Jamie's Blog

Get - it - in - writting!

May 3, 2006.

Sounds pretty obvious, I know.  You say you KNOW that....well this is easier said than done.  It is so easy to get all excited over a handshake or a or a phone call conversation.  I can tell you from experience if you don't get it in writing, it may be too good to be true.

Here are a few things I never got in writing:

• Feature one of my products in major magazine
• Products carried in a catalog
• High-End website agreed to carry my products
• Store samples ordered over phone, but owner refused when products received
• Boutique agreed to carry products
• Sales Representative agreed to represent my line of products
• Check is in the mail
• Project finished by certain date
• My company's name would be listed in newspaper article
• Competitor's products would not be sold on website
• Competitor would not copy my products
• A contract employee promised to work till a certain date

All of these things were things I was promised, either in person or via phone conversation.  None of them came to fruition.  Sometimes I have been wrong, but more times than not - it never happens if it's not in writing.

The key takeaway is that if someone commits something important to you, then get a confirmation in writing, whether it be email or on letterhead.  Once you have it in writing then you can fall back on it,  besides, it is a binding agreement.  Again, easier said that done, now I try to send a follow-up email to my partners, contract employees, or channels to verify what we discussed. 

sticky notes - everywhere

April 19, 2006.

My 3 1/2 year old loves to draw my pictures on sticky notes.  She writes her name, she asks how to spell things, she draws faces, animals...quite the artist (um, I should know).  In fact, she has been know to leave them all over the house, and for two weeks on every door in the house.  The poor  friend got quite a lecture when she tried to remove them from their designated spots.  She also leaves them around my office, on my computer, in my pocket - little pictures and what she calls 'notes'.

I thought about these notes as I was reading, Fortune Small Business Magazine, http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb// ( I am a bit behind on my reading).  Anyhoo....The Small Biz Makeover section mentions Fox Relocation Management use of sticky notes...the phone had been covered by sticky notes on which an RFM employee had scribbled data, prices, contacts. etc.  She goes on to say that all their intellectual property was lost.  Um....that would be MY desk.

The ah-ha moment struck me a little too early this morning....gave me a headache in fact.  I have a pile (yes a pile enough to make a new pad of sticky notes) on my desk.  I have contacts, new stores, new ideas, processes, phone numbers, clients, customers, press contacts, did I mention phone numbers?  So my first instinct was to run over to the office (in my pajamas of course) and put the information into a document...............ah but what document?  And who else should have access to that information? 

All of that information is so important to my business, I need to get it into the correct documents.  When my life is crazy or out of control, I find that getting my work, or desk or paperwork organized and in the correct place helps me out.  I am thinking of giving my daughter all the sticky notes so I am not tempted to use them.

Take a step back....way back

April 18, 2006.

Have you ever had a friend or confidant complain about a problem that they could not figure out?  They go on and on about it, and they just can NOT put their finger on the solution.  You, being able to stand outside of their 'circle of self-pity' can see EXACTLY what the problem is.  You are so smart, you KNOW all.  Now, can you tell them what they are doing wrong?  Probably not....

Being the business owner you need always to figure out the problem.  This is a daunting task and one that most people have trouble with.  You know there is a problem, you know you need to fix it and you KNOW the answer is there, you just can not quite put your finger on it.

Two years ago (almost to the day) we changed a major component of the way we manufactured our products.  When the discussion came up months earlier I held my ground, put my head in the sand (Ala ostrich), drew the line that could not be crossed - I refused to make the leap.  I could not see the big picture, I was being very pig headed and I was making LOTS of assumptions.  I assumed our customers would not be happy with the change, I assumed that no one would sell my products, I assumed wrong (as my uh, husband will reminds me).

Taking that leap of faith (you know the one where everyone said we told you so) taught me a valuable lesson.  I am not always right, and I can not ignore a problem.  Even though I had not solved the problem, I had to be a part of the solution (damn I hated being wrong).

I have learned my lesson, and realized that change is good....it is very good.  Channels dry up, stores close, products lose their appeal, employees leave -  it happens.  However, when one door closes, another ALWAYS opens up.  A good entrepreneur sees the next big thing, sees where to fill in the gaps -always changing, always growing - never getting comfortable or complacent -this is a successful company.

So when a problem arises that you can not solve, or a catastrophe hits your company, stand back.......maybe another step back.

It's all you...

March 23, 2006.

Starting a business is so glamorous and exciting.  You get to be in charge! You get to make all the decisions, you can do what you want when you want to. Work or not work?  These are all decisions that you get to make, and in the beginning it is exhilarating, no one telling YOU what to do.

Hiring an Employee

After awhile you can not do it all anymore.  Any entrepreneur must, at some point, hire someone.  Make sure this first hire is made very carefully.  It is very easy to hire the first person that comes to the door, or first friend or relative that mentions in passing that they are interested in your business.  Once you have hired this person and are able to let go of some of your power and work it can be a relief.  Having someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to do the things you can't do well, or do not like - it's great, at first.

Then they screw up, and it's big.  Your customer is mad.

The Fall Out

It can be hard, but you need to take the fall.  Do not throw your employee under the bus.  Being the business owner, being the one in charge - it's you, it's all you.  You need to make it right and you need to be ready to step in and do whatever it takes. 

I always try and remember this.....and realize most times I did not take the time to train them.

Cheerleader....ya I got that

March 13, 2006.

Starting a business can be lonely, and sometimes you can wake up in the middle of the night and think, "Am I crazy? Will anyone even buy my product?  Why am I doing this?"  There will be bad days, tough decisions, lack of funds, lack of sleep, and tons of stress.  This is when you need to call in a professional, a cheerleader that is - someone that will support you unconditionally.

I am lucky, I have one - and I am married to him.  My husband is my biggest supporter and he will move mountains for me.  When a supplier dried up I was willing to give up on the product, he searched the Internet for weeks trying to locate another one...and he did.  He will come up with marketing ideas, how to save on shipping, where to cut costs, he will also pat me on the back when I need it.  When I am exhausted, spent, feeling like no one understands the pressures of running a business, he always listens (and he must be tired of my rant).  He tells me he is proud of me over and over. 

I thought I had one big hairy cheerleader, until this weekend.  We had a grand opening 'Open House'  at our new office space.  About 75 friends and family came to see our new space and offer congratulations.  The kind words and the oohs and ah's were so unexpected.  I just smiled, and said thank you, claimed it was all smoke & mirrors.  It was very overwhelming and humbling, I am forever grateful for all their support and kindness.

John Sortino writes in his book, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Being  a Successful Entrepreneur" that everyone needs a cheerleader.  When you are down you need someone to tell you that your idea is great.  Someone that encourages you to take the plunge, take the risk, do whatever it takes to succeed.  He claims that your mom may a great one for the job (like the Outback Steakhouse commercial, 'nobody loves you like your mum').  This is great advice for any entrepreneur, especially us 'mompreneurs', the support is like oxygen, you can't live without it - or succeed without it. 

The Lowest Lows

January 25, 2006.

The expression, 'no one loves your company as much as you do'. was obviously said by someone that did not own their own company, but it is a true statement.  No employee is going to go to the lengths you will go to for your 'baby', and they shouldn't.  However, being the business owner this is NOT something you want to hear.

I take everything personal when it involves my company-the highs are SO high and the lows are my darkest lows.  It is all ME, I take them all literally - after 3 years in business it's mostly about the ego.  It's also about the product - I still love the product, I love the creation of something new and I LOVE, LOVE the sale, the new store, the new account, the new sales rep, the new product, the press - these things I adore.

When we lose an account, lose a rep, an employee, a supplier, it hurts (notice I said WE) and I take it oh so personally - I get very down, very down.  I tend to think of all that is wrong and dwell on the negatives - not a good thing.

As the business owner and leader I feel it is my job to stay positive and stay one step ahead of my competition.  I have often said to friends, "I love being in charge, I don't love managing people.  I never truly appreciated any of my past managers until I was one - only then did I realize how hard it was.  Being an entrepreneur is like being two people - a visionary and being everything else.  If I could just find my happy place...

What was I thinking?

January 16, 2005.

We got our first sales channel for our new pet division.  Woo-hoo, I am so excited, break out the champagne-yippee (note the exhausted tone of my voice?)  Three years later here I am again back at square one (a new division of  my company), chasing down new prospects and I am dreading it.

It sounded like a good idea back in September or was it October?  A personalized pet division that specializes in dog and cat adoption certificates, birthday plates and Christmas ornaments.  It's quirky, it's cute-it's starting all over again.

This year we also have sales reps in place in different parts of the country, and for different mediums-this is a huge change for us, considering the other 120 sales channels I got on my own.  Cold calling, trade show, mailers, references-all off my back.  So now that I have removed some of that pressure-here I am back again hunting and pecking for this unknown venture.

The other problem is that my husband is not a hundred percent behind this venture. I know, I know who cares what he thinks-problem is I do.  And, lastly I met with a large prospect last week that thought our pet adoption certificates may not fly since they were not breed specific.  Hmmmm-thanks, my fragile ego is deteriorating.

I guess it's just a wait and see, the growth won't come over night-unless I can get some starlet to buy one for her accessories, err-dogs.

Moving on Up!

January 12, 2006.

I just finished filling out my financial records for our rental property.  Our second proposal for our rental space for my business, Jamie's Painting & Design was accepted on Friday.  We gave the property manager a proposal two weeks ago and she thought it was ‘ridiculously low’ to quote her and she sat on it, I think literally, for over a week. 

Having been in business for just over three years-and first running it out of a small bedroom, then expanding to the converted garage/studio-we are officially out of space.  Working at home had it’s benefits at first, and I will miss some things about it-but not all.

These are a few of my NOT so favorite things:

• Working 8-12 hours a day 7 days a week, always answering the phones….
• Having upwards of 7 employees walk through my house all day long
• Doing dishes, changing diaper, making dinner all while taking a sales call and pretending that I am not working out of your home
• Being interviewed for an article and literally running from room to room to hide from my toddler
• Crying as I ink tiles at midnight
• Answering the door in my pajamas
• Chasing the Fed Ex driver down the street, in my pajamas
• Spending entire days in my pajamas
• Not owning cute pajamas
• Cooking Tiles in my oven (long story, for another time)
• Storing shipping supplies in my would be bathroom
• Storing office supplies in my living room-while I am living in it
• Missing a whole weekend of playing with my kids

I was featured in a San Francisco Chronicle article bitching about these same things-having read once too often how great, easy, wonderful, flexible (you fill in the blank) working from home could be, all while raising your kids.  But, hence it was the only way for us to start this venture-and now, I guess we are successful-but boy are we tired.

Yep-working out of the house-not so glamorous, plenty busy-but I digress, we are moving on up!  After 100% growth year after year, and our sales channels doubling and tripling we need to move this baby into a bigger space.