Escape from Cubicle Nation

Help ME help YOU

How many times have you talked to a new acquaintance and heard him or her say "Just let me know if there is anything I can do for you!" 

What was your response?

For most people, it is a polite smile and "thanks."

Boy, are you missing an opportunity!

The more time I spend in business, the more I realize that people generally are brimming with desire to help others.

My recent experiences on Twitter reinforce this fact:

• When my computer blew up, I lamented about it on Twitter and asked for suggestions for backup services.  I not only got great advice from about 20 people, I also had people volunteer to spend time on the phone walking me through the process of setting it up.
• I was pondering a switch from Typepad to Wordpress so that I could integrate my website and blog.  I asked my followers their opinion, and once again was blown away with the response.  Rick Gregory went above and beyond the call of duty and mocked up a sample Wordpress site for me using content from my website and blog.
• The same thing happened when I was stuck formatting a post on Martha Beck's blog, which is in Wordpress.  Nathan Bowers offered to help, I sent him the errant HTML, he fixed it, and emailed it back to me.
• I read a tweet from Hugh McLeod about his Moleskine notebook and wanted to share a link with him about a beautiful custom engraving company.  Since the bookmark was lost in the crash, I couldn't remember the name of the company.  So I tweeted about it, and 2 minutes later had 10 people send me the link. (Engrave Your Book)

Here is the catch:  in order for them to help you, you have to be really specific with your requests.   And in order to be specific with your requests, you have to reflect on what you really want.  This can be things like:

• I really want to connect with __________ (Paul Graham,Malcolm Gladwell, Oprah )
• I really want to learn about __________ (writing code, entrepreneurship, photography)
• I want help with ________ (writing a business plan, closing more sales, choosing between good logo designs)

Once you define what you want, the next time someone asks you what they can do for you, you have an answer.

I have a specific example:  I am obsessed with getting my friend Ramit Sethi on Oprah when his new book, I Will Teach You to Be Rich, comes out.  Ramit writes personal finance advice for college students and recent college graduates. But unlike many of the older, "professional" finance experts, he truly understands his audience and can offer unique insight about the crisis facing our society since young people have no idea how to manage their money. He can speak to the millions of mothers watching the show and say "do you realize that you are setting up your children for misery, stress and pressure because of the way you teach them about money?"

I can't explain the obsession -- I am not a publicist, and Ramit has never asked me for help. I just think he would be a perfect guest and it would make a really great show.

I actually know a few people who have been on Oprah, so the Six Degrees of Separation is working in my favor.  But there is a right and a wrong way to ask for their advice:

• DON'T ask:  "Would you introduce my friend Ramit to Oprah's producers?"
• DO ask:  "I would love to get my friend Ramit on Oprah because his book would make a great topic for a show.  What is your best advice for connecting with the show's producers?"
  
  The first approach puts them on the spot.  Even though we are friendly, they may not be willing to risk their personal relationship to introduce me.  The second approach is much less pressure on them, and I can learn valuable information that will serve me in other situations, like convincing Today Show producers to have Matt Lauer interview me when my book comes out.

The same goes for other requests.  Ask about the process, not the people.

• DON'T ask:  "Would you review my business plan?"
• DO ask:  "I would love to have some expert review on my business plan.  How do you suggest I go about getting it?"
• DON'T ask:  "Would you blog about my company?"
• DO ask:  "I would love to make bloggers in my target market aware of my company.  Do you have any suggestions for connecting with them?"
• DON'T ask "Would you take me with you on your photo shoot?"
  DO ask"  "I want to get much more experience observing professionals on photo shoots.  What is the best way to get this experience?"

In each of these cases, the person you are asking may just volunteer himself.  "I'd be happy to introduce you to Oprah's producer!" or "I would love to blog about your company" or "Would you like to come with me on a photo shoot?"

The difference is he volunteers his time or expertise willingly, without any pressure.

I don't mean to give the impression that you can never ask anyone for specific help.  If you have long-standing mutually beneficial relationships with influential people, you can be more direct.  But in newer relationships or networking situations, this approach works beautifully.

Bottom line:  The more often you ask for what you want, the more likely you are to get it.  To ask for help, you have to define what you want.  To get the best results, ask about the process, not the people.

What has been your experience asking for help?  Do you hold back, and if so, why?

The biggest loser: Pam's community service announcement

I am happy to announce that I have bestowed a new title on myself today:  The world's biggest loser.  Ok, to be fair, not an all-around totally clueless loser, but in the case of not having a file backup plan in place for my main computer, I win the prize!

Last night, after I tucked the kids into bed, I went to my iMac and prepared to start my evening's work.  I immediately noticed that my Outlook email was running really slow, but because I run Parallels software in my Mac environment (which basically allows me to run both Mac and Windows at the same time), I figured I would just restart and everything would be ok.

But it wasn't.

The whole computer was running slow, so I did a manual shutdown by holding down the power key.  Then I restarted.  But instead of my main screen coming up quickly as it usually does, I got a pale grey background with a folder icon with a flashing question mark inside.

I knew this wasn't good.

After a few more attempts at restarting, I shut the thing down and went to bed.  If I am cranky, a good rest helps, so maybe my computer felt the same.  It has been a couple of busy weeks, so maybe it just wanted the night off.

This morning, it was more of the same.  A couple of times I was able to get to my hard drive, but it was exceptionally slow, and by the time I was able to access a folder to start the backup process, my whole system would freeze and the restart process would repeat.

So after spending an hour with tech support on the phone, I drove my ill iMac to the Apple store. 

The "Genius" (their term for in-store technical wizard) behind the support desk poked around and said "It appears you have a bad hard drive."  Followed by "but you do have your files backed up, right?"

Herein lies the community service announcement.

No, I didn't have my files backed up.  I did a weekly backup to an external drive on my old PC, but when I got my shiny new iMac a couple of months ago, somehow I was blinded by a combination of slick marketing messages, which promoted the Mac environment as being much more stable than Windows, and good old fashioned stupidity. I thought "It is a Mac, it won't crash!  I'll figure out a backup plan later.  Now, I am much too busy."

One of you aspiring entrepreneurs should start a virtual business where as soon as someone utters such a thought, a large, concentrated electrical shock strikes them in the forehead.  Such thoughts should not be allowed to cross the minds of seasoned professionals such as myself, but alas they do.

Lesson for you:  BACKUP YOUR FILES RIGHT NOW!

Not tomorrow or next week, but right now at this moment.

Some of my Twitter friends (@fildawg, @braveterry, @rickg and @SherylSisk, who among others have held my hand through my Mac breakdown) recommend the following resources:

• http://www.corecode.at/smartreporter
• http://www.getdropbox.com
• http://www.sugarsync.com
• http://www.jungledisk.com
• http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/timemachine.html

If all this seems too much, hire the smartest person you know to figure it out for you. 

You never expect your hard drive to fail.  I know I never did, not on a brand new computer!  But technology fails.  And when you put food on the table by the intellectual property you produce, you better have a plan to keep it safe.

If you have a business providing technical support to others, you should create a service offering for backup assement, installation and maintenance that you will advertise to all of your customers.  Use my stupidity as a lead-in to your marketing message if you need to:

"Dear _____:

What would you do if your hard drive crashed this minute?

Pamela Slim, the author of a blog I read and who really should know better given her smart technical friends, had this happen to her today and almost lost her mind.

If you don't currently back up your files, I would be happy to assess the best service or product for doing so.  I will help you set it up on your computer and will put a process in place to ensure it happens on a regular basis.

If interested, call me at 555-1212 or email me@don'tbealoserlikepam.com

Sincerely,

-Smart Independent Technical Professional"

Bad marketing copy maybe, but you get the point, right?  Some people don't back up because it seems too difficult and time-consuming.  If you know how to do it, help someone out of the goodness of your heart or to make an extra buck.  It is worth it!

The final chapter

I was told by the Mac Geniuses that despite the early dire predictions, I will be able to retrieve my data.  I purchased an external drive which they are configuring for automatic backups as we speak, and I will also use a couple of remote backup services on a regular basis.  I am so thankful to get my data back that I will even hand-copy my files with a pencil on a legal notepad if need be.  As Malcolm X said (referring to revolution, not computers of course) "by any means necessary."

They say that those who know better do better.  Now we both know better.  Let's do better.

Back that drive up!

You can't beat free: startup consulting from StartupNation

I just read about a cool new service from my friends at StartupNation:   consulting advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.  It is called the Start me Up Program and is free to StartupNation members.

My philosophy about using outside resources to build your business is get as much as you can for free!  I am always surprised that people don't take advantage of services like SCORE, which have the specific mission of helping aspiring entrepreneurs.  Even though I do paid coaching for a living, I encourage my clients get as much support as they can with free information so that we can maximize our time and investment together on more complex personal or brand development issues.

To qualify, you must:

• Be a member of StartupNation.com
• Have an idea and business plan
• Have the financial capability to launch the  business
• Be ready to take action!

Like anything, use the info that is useful, and discard the rest.

I really trust StartupNation since I know Jeff and Rich Sloan personally as well as a lot of their staff. 

If you try the service, let me know how it works.

Nice guys do finish first: Shoestring Branding stands out

I just took a peek at the new small business page at Alltop (which I told you about last week) and was delighted to see my friend Mario Sanchez made the page, alongside other experts like Tim Berry, StartupNation, Duct Tape Marketing and Fast Company.

His blog is called Shoestring Branding and has all kinds of practical tips about do-it-yourself internet marketing for the small business owner.

What I like about Mario's story is that he has not been blogging for very long (since September of '07) and has done it on the side of his "day job" as a way to share a passion, build his personal brand and be of assistance to a target market that interests him.  This is an excellent way to dip your foot in the pool of entrepreneurship.  How well people respond to your blog is a great indication of who may want to work with you in the future.  I don't recall if Mario plans to start a business anytime soon (since he has a day job, maybe he is keeping that quiet from blabbermouths like me!).

The fact that he has gotten noticed by some of the higher traffic blogs so soon is very cool.   He is a really thoughtful, positive person and always contributes something meaningful to blog conversations.

Congratulations Mario!

The secret to a fun and thriving business? Be a matchmaker

Some of the most common questions I hear from new and aspiring entrepreneurs are:

• How can I get the word out about my business to influential people in my market?
• How can I get people to link to my blog or website?
• How can I get mainstream press coverage?
• How can I find great mentors?

There are tips, tools and methods to accomplish each of these things but perhaps the most effective long-term strategy is also the most counter-intuitive:  be a matchmaker.

What is a matchmaker?

A good matchmaker is someone who constantly looks for ways to connect good people, ideas and institutions without the expectation of payback.

Without the expectation of payback is the part that may seem counterintuitive, since didn't I just say that being a matchmaker is the best way to further your own business goals?  Yes, it is.  But in order for it to really work, you have to just trust the process and not count on a direct "I scratch your back, you scratch my back" return favor.

Let me use some examples so you know more clearly what I am talking about, then I will tell you how to avoid a few common traps.

What are some concrete ways to be a matchmaker?

1. Introduce like minds. This example is the Fiddler on the Roof definition:  envision two people you know who would be a great fit together.  While the result of effective romantic matchmaking is marriage,  the result of "like minds" matchmaking is a business relationship that could take many different directions:  business partners, mastermind peers, supportive friends or creative catalysts. After I learned that one of my favorite "adopted professors," Srikumar Rao was going to Japan, I wanted to introduce him to my uber talented friend Garr Reynolds.  I sat back and imagined the delightful, creative, uplifting conversation they would have over tea, and it was enough to inspire me to send an email introducing them to each other.
2. Set the stage for a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.  I don't know if you have seen the old commercial which shows one person rounding the corner with a jar of peanut butter and the other rounding the corner with a chocolate bar.  They collide, and the result is a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup.  My best example of this is when I introduced my dear friends Desiree Adaway and Marilyn Scott-Waters.  Desiree heads volunteer mobilization for Habitat for Humanity, and Marilyn is an extraordinary paper toy maker.  After introducing the two, Marilyn created a special fold-out paper house that Desiree promoted to her youth groups to raise awareness of poverty housing.  As the wonderful world of serendipity works, Desiree ended up in England representing Habitat for a boy scout fair.  Prince William happened to stop by her booth and colored a paper house.  When I saw this picture, I knew Reeses Peanut Butter matchmaking had very wonderful, unexpected outcomes.







3. Share a great story with the press.  If you are hooked into your market the right way, you are in conversation with your clients and prospects on a daily basis and have a keen sense of their businesses and what they are trying to accomplish.  If you see a publication that you think would be great for featuring their story, let them know. If you have a relationship with a journalist, pitch the story.  I have been lucky enough to match one of my blog readers with USA Today, which resulted in a front-page story in the Money section.  This is a very mutually beneficial thing since journalists are always looking for great stories and great sources for quotes.
   
4. Link like crazy  There is a reason blogs are so viral in nature:  by including lots of links in your blog post, you send traffic all over the place. You definitely want to share your own expertise on your blog, but be generous with your referrals to other people.  It will come back around!
5. Forward information to someone who can use it.  I get great, unsolicited  resources all the time from my blog and ezine readers.  It is so helpful, and definitely makes me want to extend a hand to those who help me.
6. Refer ill-fitting prospective clients to someone appropriate. You should have a clear picture of who your ideal client is for your product or service.  If you run across someone who clearly has a need but will not be best served by you, refer them to the best person you can think of.  You never want to send someone away with a simple "sorry I can't help you," since you never know if they might know someone who does fit your perfect profile.  If you help them find exactly who they need, they are more likely to send people your way. But don't count on it, of course, which brings up the next section:

Sure fire ways to kill good matchmaking:

• Keep track of favors and expect a near-term payback.  If you keep marks on your wall of how many times you helped someone and expect them to return the favor right away, you will be very disappointed. The other person will feel your intent, and you will not come across as genuine.  Because you aren't!  Real matchmaking is based on total delight at seeing good things happen as a result of your introduction.  You may never get payback from the person you helped, but this should not deter you.
  
• Force people into a pre-determined funnel.  Some people can be deluded into thinking they are working the matchmaker model by referring people to a pre-selected group in their network.  Often, referral or affiliate fees are involved which makes the matchmaking financially motivated.  This changes the way that you listen to the needs of the person you are trying to help.  Instead of thinking "who would be the best resource for this person?" you are thinking "would Sally, Jose or Thomas be the best resource for this person?" I don't think it is wrong to use a referral or affiliate relationship, just make sure it is the right fit.
• Break the trust of your confidantes by introducing the wrong people.  The more connected and exposed you get, the more emails and calls you will get from people asking you to introduce them to those in your circle.  Just because you get the requests does not mean you have to make the introduction.  Make sure you introduce people who would truly provide mutual benefit, otherwise you will soon become known as a pest.
  
• Ask people you hardly know to make an introduction for you.  My friend Martha Beck gets cornered at social gatherings, dinner parties and speaking events all the time with people who want to meet Oprah. Just because she knows her does not make it appropriate.  A much better question to ask is "how did you build up such a great platform?"
  

I hope you find, like I have, that the sheer pleasure of matchmaking makes it worthwhile.  It also, over time, positions you as a connected, generous person.  And that is exactly what will give you a screaming hot platform.

Happy Valentines Day! 

Demystifying the art and science of knowing what to charge for your services

A couple of weeks ago, a reader named David wrote inquiring about an offhand comment in a recent post about mentoring where I said:

"A ten-minute conversation with an older female business owner about the link between gender and compensation totally changed the way I thought about charging for my services in my consulting business."

David said: 

"I was wondering if you would be willing to share more about that "ten-minute conversation" you had.

I ask as my gf is considering leaving her corporate job (ie safety net, ie golden handcuffs :) in favor for her passion of a life coaching pursuit ... I know the above quoted segment addresses directly some of her own concerns, so I would be v. interested, AND appreciative, of any real-world insights into the advice of others in appropriately charging for consulting services."

As I was preparing to respond to David's email, it occurred to me that this general issue of charging for services is a real stickler for many first-time entrepreneurs.  I know that I still struggle with this issue myself, even after eleven years in business.

How do you know what to charge for your professional services?

By professional services I mean things like coaching, consulting, financial advising, writing and web design.  Basically, any gig where you sell your knowledge for a fee. 

Why is pricing so tricky?

Pricing your services is tricky because there is no magic formula or "correct" answer. I see four distinct parts of the pricing equation:  psychological demons, practical needs, external market and financial results.

Part One:  Psychological Demons

To be able to charge decent rates for your services, you have to feel confident about your skills and talents.  Herein lies the rub for new entrepreneurs, since you are either offering your services on a freelance basis for the first time, or are doing something totally new.  This tends to bring up the following anxieties:

• What if I am not very good?
• What if the competitor down the street is better than me?
• Will my client think I am greedy for charging too much?
• Will my client think I am wimpy for charging too little?
• What if I am unable to deliver what I promise and my client outs me as a fraud?

Suggestion: Fortify your self-esteem.  However you need to, validate that you are indeed good enough, smart enough and people like you. 

• Reflect on good work you have done in the past and use that to anchor thoughts of work in your future. 
• Ask trusted colleagues to give you objective feedback about your skills and past business results.
• Repeat affirmations such as "My relationship advice will create harmony in thousands of homes across the world" or "I am meant to help people overcome their shame of poor financial management" or whatever saying rings true for you.  Far from just being fodder for comedians like Al Franken with his character Stuart Smalley, affirmations can truly heal a fractured self-image.
• Invest in training and advice for yourself at the same rate you plan on charging clients.  This is really important!  By doing so, you will feel in your bones what it is like to spend some of your hard-earned cash on professional advice.  Usually you see that the person brave enough to charge healthy fees is no smarter or more experienced than you.  And this will boost your esteem.  If you are not willing to invest in your own growth and development, how can you expect your clients to?

Part Two:  Practical Needs

A common error made by new entrepreneurs is not to take into consideration all of the expenses related to working for yourself when setting hourly rates.  Most people take their annual salary and divide it into hourly increments.  What this approach misses is:

• Your annual salary as an employee is based on working full-time.  Unless you have excellent luck and get full-time contract work immediately, chances are you won't be working full-time your first year as an entrepreneur.  Nor may you want to work full-time, as billable consulting hours tend to be much more draining than the "padded hours" you get as a salaried employee.  I never worked more than 2/3 time as a consultant, since I had to spend the rest of the time catching up on administration, marketing and relaxing.
  
• Your salary doesn't include your benefits like health insurance, retirement investments, vacations and sick time.  An extremely crude general estimate for these things in the U.S. is 30% of your salary. 
  

Suggestion:

• If you are still an employee, ask your HR department to give you a breakdown of the value of each of your employee benefits.
  
• Create a spreadsheet to account for all of your expenses as a self-employed person. To get ideas for what to include, FreelanceSwitch created a handy Rates Calculator.
• From this analysis, you will have a number which reflects how much you need to make to fund your current lifestyle.

Part Three:  External Market

Knowing what you need to make to cover your living expenses is only part of the equation.  You also have to know the competitive range for similar services.  Here is where the piece of advice fits in that David was asking about:

Early in my career, I was negotiating the salary for a new position.  I asked a very seasoned female mentor for her advice.  "What are you thinking of asking for an annual salary?" she said.  "All I need is about $50,000 a year," I replied.  She said "The most common mistake I see females make in negotiating salary is just thinking about their basic needs and no more.  You must charge what the market will bear, especially on par with your male counterparts.  If you don't, they will lose respect for you." 

I grimaced a little bit and said "I don't want to become one of those greedy businesspeople who only thinks about money.  I don't just work for the paycheck, I also do it to contribute something meaningful to the world."

"Here is the key," she said.  "You must charge the market rate or more, but you can give it all away." 

This floored me.  I was raised to live modestly and to reduce, reuse and recycle. I had the idea that anyone who made a lot of money was automatically greedy and selfish.  Suddenly, I realized that the more money I made, the more I had at my disposal to invest in the community, pursue artistic passions, travel and help others in need.  It totally changed how I viewed money.

Suggestions:

• Survey your competitors to get a range of fees for similar services.   
• Ask a couple of trusted colleagues about their pricing strategy.  When I recently had to put together a proposal for a blogging project, I emailed two of the smartest bloggers I knew and asked about their pricing.  Hearing both what they charged and what the fees included was extremely helpful. 

Part Four:  Financial Results

I am saving this for last, but it is by far the most important part of the pricing equation.  People don't pay you for your time or process, they pay you for the results of your work.  These results are translated into value, which can be money or time saved or earned, brand value increased or risk reduced.  A friend summed it up well:

When clients give you money, guess what?  They want it back!

It is your job to identify and quantify metrics. This is not simply to justify your fees, it is also to make sure that what you provide is useful and will have a positive impact on your client.  Here is value pricing in action:

I had a friend that did a presentation for 250 sales representatives from a large computer company.  He charged $30,000 for two hours of his time.  After wondering how he got his client to smoke crack before signing the contract, I asked him how he justified such a fee.  "Easy," he said.  "Each rep has a minimum of $300,000 worth of business in their annual sales funnel.  I have proven that by using my techniques, you can close a minimum of 10% more deals.  So if ONE of the 250 participants does what I tell him, they will recoup their money.  If 25% of them do, they will make nearly two million dollars.  In reality, I charged too little."

Can you see how solely relying on your practical financial needs and the norms of the market can skew your pricing model?  By focusing on results and value, you will not only be able to charge more, you will do better work because you will be defining and measuring the right things.

Suggestions:

• As you are discussing the project with your client, define success metrics.  Ask them "How will you know that our work together was effective?"  They should say things like "I will get more clients" or "I will deliver better presentations" or "I will improve my credit score" or "I will capture more names on my mailing list from my website visitors." 
• From these broad results, dig deeper and ask "And what would that mean to you in terms of money, time or risk?"  You should hear things like "If I deliver more effective presentations, I will get more referrals which will increase my income by X%." or "If I improve my credit score, I will qualify for a loan which will allow me to start my business and make $5,000/month."  You must dig until you get some tangible metrics.
• To hear a whole lot of tips on value pricing, you can pick up a 90-minute recording and transcript of Robert Middleton interviewing Alan Weiss, author of Million Dollar Consulting.  It is $29 and was well worth it from my perspective. If you don't want to drop the cash, check out some free info on Alan's site here.  He has very strong opinions and may seem a bit strong minded to some of you.  (Important update: I originally used the word "crass" here to describe his style and received an email from Alan Weiss pointing out that this was not a fair characterization.  He was so right.  Had I looked up the word in the dictionary, I would have seen that "crass" means 'So crude and unrefined as to be lacking in discrimination and sensibility.'  That is NOT what I meant and I am terribly sorry and embarrassed to have chosen that word.  What I meant is that he is very strong and to the point, which can be uncomfortable for some people.  My apologies Alan, and I learned a good lesson.) My advice with all "gurus" is take the info that applies and discard the rest.  (I used an affiliate link for this recommendation since I stand by Robert's work 100%)
• A former client, Skip Miller, wrote a book called ProActive Selling that has all kinds of good information about the sales process, including value pricing.

Once you have a good baseline for your prices which takes into account these four factors, you can create some standard pricing which will act as a starting point for new contracts. 

Final Suggestions:

• Always offer at least two and no more than five pricing options for any client.  So as a coach, you can have

• 1 session at $X
• 3 sessions at $Y
• 6 sessions at $Z

It is easier for people to make decisions when they have options.  But don't give too many, or they will get overwhelmed.

• Read Nine Factors to Consider When Determining Your Price from Freelance Switch.
  

I really welcome your additional suggestions, since I know many of you have a lot more experience in this area than I do. Bring it on!

The power of hard deadlines to get things done

I love to blame my Dad for my propensity to finish my work just-in-time for a deadline, since I have memories of him hunched over a typewriter late at night, furiously finishing a story the night before it was due.

But since I am 41 years old, that is a bit of a cop-out since I have had plenty of time to establish my own habits.  Not to mention that my sister saw the same thing and is always on time or early with everything she does.   So much for unproven genetic theories. (It doesn't mean I don't tease my Dad about it whenever I get the chance)

Despite the patterns of procrastination you grew up around, there is a wonderful benefit in establishing clear, specific, real deadlines as a way to get things done.  When you have a real deadline:

• Priorities become instantly clear.  That which absolutely doesn't have to get done won't.
• You get a rush of creative energy since your focus is not distracted by ten other things.
• You reign in expectations for perfection, since you don't have endless time to tweak and edit your work.

Establishing real deadlines as an entrepreneur can be tricky, since some things you have to complete are not related to a client deliverable or reporting requirement.  How can you create deadlines for "improvement" or "enhancement" activities such as:

• Updating or upgrading your website or blog
• Creating new products or programs
• Writing articles or other marketing activities

Here are some suggestions:

1. Participate in a class or group coaching program which includes a specific deadline for a specific deliverable.  Right now, I am enrolled in The Product Factory, which is a 3-month program that gives guidance and structure for creating information products.  After procrastinating to create a product for about 2 years, I am actually a hair away from releasing my first product, an audio program.  (I will announce it here soon - can't wait!)  I was motivated by the promise of getting extra exposure for the product by a mailing to 50,000 people from the course instructors Michael Port and Mitch Meyerson, but perhaps more importantly, out of loyalty to my working group of 25 peers that are doing the same thing as I am.  There is a healthy competitive spirit that emerges in me when I see peers getting things done, and done well.
   
2. Hire someone to work with you to complete the task.  If you are paying someone else to work with you, you will feel more accountable to get it done. You are also more likely to define specific tasks, responsibilities and sub-deadlines, which will move things along quicker.
   
3. Announce your intentions in a public forum.  Tell your blog or ezine readers when you are launching your new product, or overhauling your website.  If you really want to freak yourself out, send a press release to someplace like PRWeb announcing big changes at a specific date.  (We all know that PR folks hate "product announcement" press releases, so make it a good, newsworthy one)
4. Work with a mastermind buddy.  If you don't want to invest the time or money in a program, identify a peer that has a similar goal of project completion who is willing to check in once a week to keep progress going.  If you are an indie software developer type, you could look at something like the Business of Software Forum for good peers, and if you are a coach or consultant type, look for something like  The Coaching Forum (which I just found by doing a quick google on "coaching forums")  I recommend choosing a mastermind buddy who is motivated and who you know has gotten things done in the past.  I also recommend choosing someone you respect, as once again, a bit of healthy competition is good for the energy level.  I started working with my friend Philippa Kennealy as a mastermind partner, and was really impressed with her level of supportiveness and productivity (she totally blew me out of the water).
5. Enter a contest.  There are a lot of cool contests like "best blog," "most innovative product" or "best  marketing campaign."  Look for one related to your enhancement project, and this can give you great incentive to do good work.  I entered a website design contest with Robert Middleton a couple of years ago, which was instrumental in helping me complete an overhaul to my website (and I won second place -- not bad!).
6. Get pregnant.  I'm telling you, I have finished more things in this last month of pregnancy than in the prior 8 months combined.  The great thing about a pregnancy deadline is that it is totally unpredictable, so you can't screech right up to the last minute since it could come a month early or a week late.  You may all laugh at me, but in the next week, I aim to: wrap and launch my product, write a delectable secret guest post (can't wait to tell you who for, but that will come soon), complete and record a podcast, write a review of my buddy Ramit's latest book, write and send my monthly ezine (which is 2 weeks late - I am combining Aug and Sept) and write a "static blog post" that will sit at the top of my blog for the couple of weeks or however long it takes that I will be indisposed with new motherhood (I would like to say that I will take 6 months off of all work including blogging to devote all my energy to my family, but I would be lying.  Blogging is like therapy for me, so you can bet that after a few weeks of diapers and round-the-clock-feedings, I will want to focus on something else for an hour or two a day.  No promises, just a prediction!).  I realize that for some of you, due to your gender, biological clock or lack of fondness for children that pregnancy may be out.  But for the eager and fertile among you, get busy!  ;)

I suppose that there are a group of you who are totally motivated, hard-working and productive and don't need to play tricks on yourself to get things done.  But for the rest of you perfection-challenged folks (like me), try these tips and see if they help. 

And please add your own in the comments below!

It takes a village to raise a one-person business

Some entrepreneurs have a hard time asking for help, preferring to do everything themselves, from computer software and hardware installation to billing to licking stamps.

I often have the opposite inclination, which is to outsource or shortcut just about anything I can think of.  Is it so bad to consider whether I can hire someone to take the trash out on Wednesdays and fold and put away the laundry on Saturdays?  (I know, I know, that is why we have kids and spouses, but sometimes we all get busy) Don't get me wrong, I love to work hard and consider no task "beneath" me, but the older, busier and more kids I get, the more I am inclined to use outsourced resources efficiently.

In my business, I also firmly believe in the principle of not re-creating the wheel.  If there is someone who has done (well) what I am attempting to do and can sell their expertise in the form of coaching, education or instruction, I am more than happy to purchase it.  I believe what Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton preach in their book Now, Discover Your Strengths which is we should stop spending lots of time and energy learning skills to prop up our weaknesses and instead should focus on building and leveraging our strengths.

The only problem with using lots of outside resources, of course, is that this can get rather expensive, if you don't have any criteria for deciding when, who and how to use them.

So here are some thoughts to get you started.  And for the sake of common understanding, I am defining "outsourced resources" as:

"A person, program or information product that either shortcuts or replaces the time you spend completing a task"

When to use an outside resource

The mantra I used to use in my corporate training and development work was "just in time learning."  What this means is that you are much more likely to pay attention to, absorb and integrate skills if you learn them just before or during the time that you will apply them.  So the best time to learn presentation skills is just before you have to deliver a real presentation. The best time to learn how to create an information product is while you are actually creating it.  The best time to learn how to market your services is while you are setting up your website and talking with potential customers on the phone. 

In these circumstances, not only will you be very interested in what you are learning because you know you will need to apply the knowledge immediately, but you will be emotionally invested in mastering it because you will be demonstrating it in a live situation, with real people.

In addition to a just-in-time learning moment, you also want to make sure that you have the time to commit to what it takes to obtain a desired result.  What this means is that:

• You don't have lots of outside distractions.  If you are moving, leaving a relationship, working three jobs or having a baby, it may not be the best time to use an expensive coach or participate in a time-intensive workshop.  These kinds of distractions not only take up time on your calendar, but they are emotionally intensive which can drain some of your natural creativity and ability to learn.
• You make time for and commit to completing your homework.  The most gifted, results-oriented and dynamic coach or consultant will not be able to help you obtain your desired results if you don't do your part.  Even if you totally outsource a task (like planning and coordinating and event, or creating a product or program), you will still need to be consulted at certain times and make decisions.   As a coach and former consultant, this is a very tricky and frustrating situation, since I know I ethically cannot do my work and the work of my client, even if I am really motivated to see results happen.
  

Who to use

If you are hiring a coach or an expert, there are some obvious and not-so-obvious criteria to use, including:

• Expertise.  It goes without saying that you should hire someone who has the knowledge and skills to help you solve your particular problem.  For some people, certifications and credentials are very important (such as an advanced degree from a reputable institution, or training in a particular methodology).   For others, knowledge based on real-world experience is more important.  Know your own preferences and screen for someone that meets your criteria.
• Experience.  Someone can be very knowledgeable, but not have the experience of applying this knowledge in real-life situations with real clients. So be sure to ask who they have worked with in the past and the different kinds of situations they have faced.
• Results.  You are actually not buying the time with your expert, you are buying the results of your time together.  So be clear about the results you are looking for, and ask if they have obtained similar results with others in similar situations.
  
• Rapport.  This is really, really important.  You must feel trust, ease and comfort with a person that you are working with, particularly if you are dealing with sensitive issues like financial matters or personal fears or blocks. Even though a colleague may rave about a particular program, product or coach, make sure that they are a fit for you.
  

What to use
Usually, one-on-one consultations are the most expensive way to learn something.  But for some people, that is the only way that they will really get work done or projects completed.  A wide range of shortcutting or outsourcing options for you are:

• e-books.  These are essentially online instruction manuals which explain a certain topic, or walk you through a set of steps to complete a task. 
• audio/video programs. These are online, CD or DVD-based programs that are sometimes accompanied by a workbook or supplemental materials.
• teleclasses.  These can be single or multiple-session conference calls on a particular topic that generally don't include a lot of "extra" interaction outside of class.
• group coaching programs.  These combine elements of teleclasses, e-books, one-on-one coaching and moderated online forums, where a group of anywhere from 5 to 100 individuals follow a program together
  
• in-person workshops.  From one to five days, these are often intensive learning experiences where you work with instructors and fellow participants in a live environment.
  
• one-on-one coaching.  A coach usually helps you define problems, challenge unproductive underlying beliefs in your thinking, understand your roadblocks and strategize ways to overcome them and provide encouragement and support.
  
• one-on-one consulting.  A consultant is paid for his or her expertise, and will most often provide detailed, specific recommendations for which strategy you should pursue.  So while a coach may help you identify your weakness in understanding SEO optimization for your website, an SEO consultant would share and possibly implement a particular SEO strategy.
• task outsourcing.  You may hire a virtual or in-office assistant to take care of certain tasks such as bookkeeping, billing, customer support or information technology.  Depending on the size of your business, these can be part-time independent contractor resources, or full-time employees.

In order to know what is best for you, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is my preferred learning style?  Am I auditory (learn by listening or reading), visual (learn by watching) or kinesthetic (learn by doing)?  Do I learn best one-on-one or in a group?  Am I able to tune into a virtual learning environment (like a teleclass, webinar or group coaching program) or do I need face-to-face interaction?
• What motivates me to get things done?  Is it clear information, support from a buddy, group interaction and dialogue, peer pressure or threats and intimidation?  (In which case you may want to hire the bully who tormented you in high school to come sit in your office and call you names when you really want to get something done.  Some desperate times require desperate measures.)
• Is this task one that I want to be doing myself on an ongoing basis in my business? (in which case a learning program may make sense) or is it something I would much rather someone else worry about and complete? (in which case you might outsource it immediately).

How to use

• Evaluate the value of the service based on your return on investment.  One person or program may charge $5,000 a day and be worth every penny because they will help you make $50,000 in sales due to their guidance and efforts.  Someone or something else may be a waste of your hard-earned $20 because it is inferior in quality, inapplicable to your situation or the wrong solution to your particular problem.  So look at what will happen as the result of what you learn.  If a well-designed e-book on designing and conducting teleclasses for $79 is all you need to get them implemented in your business, don't waste $1500 on an in-person workshop on the same topic.  But if you know what you need to do and just have trouble doing it, it may be worth $1,000 of a coach's time to work you through your blocks, if it means you can expect $5,000 in teleclass revenue within the first 4 months of implementing your program.
  
• YOU manage your desired outcomes.  If you are not specific about the results you are looking for, you can't expect your outside resource to guess.  And you know how the saying goes:  "If you don't know where you are going, you just might end up there."  You should be able to articulate exactly what you want as a result of your time together, such as:
  • I will have the knowledge and skills to successfully record and publish a podcast
  • I will gain clarity about three possible business ideas to pursue
  • I will complete a business plan that is suitable to send to xyz angel investors and venture capitalists
  • I will be able to pick up the phone and conduct an effective sales call without breaking into hives
    
• Plan your mix of outsourced activities carefully, and watch your budget.  I said before that I have no problem using outside resources, so if I allowed myself free reign to outsource in my personal and business life, I would not do much else but write, roll around on the floor with my toddler, eat good, healthy food (that someone else prepares), go for long hikes and read People Magazine.  Until that day arrives, I need to balance and prioritize money in my budget for learning and outsourced activities.

I am a bit afraid to tally up the money I have wasted on information products that I downloaded and never read, classes I took whose homework I did not complete and coaching or consulting advice that I fully appreciated but did not heed. Instead of fretting about it, I prefer to learn from my mistakes and share them with you.

I would love additional tips for deciding when, how and what to outsource, particularly as it relates to weighing cost with outcome.  Please share!

Your company brand is only as strong as your technical support

Although there are certainly more stressful days to endure, like climbing Everest, brokering a major peace treaty in the Middle East or launching a new business, yesterday was frustrating, draining and generally unpleasant.

My blog went down out of the blue, after functioning perfectly well for nearly two years.  I was clued in by some generous and aware readers who sent me emails alerting me about the situation (thanks for being the first Tim, and for troubleshooting and commiserating with me).

And so began my journey with the Typepad technical support system.  Notice that I am saying "system," not "people," since, as I will explain in a bit, the people are perfectly capable and helpful.

For context, I am probably the kind of customer that tech support people groan at when they receive my help tickets.  As much as I try to explain my problem objectively and descriptively, the best I can do sometimes is "my blog isn't working - please fix it!"  So a typical technical support interaction with me requires some diagnosis and problem-solving.  I know a few things just to make me dangerous, but generally live in the realm of "clueless end user."

So here was the sequence of events from yesterday:

• 9:35am:  Realized there was a big problem with my blog which needed to be fixed, but I didn't know what it was.  So I sent a help ticket to Typepad technical support
• 10:08am:  Added some more relevant information to the help ticket, as I discovered more problems,  based on reader emails
• 12:05pm:  Was beginning to get ants in my pants and begged for a response from technical support, also on the help ticket
• 12:15pm:  Looked up the Six Apart company phone number on their web, with hopes of talking to human who could help me.  Received automated voice mail system which directed me to "technical support," which informed me that all help is handled via the web-based system.  Like I didn't know that!
• 3:09pm:  Added critical information to the help ticket, based on some analysis from one of my clients.  I had passed begging for help, and let them know I was very frustrated with lack of support
• 3:15pm:  Sent a new, differently-titled help notice to see if someone, anyone, could get back to me.
• 3:39pm:  Finally received a response from Typepad, which let me know the source of the problem was with my domain mapping with Network Solutions, which holds my escapefromcubiclenation domain.  They also added: 

"We answer tickets as quickly as possible in the order the arrive. Although we appreciate you adding relevant information to the existing ticket, each time you reply moves the ticket back to the end of the queue. We will get to your tickets as soon as we can, and we appreciate your patience."

• 3:40pm:  Now I realize that I was actually contributing to my lack of response time by adding new messages to the help ticket!  The problem is, that fact is not highlighted anywhere on the help ticket system.  Or if it is, it didn't jump out at me.  I wonder how many others have had a similar experience?
• 3:41pm:  Responded to Typepad response, with a further set of questions.
• 7:14pm:  Received response from Typepad with the final set of instructions I needed to resolve the issue.
• 7:15pm:  Called Network Solutions technical support.  Got a human being on the phone and within 5 minutes had the problem diagnosed and fixed. 
• 12:15am:  It took a few hours to get the necessary changes spinning through the Ethernet, (plus I fell asleep because I was exhausted) so I finally made the final tweaks to my blog and was back online.

So what was my biggest takeaway from this experience?

My formerly strong and enthusiastic support of the Typepad platform, built over two years of good and stable service, was radically diminished because their support system failed when I needed it most.

How can we apply this learning to all of our businesses?  Take into consideration the following things:

• What are the different levels of support needed by your customers?  Does your support system include a way of distinguishing between general questions, which can take a few hours or days to reply to, and critical-path issues which need to be resolved immediately?  This can apply to any kind of business.  If you sell tee-shirts online, a customer may not mind if a personal purchase arrives one day late.  But he will care if the custom tee-shirt for his 16-year old doesn't arrive in time for his birthday.  If you are an accountant, your clients may be able to wait two days to learn the difference between a debit and a credit.  But if they are meeting with an IRS agent for an audit in an hour, they will need to hear from you right away. 
• How clear are you with instructions and guidelines for your technical support?  Do you clearly outline critical things (like moving the help ticket to the back of the queue if more information is added by the user) in your web and written communications?
• If you can not afford to offer extensive technical support for your product or service, do you have a trusted network of people who can for a fee?  I didn't learn until this morning that there is a Six Apart Professional Network.  I would have gladly paid someone to help me figure this problem out yesterday at 9:30am.
• Do you have a way for your customers to get in touch with a live human being by phone in case of emergency?  I realize that it can be very expensive and unwieldy to deal with technical support on the phone.  But there are times when your frustrated customer can be helped in five minutes or less if they talk to someone on the phone.  I can't believe that it was much more expensive to pay the Network Solutions tech support guy than the Typepad tech support folks who typed their responses.  But the difference to me was huge -- I got resolution in 5 minutes from one, and in nearly 16 hours with the other.
• Do you think holistically about what your customers need and balance your business model accordingly?  In the case of Typepad, they are building more and more features to make your blog a website-and-blog-in-one.  This is great, as it allows entrepreneurs to consolidate their online presence and save money with web design and hosting.  But it also means higher stakes for customers, who may suffer great financial consequences if their business blog goes down.
• Do you support your excellent technical support people with a system that works?  I really can't say anything bad about the people that work in Typepad technical support.  They are always very courteous, knowledgeable and professional when they respond to questions.  The problem is that the system they work in is radically insufficient for the needs of their customers.  So they probably take unfair heat from grumpy pregnant (and non-pregnant) customers like me all the time.  Good people will tire of this and leave to go elsewhere where their skills are allowed to be applied very effectively.

I realize that I may be a tad dramatic in going into so much detail about my blog being down for one day.  No one was hurt, the stock markets survived and no rain forests were cleared as a result. 

But the impact to the trust I have in a company I have been doing business with for a long time was pretty major.  And this makes me stand up and take note.  A strong brand and trusting customers are  very precious and fleeting things indeed.  It doesn't take much to erode years of goodwill.  So I will be taking note of how this applies to my business, and I encourage you to do the same.

 

9 Ways to keep hucksters, shucksters and slimeballs at arms length when starting your own business

A smart and thoughtful reader Ashton recently sent me this email which really got my brain going:

"I'm interested in perspectives on how to deal with people who do not act in good faith and lie, cheat, steal, and take advantage of others in business.  I've had a few people come through in my professional life in the last year who could be described one way or another in this fashion.  And, I know there will be more.  One of my top professional and personal goals in my life is to maintain my integrity.  I have realized that one of the biggest risks to me is not missing out on a large sum of money, or fame, or anything like that--but lying on my death bed someday and looking back knowing that I did not act in good faith towards others.        

The difficulty is, others are out for short term gain, they go back on their words, they rationalize, and they inch towards poor behavior without realizing they've gone a mile.  When my interaction with these kinds of people finally comes to a head--I generally look back and see that there were a million red flags waving that I could have seen earlier.  I feel now that I want to limit my interaction with people like this in life as much as I can from the outset.  They are a waste of energy, time, and money.     

In your experience with many entrepreneurs and business people, grand and small, have you, yourself learned, or have you come across people who have successfully learned, how to sniff out those who would take advantage of them and remove them from their lives or business dealings?  Have you found any tips yourself, or through these people, which might help someone like myself hone this ability?  I don't feel any of the people who would trespass upon my trust can ever really do me in, but man are they a pain in the arse and I would love to be good at keeping them at bay."

Well, Ashton, I certainly have had my run-ins with the "integrity challenged" (the most polite term I could think to use in this PG-13 environment) in my personal life and my business, and have come up with some general guidelines to both sniff them out before they do harm, or to get rid of them as soon as they show their true colors.

First, it may be useful to qualify the types of hucksters you may come across in your business dealings, especially when you are forging new frontiers as an entrepreneur:

• Make a million bucks in one month with no effort marketers.  They can usually be spotted by marketing and advertising language laden with hype like "so easy a 3-year old could do it!" "no experience required!" and "super secret formula for success only available to YOU!"  If what they are offering is truly a great way to make money with no strings attached, everyone would be investing their money with them.
  
• Unscrupulous business partners.  These can be much more tricky to detect, as some start out seeming to be nice, reputable business people.  But, as time goes on, slime begins to ooze from the side of their mouth.  They can do things like "forget" agreements about poaching customers, flake on responsibilities and try to blame it on you, or, in the worst case, run away with money without completing work.
  
• Slippery customers.  We tend to look at all customers as allies, right?   But some have no intention of acting honorable, and do everything they can to take unfair advantage of money-back guarantees, accuse you of shoddy service or products in an attempt to get a discount, or try to muddy your reputation with other customers as a threat.  Mind you, this is very different than legitimate customers who truly don't find value in what you offer, or who are mistreated by you in some way.  They deserve full sympathy and refunds.  The "integrity challenged" ones know that what you offer is high quality, they just don't want to pay for it.
  
• Flakey vendors and suppliers.  These folks will produce everything late, not take responsibility for mistakes, disappear from contact just when you need them the most, and claim nothing is their fault.
• Online, anonymous slanderous meanies and trolls.  Perhaps the most frustrating and slippery creatures of all, these folks prefer "slash and run" techniques, where they attempt to inflict as much personal anguish on you as possible, in as public a forum as possible, then slip into the night undetected, leaving you and your reputation bruised and bloody.

So if you are afraid (as you should be) of some of these scary characters, what can you do to protect yourself from harm?

1. Observe them for a long time before letting them into your "circle of trust."  (If you have seen "Meet the Fockers," you may crack up at that term, but you know what I mean)  I got some awesome advice on this from an elder capoeira master when I was in the midst of a particularly messy situation in my martial arts days.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, the world of martial arts can be a very political and backstabbing environment, with teachers trying to take each other's students, challenge each other's styles, etc.  I asked this elder master how he survived so many years in such a contentious environment, and he told me "On the surface, show the same, smiling face to everyone.  But behind your external mask, closely watch the person to see how he interacts with others.  Is he nice to you, but rude to those around him?  How does he treat his mother?  Take a very long time to observe how someone truly behaves, not how they say they behave, before you really open yourself up to them."  This rule can apply to people that you hire to coach or teach you, programs you invest in, or joint venture partners that you do projects with.
2. Discuss, clarify and document expectations and agreements.  If you are going into a business partnership with someone, it is very important to discuss every aspect of that partnership.  What are expectations for sharing money?  How will you interact with clients?  How will you decide ownership of intellectual property?  What are common values that you have in your work?  What will you do if the partnership doesn't work out for either person?  The more you discuss and document these things up front, the easier it will be to resolve problems in the future.
3. Do your background research.  Talk to prior partners, customers or contacts to get feedback on their experience with the person or company.  If you are researching a vendor, check for complaints with the Better Business Bureau or its equivalent for those of you non-U.S. folks.  I have had my personal "hunch" of trusting someone proved dramatically wrong in a few cases where I did NOT check references against my better judgment.  The worst case was the birthing coach who simply disappeared (with my $150 deposit) as soon as I went into labor with my son, never to be seen again. 
4. For big, important partnerships or really sticky situations, consult with a lawyer.  I don't like that our society has become hyper-litigious.  But there are a lot of good reasons to consult with an ethical lawyer, so that you protect your assets, intellectual property and reputation.  In the case of the damage inflicted by the meanies and anonymous trolls, you must know your rights, and the appropriate course of action to protect your reputation.
5. When you see unethical behavior, cut the ties fast.  Don't wait for the person to do more damage just because you are in the middle of a project.  It may be painful if you have to replace a key resource while you are busy, but it is better than letting a toxic person stir up more trouble.  If it is an unethical customer, have a polite conversation, end the relationship and drop a refund check in the mail.  Some of you may disagree with me, but I would rather pay someone in full to close the door on future negotiations and litigation, even if I know I am right, than fight with them over contracts or dollars. 
6. Pay by credit card, not cash or check.  I learned this the hard way when a custom furniture maker (who had created other pieces for me in the past) closed up his shop overnight and took off with $4,000 of my hard-earned cash.  I had paid by check, which gave me no legal recourse.  If I had paid with a major credit card, the credit card company could have refunded my money in full.  That was a very painful lesson, and I felt like a fool.  Learn from my mistake!
7. Do not stoop to bad behavior yourself, no matter how much someone provokes you.  No situation makes you want to lash out more than when someone is rude or slanderous in person or online.  But the very worst thing you can do is to respond with your own tirade of bad words and accusations.  Take the high road and hold your tongue, as much for your dignity as for your protection.  Words spoken in public settings in the heat of angry passion will come back to haunt you. If you need to let things rip, do so when you are alone in the car and tell this person exactly what you think of him.   
8. When people show you who they are, believe them.  It is good to be optimistic and trusting by nature, and to believe that people can change for the better.  But if someone keeps repeating unethical behavior or doing things you don't agree with, trust your instinct and take action.  We often second guess ourselves too much, and end up in very messy and uncomfortable situations because we want to avoid conflict.
9. When they are gone, learn the lesson and let go of the emotion.  You can drive yourself crazy analyzing why you wrote a check for $4,000 to a shifty furniture salesman, or trusted a birth coach at face value without checking references, or allowed a slimy business partner to run away with your best customers. (OK, maybe those are my problems - I am sure you have your own!)  This angst will eat you up if you let it and make you afraid to ever trust anyone again.  Instead, look for the lesson and realize that their bad behavior or karma will catch up to them at some point.  Then move on with your life.  Don't give away more of your life force by dwelling on their bad energy.

I am sure some of you have had some hairy situations with unethical people (or at least I hope I am not the only one!)  What other advice would you offer Ashton?

Start smart: 5 quick ways to set up business processes on the fly

If you are just launching your business, chances are, setting up business processes and infrastructure is the last thing on your mind.  Usually, you are more concerned with things like:

• How in the world will I get new customers?
• Will my business idea work in the real world, or am I deluding myself?
• Was I insane to leave my "stable" job and put my family's financial future at risk?

If you keep your focus and work diligently, these fears will generally dissipate.  But you may quickly become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of details related to keeping a whole business afloat by yourself. 

One of the best ways to make sure you are efficient with your time from the start of your business is to adopt the practice of only going through the excruciating process of gathering information or crafting communication once.

You will find that in the start-up phase of business, many of the vendors, government agencies, potential customers, media contacts and partners want the same kind of information about you and your company.  So instead of digging through file folders and your "sent" email, here are five suggestions for setting up quick and dirty business processes and organizing your information for easy access:

1. Create a "General Company Information" cheat sheet.  This can have things on it like:
   -Legal identity information (your business name, when you were established, when you were incorporated (if different), official contact information, tax I.D. numbers, trademark registration info)
   -Contact information for your key business partners like your accountant, lawyer, insurance agent and banker.  Make sure to add the complete contact information of name, address, phone, fax and email.
   -Current supplier contact information for credit applications.  If you are applying for credit the first time, often they will ask for references to ensure you have a track record of paying people on time.
   -Client references.  Prospective customers may want to talk to some past clients to be sure you are who you say you are and will meet their needs.  Just be sure to check with these references to see if it is OK to have someone  contact them.  As a general rule of thumb, I don't like to give out the same name more than three times, lest I waste the time of a satisfied customer.
   -Policy information for insurance.  This can include coverage for life or liability insurance.  Make sure you note what the total value of the coverage is.
   -Financial information about your company.  This can include current revenues, projected sales, profit margins, and, for bank and credit applications, personal net worth.
   -Major business assets if your company requires major equipment.  Write down the name and description of the equipment, year, make and model, purchase price and date of purchase.
   
2. Create email templates for common inquiries.  If your marketing is in order, you will get inquiries from prospective clients that say things like "please tell me about your services."  I have a very basic email template that I send out to people who inquire about my services that describes the process of coaching in a few bullet points, outlines basic services and encourages them to sign up for an introductory session.  Anytime you notice that you are sending the same general emails to many people, create a quick template to save time.  These can be for things like:
   -Company background for prospective clients
   -Explanation of standard billing procedures or processes
   -General agreements for joint venture partners
   -Media inquiries (see next bullet for more on this)
   
3. Whip up a "media page" if you plan on courting the press as part of your marketing strategy.  I just put together a quick and dirty one myself, since my "About Me" section in the blog was a bit long-winded (it still needs editing, but one step at a time!)  A Media Page (or Media Room) should have the following information to make it easy for the press to contact you and see if you are the expert they are looking for:
   -Brief bio that describes what you do and what qualifies you to do it.  This is not the place to say things like "enjoys listening to Journey songs and doing yoga on the beach" since most media contacts really don't want to get to know you that well.  Do include things that make you unique and press-worthy.  It can be appropriate to include personal information like marital or parental status, if that would be relevant to your status as an expert (I chose to mention that I am married with kids, as much of my target market struggles with issues of supporting a family while starting a business)
   -Media appearances.  This can be online and offline media appearances in print, radio and television.  It helps to put the most noteworthy towards the top, since one of the best ways to be characterized as an expert is to be featured in a prominent mainstream news source.  Include the name of the publication or media outlet, title of the story and date of publication.  If you want to link to the story itself, that is fine, but not totally necessary when you first get up and running.  Be careful when displaying video clips on your site (such as from T.V. appearances) since you can run into copyright issues if you don't get permission first.
   -Story angles.  Help the media think up newsworthy articles by suggesting story angles based on your expertise. 
   -Interview questions.  Outline the major types of questions that are of critical interest to your target market.  This can save the reporter time, and make sure that you get to reinforce key messages as part of your brand and company mission.
   -Contact information (again).  Even though you have the contact information up front, put it at the bottom.  Reporters are busy, busy people, so the easier you make it for them to contact you, the more likely they will.  Final tip on that -- call the media RIGHT BACK.  They are often under last-minute deadlines, and will quote whichever expert gets back to them first.
   (I stole much of this layout from my friend Andy Wibbels - check out his media page here.)
4. Start a bare-bones operations manual for common business processes.  This doesn't have to look great or have a huge amount of detail.  Just start by capturing the basic steps required to execute key business activities such as:
   -Bringing on a new client
   ("Send welcome email" "Send agreement in the mail with pre-paid envelope" "Enter contact information into Outlook")
   -Starting a new project
   ("Send billing procedures confirmation to accounting contact," "File final version of proposal in project file," "Enter project milestones into calendar.")
   -Purchasing a new piece of equipment
   ("Update general business info sheet with information," "Add equipment to insurance policy," "File warranty paperwork.")
   -Conducting a presentation,  event or workshop
   ("Book event location," "Send confirmation notice to participants," "Book catering 6 weeks in advance.")
5. Create a folder of frequently accessed documents on your desktop.
   These can be things like your general business information sheet, head shot, one-page company background or current press release.  Over time, your folder structure can get more complex, but there is no need to create many levels of folders at this point if you just have a few key documents.

With any of these quick and dirty business infrastructure tips, you can go crazy making them look  pretty or technically flashy.  A common trap for new entrepreneurs is to take too much time with internal processes and not enough time on external processes like marketing or pressing flesh with prospective customers.  So while you could spend 40 hours creating a beautiful database to house your general business information for the next 5 years, don't -- at least at this point.  Instead, spend 40 minutes creating a Word document, then enhance it later.  When the big bucks are rolling in from all your new clients, you can hire someone else to make everything look great and function perfectly.

As a final note, an added benefit of documenting these basic processes from the beginning of your business is that it will be much easier to delegate tasks to assistants and partners as you grow.  I have known many entrepreneurs who grew substantial businesses with all key information in their head, and nothing on paper.  When they were totally overwhelmed with work and ready to outsource to others, it took lots of time and effort to hand over tasks. 

Any other quick start up tips from those of you more seasoned entrepreneurs out there?

Try "unwork" to cut your tasks in half and double your income

In my conversation with Andrea Lee on Friday, we talked about a multitude of ways to reduce the struggle in building a great business.  One of the most interesting concepts was what she calls "unwork."

To explain it, she asked the simple question:

How could you double your income by cutting your workload in half?

To many smart and hardworking entrepreneurs, this can sound like heresy.  We easily fall prey to the outdated notion that  more work = more money.

In reality, doing the right things will lead us to more money, more free time and more satisfaction, if that is what we desire.  A lot of the work activities we spend our time doing are either:

• Unnecessary
• Low value
• Low priority
• "Delegate-able" as in someone else could do them better, cheaper and faster

Tim Ferriss, the cage fighting-tango contest winning-Chinese martial arts champion-master of viral promotion and author that just wrote 4 Hour Workweek encourages the same thing, just using different techniques and math.

Citing economist Vilfredo Pareto's law of income distribution called "Pareto's Law,"  he points out that 80% of company profits come from 20% of the customers. 

To get started cutting your own work in half (or 80 or 90% - the more the better!), try the following things:

• List all of your current customers and the amount of business you do with each
• List all of the activities you do to run, market and sell your business

And with each of the items on your list, ask yourself:

• Of all the people I am working with or tasks I am working on which are the most profitable?  Which are the least?
• What would be the result if I simply stopped doing this task?
• How could I automate this task so that my time and energy wouldn't be required to complete it?
• Who could do this task for me so that I could free up my time to do something else?

Some of the lore and mythology around entrepreneurship is working all hours of the day and night, obsessing about details and never resting.  If you fall under this spell, you will most likely find yourself in the role of "entrepreneur with employee mindset," meaning you equate more work with more productivity.

I love how Tim Ferriss sums it up:

"Slow down and remember this:  Most things make no difference.  Being busy is a form of laziness - lazy thinking and indiscriminate action."

Makes you stop and think, doesn't it?

I am excited about applying some "unwork" principles to my business to see what the outcome is.  How do you think it might affect yours?

Compulsive obsession with details will save your neck when giving presentations

It is funny how short, simple conversations have lasting impact.  My Dad is a photojournalist and when I was about 8 years old (1974!), he shared some tips he had learned from giving lots of presentations and slideshows:

"Always bring extra slide projector bulbs, as you never know when one is going to burn out.  Never assume that there will be an electrical outlet near where you have to plug in your equipment; bring a long extension cord.  Always leave the house early in case you get lost on the way to your destination.  Arrive early to check out the space where you will be presenting in case you have to move furniture."

Twenty-two years later, when I chose to become a self-employed consultant and trainer, his words echoed in my ears as I traveled all over the U.S. giving presentations in hotel ballrooms, corporate training rooms and conference centers.

Based on some terror-filled moments which included a smoking laptop in Frankfurt, Germany, realizing that I had loaded the wrong presentation onto my laptop as I started a talk to a large group in Washington, DC, improvising 20 minutes of air time for a radio guest that was 20 minutes late, having materials not show up for a high-dollar workshop I was presenting and feeling my skirt split down the back as I crawled under a desk to plug in my laptop, I developed a guiding set of beliefs for presentations:

• Materials shipped ahead of time might not arrive
• Your laptop could blow up at any time
• Classrooms or conference rooms are never set up the way that you request
  
• Any guest presenters in virtual or live events will screw up logistical details and get confused as to when, where and what they have to present about
• Equipment will break
• If you bring only one set of clothes, you will rip or spill coffee on them

And based on these beliefs, I developed the following practices:

When traveling out of town by plane to an event:

• Ship your materials via Fedex (sorry Airborne Express - too many screw ups to recommend you)and have them arrive the day before you do.
• Don't rely on Fedex's record that the materials were received, talk to a live person at the location and make them swear that they are physically looking at and touching the materials.  Don't settle for less!
• Create a one-page cheat sheet of presentation location, street address and contact person with two alternate phone numbers and carry it with you on the plane.  (You may do all your logistical arranging with the client using his or her phone number at the corporate office.  But if you both travel to the event, they will not be at that office number.  Get his cellphone number and hotel info.)
• Put one set of presentation-ready clothes in your carry-on in case your luggage is lost.  If not, bring a credit card in case you have to buy something new.
• If you are going to a different country, check on the voltage requirements and ensure you bring a trusted power adapter for your equipment.

For presentations:

• As soon as you get to your location, set up and test your equipment.  Schmoozing, coffee and furniture re-arranging can wait.
• Check and double check to make sure you bring the right presentation, and right version of the presentation, to the live event.  Am I the only one that does last-minute changes to a presentation and mistakenly saves it to the wrong place on my hard drive?
• Fully charge your laptop battery, and bring a backup if necessary, even if you are planning to use a power cord.
• Always arrive at least one hour early, 90 minutes early if teaching an all-day class.
• Don't hesitate to re-arrange the furniture to make it a better environment for you and the participants (I personally detest chairs and tables in rows, and often group them in a circle or clusters to encourage dialogue among participants.  Obviously this won't work for a huge presentation in a theater.  Use your judgment and make sure the environment matches your desired outcome for interaction.)
• For god's sake (and that of your audience), do not use a podium.  They are dreadful and make you look like the most boring, stilted and conservative presenter on earth.
• Make a hard copy and electronic backup of your presentation, in addition to the one you have pre-installed on your laptop.
• Ask