the rest of the year?

If it sounds too good to be true…

So … you’re a business owner here in Whatcom County.

You’ve lived here your whole life.

You saw the demolition of Georgia Pacific’s pulp plant, chemical plant and tissue mill on the Bellingham Waterfront.

Engaging Employees through Bonuses

To paraphrase John Dunne, no business owner is an island.

If you own a successful business, some credit is likely due to a fantastic employee or, even better, a bevy of fantastic employees.

Let’s say one such amazing employee has hit the wage ceiling, but you still want to recognize her efforts. Or maybe you’re about to hire a new employee you just know will be amazing and you wish to leave room for flexibility in salary.

Sometimes marketing can be easy.

Here at the SBDC our staff has been enjoying going through Seth Godin's The Marketing Seminar (highly recommended BTW)

In one our our learning modules, Seth was explaining how sometimes marketing can be easy - like 'selling' dog food to a hungry dog.

Or how if you're gasping for breath and someone happens by at the opportune moment with a gas mask, you're not likely to ask 'how much' or 'is it made from all natural materials'.

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives” – Annie Dillard

Notwithstanding the year we are born or the year we die, we each have 525,600 minutes per year. Yet, those minutes can bleed into “wasted” hours, days, weeks, and even months if we aren’t mindful of how our time is being spent. Or rather, how our time is being invested.