Grooming a Show Dog

Last night I spent the evening before the end of the world, typing up my business plan. I was up until wee hours of the morning, I am taking this minute to say that, Last week I couldn't have done that! The reason, last week I was too tired to do much of anything but pass out at the end of the day. This week I began closing shop after the lunch rush.


Your customers won't understand that selling more hot dogs can sometimes cost you money. A lot of business owners won't get that either--I didn't until I saw it on paper. Taking time to track, build systems, tweak, learn, and really run your business will help build your company. Someone really does need to be running the show, and no, "The Show Does Not Need to Go ON"!

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A business exists to: pay its overhead, cover its debt, and put money in the owner's pocket. You can have all kinds of goals, objectives, and lofty philosophies but, if your business does not: pay its overhead, cover its debt, and put money in the owner's pocket, it will not exist to go forward and accomplish your other grand ambitions. Sorry if this is a news flash.

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Choosing your Dog House

I am now fast approaching the end of middle age. Not that I am old, but years are speeding by. I have happily embraced the news that "75 is now the new 50". This being said, having a business has always been on my bucket list.

I choose my industry when it fell into my lap. It wasn't an issue to me because I always choose jobs that were foreign to my background. I jumped from education to retail, from retail to sales (no they are not the same) from sales to banking, back to sales.. etc. I love to learn. The fact that I was the only gal in my group that had never even been a waitress, never entered the equation of Should I Take on a Restaurant?

I consulted an astrologer and she told me "You will be challenged". I thought "Yippee"! Here is a lesson.. you probably should consult a business planner, not an astrologer. Just like you should probably consult a financial planner about your retirement--depending on the lottery just doesn't make sense.. Big Lesson Here!

Still Colonel Sanders was about the same age as I am when he started KFC. So another lesson.. Don't be a Chicken!

BTW, the astrologer was absolutely right! Gotta go.. need to get my tickets before they draw, Big Jackpot tonight!

Speak... Speak

Jody Bergsma is a favorite artist and a successful business woman. One of the things that I have learned in business ownership is to find people that have what you want. Is it fame, fortune, freedom, joy, and are they making a living from it? Those are the people to emulate.

Jody recently posted a quote that resonated with me..

“I must be willing to give up what I am 

in order to become what I will be.”

So simple, so daring, and so difficult all at once. I believe people who will succeed-- live this quote everyday, perhaps unconsciously. Letting go challenges your ego, makes you learn, and in the end... makes you better.  Thanks Jody, for for being who you are and inspiring me.

Jody's Blog - Art With Heart

Jody's Gallery is located in Bellingham, WA

Always Remember This!

One of my all-time favorite quotes seems to completely describe Entrepreneurs. I hope you savor it.  

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Looking at The Big Dogs on the Playground.

Comer on Your Focus - Just Sell®... it's all about sales®

“Worry about being better; bigger will take care of itself.”

–Gary Comer (1929–2006)
American entrepreneur
founder of Lands’ End

Tapping into the wisdom of those that have built great businesses can really remind you what it is all about. I currently sell Hot Dogs, but I am learning and improving... Customer Service, HR policies, Marketing, Purchasing, Accounting, oh and a few hundred more things every day. When you are motivated to have a successful business you need to fire on all cylinders. Do I plan to wear all these hats forever, No! But when I can afford to hire these positions out, I will have a greater understanding of what I want, and who I need. Growing this business is exciting...and OH YES, I will Make Mistakes!

Join the Pack.. We are Social Animals

OK, you are probably getting tired of the puns, but I am a former copy writer and LOVE them, so suffer my dear blog readers...

Joining the pack is simply networking. You can do this in many ways, some are (here comes that favorite word) FREE!

• Find Trade Organizations: Most of these will have dues. I have found that the dues are usually offset in the first week of joining. When I paid my dues for WRA (Washington Restaurant Association) I got professional input for my menu, free attorney, a rep that visited my restaurant and noted a potential L&I violation (never thought about having an eyewash station), all of this could have cost me several times my investment for joining. Plus I am now email pals with others that have been there, done that, and can give advice on what I should put on my T-Shirts.
• Consider your local affiliations: Joining my local Chamber of Commerce allowed me to participate in our local trade show, really good exposure and a terrific day of sales. My business benefits from tourists to the area, our Chamber is a good place to promote to those tourists and also new members to our community.
• Bond with the competition: Auto dealers know that it is advantageous to all locate on the same street and participate in group events. Even though they are competing for the same customers they realize that by joining forces they become a destination to the population ready to buy. Same principle can be used for most businesses.
• Shake hands with your neighbors... good ol' face to face contact is totally FREE and can provide you with new prospects, potential barter, and cheerleaders! Just make sure you return the favors.

Name It & Claim It!

One of my biggest peeves in a former life as an advertising rep was Crazy Names. If you survive to a point where you can afford to market your business; radio, print, or other, the name of your business MUST indicate what you do.

Your Name should Reveal Your Business!

Sure it serves the ego to include the names, initials, of friends and family. But get real! You will invest a lot of bucks to get people to your establishment. You generally have :30 or :60 seconds in broadcast and a small amount of space in print. Don't make people guess what you do. 

People need to hear the name, and see the name, or campaign. Pick a visual, and audio logo that you use over and over. You might get tired of it, but your customers need to be trained to automatically imprint your business. They are being bombarded by marketing. Repetition is key to a successful marketing campaign. Unless you have a bigger pile of money than McDonald's--Just Do It! (Did you just think of Nike?? Point made). 

Teaching a Dog New Tricks

The first thing you will learn when you take on a new business, is "You Don't Know What you Don't Know!"  Maybe you have managed people, maybe you are the best Hot Dogger in the world, maybe you are a wiz at marketing... all great skills to take to your new adventure. But they have nothing to do with OWNING a business.

Be prepared to accept the fact that you are new to ownership, and it involves all kinds of crazy things you never considered. Most of them will cost you money--remember I said to have a large pile for both you and your business.

You will need to get a number of licenses.. from all kinds of agencies. I now know that to have a restaurant in city of Aberdeen, county of Grays Harbor, state of Washington, country of USA, I need to have Federal EIN, State UBI, County Health Department License and City business license. If I were back in Pennsylvania, I would need to include the Commonwealth.

I know I need to structure the business as a Sole Prop, Partnership, LLC, Corporation, and that will effect my bank account, income tax, liability etc.  What does that mean to you?? Well, I said "I don't know what I don't know", and I sure don't know what you don't know.

If you are in Washington state start here . Other states.. you are on your own. There aren't a lot of tricks to get around this part of business, but you will need to learn to roll over and speak.

Before Committing Self-Employment!

1. Find out if there are resources in your community: I found in my small town there was a program that existed at our Community College. It is $FREE$!
2. Speak with other people who have tried and succeeded or tried and failed a similar concept. You will learn a lot from both outcomes, and believe me it is better to know before you are swimming with the sharks.
3. READ!!! Go to the bookstore, library, get online. If you don't have the time now--you sure aren't going to have time when you are doing the work of 10 people.
   
4. Have at least 2 years salary saved for you, and another stash for the business
   

Places to Go--Things to Do

• The E Myth Revisited is Required! (Get a used copy on Amazon)
  
• Startupnation.com

What Was I Thinking???

On September 1, 2010... I experienced a human condition that is described as an Entrepreneurial Seizure. It was not my first attack, but this time it was severe enough that I succumbed. At the time I thought it was a unique and personal experience, but later when sitting in the office of my business adviser (I have people now), I learned that this is actually a common malady.

Looking back I probably could have stopped things before they got out of hand. Small business ownership is sort of like being a parent, once you are in the thick of things you: smile, do the best you can, and tell your friends that you are glad for the experience. And just like parenting it can be the hardest job you never got paid to do.

Here are some symptoms that should not be ignored. They could be a warning that, you too are about to have your life turned upside down.

• You think that most businesses could be greatly improved if they would listen to you.
• You aren't the best employee for the same reason above.
• You dream of independence.
• You are tired of working your tail off for someone else.

I have suffered from those symptoms for a good part of my life. I coped with them by making a career of updating my resume. It wasn't until I was having a difficult time in a sales position that put me in front of a business owner motivated to move on, that things came to a head. One day I was selling advertising to the Dog House and the next I was resigning my position at J. Broadcasting.

My boss took the news quite fine. He said "Well, we make our money off entrepreneurs, and I am one myself, so how can I feel bad about you leaving us to run your own business?" He also expressed excitement about the advertising I would buy in the future, (so far the budget has not been there to do that). Do I think that Boss Bill was probably already picturing my future? He works with small businesses, and owns one of his own. I am sure that he was painting that picture in vivid color.