Your home business needs a designate area for your "office" . It does not need to be large or elaborate, but it needs to be YOURS!
I just relocated my office to the living-room of our home and it is perfect. I have lots of light and space, my boys are around me (which I love), and I have things around me that inspire me.
You have a home business to make money ... among other things. You MUST know how to meet your customers and give them what they want. Learning sales skills I'd among the best training you can invest in. We are privileged today to be able to attend a half-day seminar by the unquestioned sales expert, Jeffrey Gitomer. Buy his books and learn what he teaches! Your home business will thank you!!
After congratulating my colleague on her engagement, she turned to me and asked, "What advice do you have for a successful marriage?"
Having just separated from my husband of nearly 20 years, I was taken aback by the question and said, "You do know I'm getting a divorce."
"Of course," she said, "That's why I asked you. I thought I could learn from your mistakes."
"In that case," I replied, "Don't go into business with your husband."
Today, I would also add, have separate bathrooms, but that's off-topic.
In the past fifteen years, I have given that advice to several lovely couples who were thinking about going into business together. I don't think they paid attention. We wouldn't have either. Despite the alleged benefits, I would say the cons of working with your spouse definitely outweigh the pros. But, who's asking me?
During the 1980s, the number of businesses run by married couples increased more than 90 percent, according to the Small Business Administration. These weren't just mom & pop shops, either. In 1995, a full one third of the fastest growing private companies on the Inc. 500 list were owned and operated by husband and wife teams.
The biggest con is that owning a business in effect makes your marriage divorce-proof. While technically you can get a divorce when you both own a business, it's just that it makes for a much messier divorce than your standard split. Maybe it's not an issue for people who are financially independent, but in the case of myself and my former husband, we were financially co-dependent.
For several years before my marriage ended, I knew I wanted out. When I thought about getting a divorce, my biggest concern was not my kids -- I believed they would be better off in a home with less tension. My biggest concern was how in the world would we untangle our business, not harm our employees and clients, and still earn a living.
Every time I thought about it, I got dizzy. And, I never came up with a good solution. So I did nothing.
While my former husband and I did the traditional marriage counseling, it always felt as there was not enough at risk to motivate us to change. After all, what would we do, get a divorce? It was obvious that we wouldn't. The business became a guarantee that the marriage would stay intact regardless of how bad the marriage got, and that gave both of us permission to be very lazy about the relationship.
Of course, in 1980 when we started our business, all we could think about was how much fun it would be and how our talents complimented each other. In those early years, we focused on audio visual production, doing multi-media slide shows for corporations. We had a ton of fun. I did the writing; he did the producing. It was a great team.
But, businesses, like people, grow and change. There came a time when corporations were no longer interested in the multimedia slide shows; they wanted video tape. Instead of writing scripts, I was being asked to do more strategic work. The evolution of the business was great for me, not so great for my former husband.
Looking back, that was a huge mistake. I was so intent on growing the business, that I didn't realize we were losing the part of the business that my husband enjoyed the most. And, if you can't do what you love in your own business, what's the point?
What we couldn't know in the beginning of the business was that the success of the business became more important than the success of our relationship. It happened so gradually, that it wasn't until we had lost the "us" that we realized what was gone.
Early on, we thought we were being smart by deciding to spend the majority of our free time apart. After all, we saw each other all day; we wanted to have our own lives.
So, after work, we took turns. I went to aerobics class three days a week, and he played cribbage with friends on the other days. We did go out on the weekend, but usually it was with other couples, rarely by ourselves.
Despite our best intentions of not talking about business at home, business became the number one topic of our conversations. It was pervasive. It was the thing we shared and cared about the most. Not sure when I realized the business had become more important than the marriage, but it definitely happened, years before we legally ended our union.
Being in business together meant vacations together were few and short. It was really tough for both of us to be away together for an extended period of time. And, even when we were on vacation, we were still tethered to the business.
Ultimately, the marriage ended because the business ended. In the early 90's, my husband became an early adopter of the World Wide Web. He was a visionary, seeing how the medium would change how people interact. In those early days of the Internet, he threw himself into creating an online grocery store. This was before Paypal, before shopping carts, before Google. At the time, there were just about 100,000 web sites.
Obviously, the project failed, and with it, because of circumstances too personal to discuss here, the business went with it. The official end was a Friday the 13th.
Within a week, I was offered a position at a national marketing firm. While it was definitely a transition to become an employee, I relished not having to meet payroll every two weeks, and being able to take days off and really take the days off. Most of all, I loved not having my husband as my business partner.
Eight weeks after our business closed, my husband moved out. We said it was a trial separation, but I knew that it was going to be permanent. 15 years of letting the business supersede our personal relationship had taken a fatal toll.
Over the years, I've wondered if we had been more mature, if we had better communication skills, if we had been more diligent about spending the time on our personal relationship, if we could have survived everything that owning and closing a business entails. The truth is, our business was a jealous mistress that neither one of us wanted to share or let go.
And, like many mistresses, the business eventually ruined the marriage.
Elana
BlogHer Contributing Editor: Business & Career
FunnyBusiness
I saw this and thought, "This might be some of the worst advice I've seen." Philip and I have been successfully married and in business together since 1994. Does that sound like being in business with your partner is a recipe for failure?
The truth about having a home business with a partner is you both need to learn how to work with each other and how to separate work from the rest of your life. It's not always easy but it can be very rewarding.
And I can say that it's contributed to our marriage vs taking away from it. We have had challenges, to be sure. But show me a marriage that doesn't.
Don't listen when somebody says you can't do it! We coach many couples, either already in business together or preparing to take the leap. The success comes from the self-knowledge of each of them as well as their willingness to find ways to make things work and capitalize on individual strengths. And, oh yeah, then there's that communication thing, too.
Want a strong marriage? Having a home business together may be just the ticket!
If you've ever been to Las Vegas and visited The Wynn resort you know they are an "A" class resort and, like Disney, they manage every detail of their customers' experience; treating the customer area of the resort as the stage where a performance is going on 24/7.
That said, there are still complaints that have to be managed. We had one on Sunday and it's a clear example of how proper handling of our problem means they will continue to get our business:
We went to the resort for the Sunday brunch. We do this often to work. It's a great environment and we always get a lot done. We're there for 3 hours (+/-) and leave an appropriate tip as 'table rent' for the server.
Sunday we were seated in Carlos' area. We sat, he brought us our drinks and we had our first course. 40 minutes later Carlos finally came back around to our table to let us know he'd be right back to refill our glasses. 40 minutes! Our glasses have NEVER been empty at the Wynn brunch before!
We hadn't started working yet and I was annoyed. This is a totally foreign experience for us when at the Wynn. I thought about just sitting back and letting it ride but because I was so distracted by the poor service, I wouldn't be able to fully focus on the work we wanted to get do so dicided to speak to the Hostess.
Elsie was stellar in her managing of our complaint. She listened to us and immediately agreed to seat us with another server. She was very apologetic and said she'd also let the manager know what was going on. She was friendly, always with a pleasant look on her face, and made us feel like she genuinely cared. She seated us with Lisa who performed her duties without fault and with transpanency. Our glasses were never empty and she was always available, checking on us AND the rest of her customers.
Lisa was delivering the kind of service the Wynn has set us up to expect. Carlos was not. They both had the same number of tables and customers but Carlos' attention to the needs of his customers fell far below even minimally acceptable standards.
Elsie came back shortly after reseating us to make sure we were okay. Perfect!
Bottom line: If Elsie had handled our complaint differently we would have left the buffet and the resort with a sour taste in our mouths. Would we have returned in the future? I don't know. But we certainly would not rave about the resort, the service, or the quality of the Sunday brunch.
For you and your home business, especially if you have a home business start up, one bad experience can mean certain failure. Turn it around by satisfying your customer and you can end up with a cutomer for life. Caring about them, their problem, and their experience will ensure they return, and their trust in you will deepen. Even more, they'll tell the story of what you did for them. There is no better advertising for your home business than word of mouth.
One other note: A dissatisfied customer will tell more people about their experience than you can afford. Likewise, a satisfied customer who's turned into a raving fan will talk about you and yoru home business and convert peole to customers for you. It's far too costly to undo a customer's bad experience. Manage every detail and make sure the experiences are all positive - even the handling of complaints (or should I say, especially!).
Customer service is critical to all businesses, brick and mortar AND home business.
But here's a place where great customer service takes on even more special meaning: In the medical community.
I have, unfortunately, had the pleasure of working with Steve Edwards at Achieve Physical Therapy.
In dealing with health issues, people are already on edge. The best way to put them at ease is make them feel welcome and cared about. Friendliness, respect, and compassion go a long in creating trust and a sense of safety.
From my first phone call this was the case with the ENTIRE staff at Achieve PT. They made it easy for me to show up for my physical therapy appointments, knowing there was going to be friendly banter and a genuine sense of caring - like it matters how my healing progresses.
The same holds true for your home business and your own customers. Treat them right, show how much you care, and you will have customers for life. If you don't, you likely won't have a home business to worry about.
My next post will move away from customer service - I think you get it now. Time to move on to other things that will make the difference to your home business, whether you're in start up or have been operating for years.
Like I said, Vons used to be our grocer of choice. It's never been the best priced store, but the customer service we received, and the friends we made of the staff made us willing to pay a little more.
Then a new Vons was built closer to home (within blocks) and we started going to it, instead of the one we had to drive farther to reach.
We made many friends on the butcher staff, the produce manager, and many more.
Enter the store manager, Laura.
There is nothing that can be said to excuse her treatment of her staff nor customers. We had the unfortunate opportunity to hear her berating one of our favorite staff members on the sales floor. The others would share their own stories with us. It was appalling.
We had our own encounters with her, the most prominent in our memory is when she was having a conversation with us as she was walking away from us and had her back to us.
So many horror stories could be shared but that's not the point of the story.
We didn't understand why the Von's management kept her on. We still wonder. One of the staff finally shared they keep her because her numbers are so good.
Well, that put Von's at the bottom of the list of the grocery stores we shop at. We started shopping at Smith's and Albertson's, both of which have much better prices than Von's, anyway. And then we found Glazier's.
All 3 of these markets have happy, friendly employees. They make us feel like they care we shop with them. They talk to us face to face and don't walk away while they are talking.
There are still employees at Von's we like, but will not give them our dollars - if they keep on managers like Laura vs focusing on their customers, it's just not where we ant to shop.
AND we share our negative stories with anybody who'll listen. How much business do they lose? Lots. Especially since if we are have this experience, so are other people. And other people are also choosing to shop elsewhere.
How it relates to you and your home business:
The customer is not always right. However, you have to pay attention to your customers and make sure they know you care that they do business with you. Let them know you appreciate them. Make them your friends - maybe not the kind you want to invite over for dinner, but ones you could chit chat with over the back fence.
People do business with people they like. Get to know your customers - your home business start up depends on it!
No body every wants to go to physical therapy - it means they hurt. But when you have to go, you want a provider like Achieve Physical Therapy.
From my very firt conversaqtion with their office, I felt cared for. They treat their clients with respect and caring and you feel it.
People do business with people they like. Keeping your customers happy will keep them doing business with you.
Pay attention to the service you get from any business you patronize. Notice what you like and don't like. Than apply what you learn to your home business. Everything counts!
A little teaser: We are getting ready to launch a special program for a limited number of people. It is designed to teach exactly what you need for a successful home business start up and operation and will take you from choosing the right home business for you, to setting up your home office, to running your business for success. If you're interested, let us know. Contact Laura Hess or Philip Cohen at Home Business Start Up.
For home business owners, procrastination can be the kiss of death. Putting things off means they don't get done and, of course, that means your home business goes no where.
And if you're involved in a home business start up, your procrastination means your home business never gets off the ground.
We coach people in eliminating the habit of procrastination and replacing it with one that supports you in your goals. all the time. We decided to pull a report together to give you the opportunity to do the same thing for yourself.
Don't let procrastination stop your home business from even getting started. Change the habits that hold you back and take a giant step toward success.
Glazier's Food Marketplace has fast become our grocer of choice. For many reasons. And they are the same one you need to pay attention to as a home business and especially as a home business start up.
When you are starting a home business (or any business for that matter) if you don't pay attention to the experience your customers are having when they do business with you, they won't be customers for long.
Glazier's is a business model to pay attention to. We "discovered" the stoer a number of months ago and it become our primary store immediately. We met the owner and spent time talking with him ... and he actually acted like he carded about the conversation. A really nice change from some of our other grocery store conversations.
The quality of their stock is almost secondary to the way they treat their customers and the word is spreading fast. We talk about Galzier's whenever we have the opportunity (It is true that when you have a good exerience, you want to share it).
EVERY employee we speak to is friendly and interested in helping us. They are all over the store, not hiding in the back. And they always ask if we need help when they see us.
There is so much more and I will share it post in the future.
What's important to you with a home business start up is that you can use the Glazier's model as you start and grow your business. Put your customers center stage. The customer isn't always right, BUT they are the lifeblood of your home business. Make sure they know you care and your home business will thrive.
Your home business start up will thrive or die based on how you treat your customers.
I finally got in to see the Doc 1 hour and 45 min after my scheduled appointment. After complete the necessary medical stuff for my pre-op requirements (And that's a whole other story.) I had the hard talk with him.
Prefacing my commentx with how much we liked his as a Doc and the time he spends with us and the compassion he shows, I needed some help with minimizing wait time.
We've had conversations about being self employed before and shared war stories about trading time for money and how, if we didn't show up, there was nobody else to do the work. He gets it because he's there, too.
His solution wasn't one. He said all he can do is suggest I schdule my app'ts to be eith firsth thing in the morning, or right after lunch.
But what if I needed to get in quickly, like for my pre-op stuff?
Oh, well. I guess you wait.
I went into the conversation emotionally attached to him as my primary Doc. His "I don't care; there's nothing I can do about it" attitude changed that in a moment.
I walked out of his office ready to look for a new physician.
The cost to him?
Two patients immediately ( me and Philip) and all the referrals we'd make in the future. PLUS we will retell our story when it's appropriate to anyone who will listen.
If he had even given the slightest indication that he'd work with us so we wouldn't have to lose 4 hours for what coud have been done by FAX or phone, we would have remained loyal to him.
Bottom line to you as a home business owner: Take care of your cutomers. Make sure you control the experiences they have of you so they'll want to keep coming back. Your home business depends on it!
This is a great example of really bad customer service and it's high cost - this Doc is going to lose 2 patients PLUS all our referrals.
No business can afford to lose customers. Worse, they can't afford the associated bad press.
Pay attention to the details and your customer's experiences. It matters!
