First Word

Dumping the words "lesson learned" into my business knowledge I have acquired section of my so-called "management manual," there is a good one all small business owners should apply. Never pay contractors their fees all upfront. Either do payments or 50/50. Wanting to be a trusting person, I've stumbled and fell on my face a couple of times after "trusting" the wrong contractor -- someone I should have been able to trust. The rules should apply like this: No. #1 Don't do anyone any favors out of strict kindness and pay them in advance of work . Motivation to do the work sometimes requires a carrot and a stick. If the contractor eats the carrot before commencing the work, the motivation is now gone. Leverage is now gone, too. Outside of legal recourse, that contractor can hold you hostage to his/her whims or lack of work ethic. No. #2 Trust is earned ... period . I'm never one to suggest not to be trusting. Trust is a beautiful thing especia...

This discussion takes place I would say about twice a year -- target marketing. I am forever on the receiving end of a mass marketing campaign that is so off-target, I wonder if the marketing executive even understands what he or she is doing. The biggest offenders typically come from those who put little or not effort into their mailings lists or who they are doing outreach to. So, let's start with today's offense. If you are my "friend" on social media (Facebook) chances are you connected with me and not the other way around. I don't do much "friending" because I really don't need to do it. People come to me, and I have about 3,500 connections, which is plenty. This morning I have a message from a guy who asks two of the offending "mis-target" questions. Here they are: 1. Do you blog? 2. Do you want to learn how? Let's start with the basic breakdown. First, this person didn't look at my profile at all. The biggest and proba...

(L) Anita Smithson, author of chapter 1 of the 10 Powerful Women, and Michelle Gamble, CEO, 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com) Last night we held yet another fabulous launch party of the latest 3L Publishing tome 10 Powerful Women, 10 Strategic Insights into Successful Business . The book launch was held at the elegant Terraces in Roseville, which donated food and wine. They also had an interesting concept with a meal in a glass aka as mashed potatoes with the fixings in a martini glass. I liked it because it was like eating an ice cream sundae while talking. You could easily hold your food and mingle (novel concept for sure). I always hate juggling cheese squares and crackers LOL. The turnout for the six author was amazing. I recognized many, many women entrepreneurs from the region who turned out to support these very savvy business women. We want to thank the Terraces for hosting this incredible event, and we want to thank Tamara Williams , author of chapter 5, who used her ...

Good morning land lovers ... yes, I'm feeling wacky this morning. So I read a great book over the weekend by Janice Jordan titled It's More than Wine and Meatballs: The secrets to more effective Networking and Growing Through Referrals . I've been in business six years now going on seven and most business books don't necessarily tell me anything I don't already know. I've long since hit the message home about the value and importance of networking and relationship building to grow your business. So, I thought this morning I would give you three meaningful tips that Janice's book simply reinforces: Relationship building is not about throwing business cards at people . Relationship building is exactly how it sounds -- you build a real relationship and you help each other. Relationship building is not necessarily about making the sale. It's about getting to know each other and figuring how you can create synergies to flow the business back and forth. Some...

I am working on editing the book The Fortune is in the Follow-Up by the illustrious and enduring Heidi BK Sloss. In her book, she brings up a discussion on delegation. She also mentions something about mourning the loss of a task you enjoyed doing but because of time constraints had to delegate. I had some thoughts about this comment. Here is what I found. I love doing a lot of things, but when something I love doing is keeping me from making money, I always try to give it up. While I might miss doing it, I am often quite relieved it's no longer on my plate. Or if I share the responsibility of doing something with a back-up person, I feel less pressure, too. For example, when I try to edit AND proof read a book, it's always a mistake. A second pair of eyes on a book I've stared at for often months can be comforting. Yes, it costs me money, but at least I know the material I grew "blind" to is going to jump out at a less-stressed and fresh pair of eyes. I found it...