How to Actually WORK At Home

One of the perks of running a business from home is that I have a lot of experience already working remotely. While I’ve been able to meet with my staff in person until the COVID-19 pandemic, most of my work is done in my house. I know a lot of people are facing the prospect of doing all their work at home, when it used to be office for work, home for not work. This is a huge challenge. I can’t say I have all the answers but I can tell you what works best for me.

First, try to work out a routine. For me, it doesn’t have to be perfect and strict it’s more of a guide. It may need to be more strict for you though. I generally start my morning with NOT work. I check my phone to make sure there isn’t anything super pressing (you may not have to do this, I check to be sure no one called out, no clients had emergencies overnight. If your job is a more traditional 9-5, please please skip this step). After my 5 min check in, I try to do something productive and not work related. Morning is when I’m most likely to clean, so I try to do that a couple of times a week. I might do some exercise or take my dogs for a walk. Something start my day on a productive track without forcing me to work right away. During Stay Home orders I’ve been starting every day with yoga (even if it’s only 5 min) and if the weather is nice enough, I walk the dogs. This gives me a later start time than usual, but it’s been working for me.

Second, figure out when you’re most productive. I am most productive before about 2pm for general work tasks. If I have something that absolutely, positively must get done before the end of the day, it’s the first work thing I do. Sometimes i skip the first step I mentioned because I know it’ll get done if I do it first thing. Plan your heavier or most time sensitive tasks for this time. You probably have a more productive time in the office too. It’ll likely be similar but it might be a little different at home. Mostly because there are different influences. In the office, maybe your cubicle mate always takes a break at 10 and you find you can get a ton of stuff done while they’re on a coffee run. At home, your kiddos really want a hug by 10am and you’re more productive at 11 when they’re onto the next thing. You’ll have a good idea though.

Third, determine how and where you work best. I generally work from my couch, but I have a little TV table for my computer. When the table is out of the way, i'm not working. I also like a change of scenery. When it’s nice, I work on my patio. I’ll sometimes move the TV table to the chair. If I had other people living in the house, I’d probably have a desk in a room made for work. If I’m in that room, I’m working. Other people can come in to work or be quiet, but it’s not a social place. If you need a space to trigger you to work (like a desk or a room etc) do your best to make that happen in your home.

Finally, allow for flexibility. Yes your routine may be super helpful but if you get the urge to accomplish that big task and your routine is telling you to go for a walk. Finish the task! The walk after will feel amazing. Similarly, if you are supposed to be doing a task and can’t focus, step away for a minute. Recalibrate and go at it from another angle.

A couple of extra notes. These suggestions work best for accomplishing tasks. If you’re building your schedule around video conferences all day, there’s only so much control you have. If you have children at home, or even roommates, this is more challenging as well. Most of all, do the best you can with what you have. You may have wildly productive days and days where nothing gets done. That’s OK. We’re all adjusting and you have to be kind to yourself.

What’s your favorite work from home trick?

Well What the Actual Heck

Holy smokes y’all what is going on? I’ve been MIA for a bit and most of that was writer’s block/trouble shooting. Last week I was in the throes of dealing with a completely new challenge. Much like every small business owner I’ve spent the last week figuring out how to deal with COVID-19. It’s a dang doozy. In a matter of 5 days we lost half of our business. I went from organizing growth and hiring and thinking about our 10 year anniversary party to wondering if we would even exist a year from now. I had a melt down about the idea of laying off dog walkers. Like full on, crying and hyperventilating meltdown. This thought had never even really occurred to me. It was scary and disorienting and took a lot out of me. Despite this, I couldn’t go into a deep dark place, as much as I wanted to. I had to move. I had to figure out a way to survive.

This post is less a how to and more a this is how I feel. We’ll go back to advice next week. I’ve often said, “Business is going great! And barring a catastrophe we should be doing great!” or “Everything will be fine as long as nothing goes crazy!” Well, shit went crazy. Like off the walls, stock markets plummet, hundreds of thousands of people laid off from their jobs, schools closed, bananas. There’s a run on toilet paper (toilet paper isn’t really essential but panic isn’t rational). Concerts-canceled. Conferences-canceled. Gyms-closed. Restaurants-closed. The whole working world is learning how to work remotely. Doctors and nurses and other hospital staff are quarantining themselves as best they can in their own homes so they don’t get their families sick. When people are home, dogs don’t need dog walkers. Even if our clients need us, they’re limiting those coming in and out of their homes. Especially knowing that we’re continuing to service our clients who work in hospitals.

This is uncharted territory for everyone. We don’t know what’s coming and how we’re going to handle it. Take care of yourselves, take care of your families and your communities. Take some time to process and then keep moving.

Small Fish, Big Pond

In so many ways, the key to small business success is repeat clients. That can look different depending on the industry. For me, it’s clients who use us every week, a predictable number of times. For others, it might be people who are brand loyal and only buy, say, Nike shoes. Another might be a subscription model. There are lots of options, and the most successful businesses figure out what works best for them and put it into motion.

I’ve been trying for a long time to work out a contract with various apartment complexes to be their preferred dog walking company. It’s never taken off. I’ve gotten to different points in the process but never closed the sale, as it were. One day, out of the blue, I got a call from a virtual concierge that works with a lot of different apartment complexes. They needed a dog walker to partner with and found me online. The partnership grew and we began offering subscriptions to residents. About 8 months into the launch, it was becoming clear that the subscription model we thought would work just didn’t. It wasn’t very popular and even if it was wildly successful it wasn’t very profitable for either of us. I called a meeting and asked how they thought things were going. They admitted it wasn’t what they wanted and asked what I thought we should do. I was honest and direct. I said that their system wasn’t very user friendly and we were getting a lot of complaints. I wouldn’t be able to continue offering the package at this rate for much longer and that the best path forward, as I saw it, was to switch to a straight referral model. If someone came to us from them, they’d get an introductory discount and the company would get a kickback for the lead. We’d take over all the management of the onboarding and scheduling and billing and all they’d do is get a check. The upside for us is that we can charge what we want and we can treat our customers the way we want to. We don’t have to pay someone to manage an entirely different system than ours and this method provides a lot more opportunity for growth. The upside for them is they’re not paying staff to manage it and to build the interface.

This process is still in motion and negotiation so I don’t know how it’s going to end up. What I do know is that the only way to get through to a large company is to be clear and direct. I went along with them for a little while because I have the flexibility to take some risks and try things out. I think their model had potential and I wanted to see where it would go. Once it became clear it wasn’t working though, I wanted to be clear with what my company needed to stay in the game. We’ve done a great job of handling a broken system and helping to craft a new offering for them but at a certain point, you need to know what you need and ask for it. It doesn’t matter if you lose the account. If it wasn’t working in the first place, is it really a loss at all?

It can be really easy to be swallowed up or strong armed by a larger company you’re trying to work with, even if they’re not trying to. You know that if it works it’ll be a huge boon for you and your business and you don’t want to watch that slip through your fingers. Keep in mind though, that it’s YOUR business. You know what’s best for it and while it’s OK to try things and take some risk, it’s not OK to sacrifice your staff and profits when you know the program isn’t being run the way it should be.

Trading $paces

Most people don’t start a business just to make money. Most people start a business because they’re really good at this one thing and they want to share it with others. This often means, especially in the beginning, that you’re in a position of selling yourself when the thing you’re really good at might be completely unrelated to sales. It can be hard. And it’s easy to not recognize what your product or service is worth. This sometimes results in a lot of requests for trade from other small business owners. It could be they don’t have the funds because they’re just starting out too, or maybe they don’t realize what they’re worth yet. Trading can be extremely helpful for a new business. You can get things (like maybe a website) done without having to pay out of pocket, but trading can also be a dangerous trap.

When you’re starting out you want to get yourself out there. Part of you is even willing to do it for free so you can maybe get a review or a picture for your socials or maybe just to DO something other than sit around trying to figure out if you’ll ever make this work. Trades are most valuable when whatever you get, you need. It’s even better if it helps your business. Sometimes, they can work to provide some luxury items or some of that self care we’re always talking about without taking money out of your pocket. The bigger you get though, the harder it is to trade. When you are getting the benefit, it’s simple. But when you’re paying a staff to complete the job, is the trade really worth it? Did you get the value of paying your staff back from the trade? If you’re doing it yourself, is it pulling you away from something else you should be doing?

Trades really can be a great way to earn something that is hard to pay for, especially when you’re starting out. Take some time to really think about them before you agree though. Does this work best for you and your business? Or is this taking money out of your pocket more than it’s contributing? Is maintaining this relationship taking more time than it’s worth? On the flip side, if you’re the established one and it’s not hurting you, does it help someone whose getting started? Can you make someone’s journey a little easier? Regardless of where you’re at, make sure you’re revisiting your trade agreements at least a few times a year. Ensure they’re lifting you up and not dragging you down. And, as always, as your accountant to make sure you stay on the up and up!

Oh My Gosh What Do I Do With This Money?

I know I know, you’re all thinking, “My money is spent before I even have it!” That’s fair, mine usually is too. But if you are a small business owner it’s likely you’ll have good months and bad. Some months you’ll break records and maybe make more than you did in your first year. If you don’t own a business and you think this is bananas, first years are often not profitable at all. I was lucky, my first 12 months was pretty good overall and I have yet to net more in one month than I did in those 12 months but it would not be unusual. A good month doesn’t necessarily mean a good year though. How do you budget for good months and bad? How do you stay on top of things and not spend the money before you make it? The next couple of posts are going to be some advice that works for me. I am by no means a financial expert or advisor but I’ve learned a lot from my own mistakes and maybe something will resonate with you.

First, figure out a method that works for you for bill tracking. I know lots of people who have lots of different methods but almost all of them include a calendar. For me, it’s a google calendar with each bill written down on it’s due date. When I get paid, I sit down with my calendar and pay the bills I can and mark them all off. If I have a little left, I either pay another bill, pay some of my debt, or use it to buy something I’ve been saving for. We’ll talk about how to decide where it goes next week. The calendar method essentially eliminated late payments and drastically reduced my anxiety. I used to worry that I had forgotten one or I’d get a past due email and then have to pay a late fee. It was truly life changing.

Start paying attention to things that surprise you regularly. You can put your yearly bills in your calendar but you still might not notice them until the month before and if it’s a big bill, what do you do now? We talked about some options for taxes here: https://www.laurenpiner.com/stf/thats-a-big-number. It could be yearly insurance, car registration, all kinds of things. The first and easiest solution is to put some money into savings every month. Especially if you know you have bills like these, focus on boosting that savings account so that when these bills come you don’t have to find the full amount. I personally love the bank accounts that put money into a savings account when you use it. The one I have lets you designate exactly how much so every time I use my debit card or pay a bill from that bank account a dollar goes into the savings account. While it’s not enough to pay for these big expenses, it’s often enough to cover something if I’m just a little short before a pay period. For the big expenses though, the payment should be one of your calendar bills.

If you do have a particularly good month, immediately put at least half of the extra into a savings account. Your money may already be spent, you may be paying off some debt, but do everything you can to put at least something into a savings account.

We’ll leave it there for now. If you take anything away from this post, I hope it’s to create and follow a bills calendar. What have you done that helps you manage your money? I hope you’ll share!

When You Just Can't

I spent the last five days moving through one of the worst colds I have ever had. It was brutal. I basically went from my bed to my couch for three days straight. Even letting my dogs into the back yard left me winded. I couldn’t talk on the phone without coughing. I am very lucky to be able bodied and healthy. I get colds but rarely do they take me out for more than a day or so. This was a challenge for me. There was so much I wanted to do and so much I was needed for and I just couldn’t do it. And you know what? It was OK. I communicated with my staff via text when needed. I let myself rest so I could be back as soon as possible. I took care of myself. I’ll admit this does not come naturally to me. When I was on my own I very well may have loaded up on my cold meds and just powered through. I honestly don’t know. I’m glad I didn’t have to make the choice between my business and my health this time.

Of course, I did still have to do some work. I am fortunate though to have a phenomenal staff that ran great interference for me. Yes I had to text them back and even do a couple quick phone calls but I didn’t need to talk to clients, walks still got done, new clients got added. Each day I would assess how I felt, look at my schedule for the next day, and get to canceling whatever I had going on. Everyone was very understanding (probably because I almost never do that). I checked my email and replied to people if I could, told them I was sick and would reply in full in a couple of days. And then I did.

This was a strong reminder that a lot of things are just not in my control. It’s possible for me to manage things and be available without pushing myself so hard. It also made me think hard about what would happen if I was suddenly limited in ways I’m not usually. Especially if it lasted for more than a week or two. I know I would struggle with that, but I think I may finally be getting to a place where I can let go. It feels good.

That's a BIG Number

Getting that end of year tax bill can be a big kick in the gut. No matter your politics, seeing that number in black and white and then comparing it to your bank account can throw you for a loop, especially if you’re not prepared. Last week my advice was to get an accountant. It’s the same this week. I am by no means an expert or financial advisor of any kind. This is just some of what I’ve done to lessen my own big number. I also don’t recommend doing most of these things without the supervision of an accountant because everyone’s situation is different. What worked for me may not for you.

Now that that’s out of the way, the first and easiest thing is to plan for purchases near the end of the year. If you know you want to get a piece of equipment like say, a new computer, do that before January 1. The purchase amount will be removed from your income and therefore not taxed. Don’t go crazy spending money you don’t have, it’s not a 1 to 1 equation but if you' were on the fence or planning to do it anyway, get it done so you can avoid the taxes on it.

You can also do good with that money! For example, providing certain healthcare options for your employees pulls that money off the income as well and gives you the opportunity to provide something for your staff that you may not have before. There are tons of these options and I know very few of them but it’s a really good way to get a reward for doing the right thing.

There’s of course the old standby of putting money into a 401K. This is always a good option to help you prepare for the future.

Finally, preparation is key. it may not lessen the burden overall but it will keep your eyes from popping out of your head when you see the total. Start saving money for taxes early and often. There are a variety of ways of doing this, a simple savings account all they way up to paying yourself a salary.

This is just a short post of what can help, for a full list and the best solution for you (did you see it coming) ask your accountant.

Tax Time

Running a business is hard and complicated. There are so many balls in the air at any given time that you mostly just hope you don’t drop an important one. Taxes are one of the important ones but where do you even begin? My best advice is to hire an accountant you trust. Even if you do your own bookkeeping, taxes change constantly and you don’t have time to keep track of all the rule changes. You might think your taxes are fairly simple, but having them prepared by an expert gives you peace of mind that they’re done right and someone to go back to if you get audited.

The next thing is to stay on top of your bookkeeping. Whether you’re doing it or someone else, setting apart some time each month to make sure the previous month’s data is tracked and accurate will make for a much smoother tax season. Your records will be more accurate (seriously do you remember what that $20 charge was from last January?) and you won’t be dreading the April 15th deadline. It also gives you the benefit of knowing your numbers consistently which means you can identify when things are going well and when something isn’t working quite right.

Make sure you’re paying taxes throughout the year (or putting money in a savings account for them). Even a fairly modest income results in upwards of $15k in taxes and it’s unlikely you have that laying around if you didn’t plan for it. Next week we’ll talk about things you can do for your business that lessen your tax burden as well.

If you take anything away from this post: Hire an accountant. A good one will tell you all the other things I said and more. Don’t hire them in March when you’re in a panic (well do, but after you make it through this year, ask them how to better prepare for next year). What’s the biggest tax lesson you’ve learned?

Blind to Burnout Bosses

We’ve spent a lot of time here talking about self care and how to balance your time. This is all super important no matter where you work but what happens when the company culture has no respect for your time and what you need. I recently read a tweet from someone that said at their company’s end of year meeting they discussed the results of a survey that said the staff feels over worked and under paid. The CEO suggested all the staff get a gratitude journal and appreciate their coworkers more. (You can read the tweet here: https://twitter.com/MIZ_JJC/status/1212074629432532992) We can make jokes about executives being out of touch with their companies, and we probably should just to help us get through the day, but this is a real thing said by a large company that employs thousands of people. Even if those people do everything right, they are set up to fail. When the top line says that staff is responsible for their own mental health and the company not only refuses to make policies that allow for that but actively works against them what can you do?

Unfortunately, there is very little you can do to change the culture in the company or industry you’re in. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, fill out the surveys, talk about it during your review, hell call out the CEO in the end of year meeting, or in a tweet! You may get somewhere, even small changes can help in situations like this but, especially in a big corporation, you’re unlikely to make any big changes. If you do manage to make them, it will take a lot of time. Corporations move slowly. That’s OK though, there are some things you can do for yourself.

First, get good at setting boundaries. I know not all industries allow this (I’m thinking young lawyer trying to make partner or a resident in a hospital) and I think especially in the earlier years of your career it’s normal to make some exceptions that you wouldn’t after you’ve proven yourself. You should still have boundaries but they might be a little further down the road than they would be for someone whose established themselves already. With the caveat out of the way, we can talk about good boundary setting. For example, you’re a salaried employee who is getting pressured to work 80 hours a week. It’s likely your contract states something about the hours you’re expected to work and it’s very unlikely that the expected hours are 80. Dig up your contract and read it. Bring it to your boss and explain that you can no longer work the hours they are demanding and you want to find a solution with them. It is possible they’ll throw down and fire you, but probably not. Especially if you have a clause in your contract. Even if not though, going to your boss and explaining that this is not sustainable and you need to come to a solution is unlikely to just get you the boot. It may not make lasting changes but hopefully it can give you some relief until you have to have the conversation again.

Remember that when you’re off you’re off. Very few jobs actually require us to be available 24/7. If you took the day off, make sure everyone has what they need if there are time sensitive things that need to be done, and then be off. Leave your phone in another room if you have to. Uninstall your email app for the day. Do what you need to but take that time. Even half a day of being off and “unplugged” can be a huge recharge when you’ve been “on” for weeks. Don’t apologize for it either. You were not working. There’s no reason to apologize for taking a day to get back to someone. This can be tricky especially if you do have the kind of job where you might need to be on call. Maybe an IT administrator or someone who is the only person in your company that can do the thing. When I really need a break but feel like I can’t disconnect because there’s something I’m worried about (maybe a new manager or difficult client), I give my phone to a friend I’m spending time with and ask them to tell me if there’s an emergency. It gives me the space to know that everything is being monitored but not have to check it constantly. I’ve gotten better at this and don’t need the friend very often but it can be a good way to retrain yourself. Unfortunately we often don’t really have an emergencies only way to contact so this can be a good stop gap.

Finally, you can consider looking for other work. If your whole industry is like this, it might not matter. Even if it is though, starting a new position where you can set boundaries from the get go might make a big difference. If you’ve been working in the same place since you’re early 20s and you’re in your early 30s now, people might still be seeing and treating you as the 23 year old fresh out of college. Even if you’ve gotten the promotion it can be hard to make that transition in people’s minds. If you’ve tried the above suggestions and have gotten nowhere, maybe even gone backwards, it might be time to look for a fresh start. When you make the switch, make a plan to set boundaries early. They hired you because they like you, make sure they keep you because you’re taking care of yourself.

Working in an company or industry like this is like waking up every morning and rolling with disadvantage. It sucks and can feel like there’s no way out or through. Making some small changes can make a real difference though. What have you done to change the game where you work?

Use Your Good For Powers

This may seem a little crazy and maybe even selfish but hear me out. Most people, want to give back in one way or another. We know that usually, even when we have it hard, someone else has it harder. But most of us are also strapped for time and money so how can we help? Volunteering your time is one of the most valuable. How do you figure out who to spend your time with though? This can be done is so many ways. The first thing I recommend is do something you’re passionate about. It’s even better if it’s not related to your career. Volunteering can be a great outlet for your creative energy and forcing your mind to think in a different way to what you do every day will help you and make sure you’re fresh for the work you’re doing for the organization. If it does have to be related, try to make it something that’s different from what you do every day.

Here are some ideas:

If you work in customer service, try doing something where you don’t have to talk to people all day. You could walk dogs or pet cats, build homes, etc. You will still have to talk but if the brunt of the work can be on your own, it can be hugely restorative for you and you’re doing a nice thing!

If you are trapped in the office or at home all day, get out! Maybe volunteer at a soup kitchen type place and talk to people there. Try volunteering for Meals on Wheels or in an assisted living home and chat with someone who has stories from before you were born and no one to share them with. Or volunteer with kids as a tutor or mentor.

I spend a lot of time helping clients make sure their dogs are well cared for and chatting with dog walkers. I have a lot of balance and I’m thankful for that. I joined Period Kits because it’s a totally different problem than I usually face. It gives me the opportunity to flex muscles I don’t usually and to have new experiences and learn new skills. I could go to school and learn more about urban planning and challenges, or I could get involved! Learning on the ground is much more valuable than from above in my opinion. You should never join an organization solely because you think they have something to give you. Make sure you’re an asset to them too. But there is no reason you shouldn’t learn while you’re there. It’s easier to find the time if you’re using volunteering as some self care (puppy pets) or learning a new skill that you can take advantage of later.

What have you learned from volunteering? Were you ever able to leverage those experiences and skills in a career?

Use Your Powers For Good

Around the holidays I always wonder how I should give back. Owning a business is complicated and means a lot of balls are in the air all the time. It means that there can be months where I just don’t have the time needed to commit to something like a non profit. It also means that I’ve gotten very good at juggling multiple projects, big and small and that even when I’m busy I can often do something if I’m told what to do. I may not be great at identifying problems when I’m in the weeds but if someone needs an email sent or a phone call made I can do that no problem.

Entrepreneurs have to be a jack of all trades. Because everything falls to you, you learn how to roll with a lot of different punches and problem solve in a way that many people don’t. Successful entrepreneurs spend a lot of time getting to know people in their communities as well. They have a list of people for every problem and a well to dip into when something is beyond their scope. This can be a huge benefit to non profit organizations. I’ve spent a lot of time cultivating good relationships with small business owners and particularly with other women in business. As much as we like to think the scales have evened out, women in business have different challenges than men. We’re going to have a couple of guest posts specifically about this in the new year! Being able to bond with people who face similar challenges to you can be a huge benefit to your mental health and your bottom line. It’s great when we can use other people’s experience to save us some headaches and the relationships you make with these people in the proverbial trenches can last for years and give you support in all of your ventures.

Now that I’ve built some of these relationships, stabilized my business (mostly), and have a better understanding and control of my time and availability, I decided it was time to give back. In January, I will be joining the Board of Directors for Period Kits. I’m so excited to bring some of the skills I’ve learned over the years to this amazing organization and to learn new skills from them.

How have you used your powers for good? What do you bring that sets you apart from other people?

Get Creative

One of the biggest complaints of small business owners is that the money just isn’t there. They might want to pay their staff more, they might want/need a new piece of equipment or just have a little more cash flow. We’ve already talked about making sure your product is priced correctly and that’s still important but your control over pricing is limited. I’d love to charge $40 for a 30 minute walk. It would allow me to pay my dog walkers amazingly well and give myself a raise but not only would I likely price myself out of the market, I’d also be effectively doubling my prices overnight. No one is going to pay that. Price increases are important, don’t put them off or forget them but what about when you have a one off cost and you just need a little extra? There’s always a go fund me or something similar but that’s not what I’m talking about here. Those are everywhere and no one is going to look at one for a business raising money for a new piece of equipment or staff bonuses and say to themselves, “Yes, that’s who I want to help! Not the person who has enormous medical debt or the puppy who was abused. That business owner right there!” So what do we do?

I’ve always thought holiday (or some kind of) bonuses, especially for the staff that keeps the business running, were important. Even when they’re not huge, giving a bonus shows that you see your staff and you’re thinking of them. My staff is now enrolled in a profit share so they’ll be getting more consistent bonuses but I still wanted to do something nice for them this year. Pawsitively Pooches has really “grown up” over the past year and I want to make sure we are paying it forward. My clients have always had the option to tip on invoices and that’s important enough that when looking at other options for software, I rule it out if it doesn’t have a tipping option. While it’s not required of our clients, I want people to be able to show their appreciation if they are so inclined and I want dog walkers to be able to benefit when they’re doing an exceptional job.

This year, in honor of Small Business Saturday, I asked my clients to tip and promised to match any tip up to $15 per client (we have around 150 clients getting these invoices). The response was amazing. I’ve gotten so many emails from clients saying that they love this idea and they really appreciate me matching to make their tips even better. Many of them have tipped much more than $15. It was a great opportunity to remind people that we take care of their family and we’re happy to do it but if they were wondering how they could give back this year, here’s the way! The dog walkers don’t know about it yet but they will soon. I love this idea because even though it isn’t why I did it, it earned me some good will with my clients (and hopefully my staff!) and it helped me give a little more to the staff that works so hard for me without dipping too deeply into our reserves.

It’s admittedly an easier sell to get people to tip dog walkers they already like and are often tipping regularly than to get some new equipment etc. It’s still doable though. You could host an event for your clients and have games where they’d have to buy tickets or host an auction etc. It’s a little more effort but if it really needs to be done it can be!

What have you done to show your appreciation for people or get something you need?

The Failure Rut

Have you ever gotten comfortable failing? It sounds weird right? Why would you ever get to a point where you were comfortable failing? How could it possibly feel good? The truth is, it doesn’t. Failure doesn’t feel good. Sure, making a couple mistakes and then finally getting it right feels pretty good. That’s just the contrast though. Repeated failure of the same thing over and over doesn’t feel good. So why do we do it? We all do it somewhere. Maybe we yo yo diet, struggle with addiction, spend money we know we don’t have. Why do we keep doing it? Sometimes it’s because it’s safe. We know what happens and we don’t like it but what if the other options are worse?! What if we change and we’re still not happy? Yikes. Sometimes we really don’t know how to fix it. We try, we have a little success, then it all comes crashing down around us again. That’s painful and frustrating and eventually we start to feel like we shouldn’t even bother. These are all real and deep reasons to stay stuck in a rut. I struggle with them too and I don’t have a lot of advice to fixing them except to keep trying. Seek help if you need it, from a therapist, doctor, support group, friend etc but keep trying.

What if though, we keep failing because we don’t want to admit we’re failing. Sometimes, the only way out is to admit to all the mistakes you’ve made and ask for help from people who can help you. We’ve talked about this before here: Fail to Succeed. Today I want to spend some time delving into why we don’t ask for help though. Speaking from my own experience, it is truly terrifying to own up to the mistakes you’ve made and the position you’re in because of them. It’s also the only way to get the help you need. You’ve probably heard the stories of people who lie to their therapists. Many of them don’t even know they’re doing it but they do it. They’re proud because their therapist says they’re doing so well and they’ve come so far. But really they’re just saying what they know everyone wants to hear. Which means they’re going to struggle to change. They may not have even admitted to themselves the reality of where they are. This is an easy trap. We often have a public mask on, which makes sense. You’re not going to go around telling everyone you know your deep dark secrets but sometimes it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle and forget to be honest with the people that love you, and even with yourself.

Admitting you’ve failed to a professional can be easier or harder depending on your perspective. More than likely, that professional you’ve hired to help you has been there and done that. They probably relate in a way that is quite profound, even if they don’t share it. But your perspective is that you’re talking to this person who obviously (maybe?) has their sh*t together and you’re just opening yourself to a world of pain and vulnerability with someone you don’t even know. The upside to sharing with these people is that, if you’re honest, they can almost definitely help you. Perspective is an amazing thing. There are so many times where I put so much effort into something that I’m completely blinded by an obvious problem with a simple solution but I need someone to ask the right questions. Insight from someone outside the problem with a background in helping businesses is like the golden ticket. Give them the facts, and they will guide you to the answers by asking questions you didn’t know existed.

Failing is painful. Whether it’s fairly small all the way up to sweeping and complete failure, it’s hard to admit that the reason we’re where we are is because of mistakes we made. Once you’ve admitted that to yourself, you can start sharing it with others. Eventually, someone is going to give you the right advice or ask you the right question and you’ll have the answers you need.

How To Cut and Run

Deciding to close up shop is an emotional and painful decision. You have nurtured and grown your business, spent countless hours up late trying to help it grow. And while you may have done everything you could and even though there were some ups with the downs, you know it’s time to pack it up. You can see more about how to get to this decision in our post from last month here: When to Cut and Run.

So you’ve made your choice. Staying in business isn’t right for you. Now what? Seriously, how do you sell a business? Sell a house? Get a realtor. Sell a car? Dealership, website etc. How do you sell a business? If the business has debt, does it go with it? If you took out a loan to fund the business, who carries that? If you’re selling because the business isn’t doing well, can you get enough to at least cover your losses? These are the questions you need to know the answers to if you want to have a successful sale. Maybe you’ve decided you’re just not cut out for business owning, or at least not owning this business. How do you find the answers you need and how do you trust yourself to make these choices after you’ve made enough “bad” choices that you’re selling your business.

This is complicated stuff. Honestly I can’t answer those questions for you. If you hire a realtor to sell your house doesn’t is stand to reason that you’d hire a broker to sell your business? Like a house, a business is complicated and they’re not something most people buy and sell very often. Also like a house, you can have some serious losses in the buying/selling process. If you’re not having good luck finding a broker or maybe all the ones you can find aren’t well reviewed etc there are some other options. Go to the SBDC (Small Business Development Center). Most cities with a Chamber of Commerce have an SBDC. They are generally free, even if you’re not a member, and they can certainly point you in the right direction and give you advice on where to go from there. It’s also likely that you have some colleagues or friends you can ask. If you’ve been out networking you know other business owners, likely with more experience than you. Ask them where they would start. Is there someone they trust you could talk to? I know getting the information is hard and scary but you need it to make good choices going forward.

So, ask the right questions of the right people. Don’t trust the buyers to give you all the answers even if they are more experienced than you are. They’re out for them, make sure you have someone out for you. Get your financials up to date, even if they’re depressing, talk to an expert and talk to a lawyer before any paperwork is signed. It may feel like too much money to send into a pit you’ve already sacrificed a lot to but it’s the best way to make sure that pit doesn’t grow exponentially.

Holiday Hmmms

It’s Thanksgiving Day! Here in the US that usually means seeing family, eating too much, maybe watching some football. Everyone celebrates differently, including some people protesting or not celebrating at all but since it’s a national holiday, everyone knows about it and knows businesses will be closed. Not us though! It’s business as usual here. Well, sort of. Our daily walks are mostly canceled but we have people traveling so our cat sitter is always busy and our morning and evening shifts are busier than usual.

I used to love the peace of working on a holiday. Sure I might miss out on some celebrations but I rarely had to do much communications on holidays except for maybe a pic to a client and only did walks. There’s something cathartic about moving through a schedule; getting up early when the whole country is asleep it seems, moving through a quiet world and seeing pups who are waiting for their time. As I’ve gotten older and have a more established family in Colorado, I’m less inclined to want to work all day. I’m fortunate that many of my staff also want to work on Thanksgiving. We stagger it so hopefully no one is working all day, except our kickass cat sitter. We give bonuses for every walk done and we try to make sure that everyone’s schedule makes sense. The business doesn’t make money on Thanksgiving Day but it takes care of its charges just like any other day and staff who are willing to work get a little something extra for giving some of their time.

Are you celebrating this year? Do you have a business that works on holidays? How do you handle it?

Sprinting a Marathon

Last week I talked about rapid staff changes making everything a challenge for us. Being short staffed means management is being pulled into walks which means that our work is taking a back seat. It means that Jordyn, who does all the hiring is working double (triple) duty as a dog walker, staff manager, and recruiter. It’s hard and it’s tiring and it can feel never ending. Every time we think we worked it out something else goes wrong and we’re back at square one. When this kind of thing is happening it is very easy to lose yourself in the day to day and forget the big picture.

Jordyn only has so many hours in her day and we NEED to hire people. First I want to make sure she’s prioritizing that. Yes walks have to get done but if she needs a day to reply to applicants and set up interviews, I’m going to make sure she has that time even if it means I’m out walking dogs. She has gotten extremely good at prioritizing this even when she is doing walks. This is so important. Yes we have a lot to do but the only way out of this hole we’re in is more people.

Second, I want to make sure everyone is being taken care of. Being short staffed means that everyone is doing more work and has less time. We’re all stressed and stretched thin. I do my best to make sure that even though we’re all working a lot we also all get breaks. I also communicate with the people taking the brunt of the extra burden. For example if we lose a full time dog walker in one neighborhood then everyone else in that neighborhood is picking up the slack. It’s hard and stressful and can feel kind of scary if you don’t know what happened and your schedule jumped from comfortable to packed in a weekend. I do my best to ensure that this is temporary and we’re doing everything we can to get things back to normal and that I appreciate them stepping up and doing the work so we can take the time to find the right people who are going to stick with us.

Finally, make sure you take a break too. This is not the time to schedule self care. It’s inevitably going to have to get moved and then you’re going to be frustrated. It is the time to take what you can get. This week, I prioritized the gym because I knew it would make me feel better but instead of classes which take time and are on someone else’s schedule, I did the rec center close to me and got a couple of good workouts in on my own. Half the time but same endorphins. I also asked a friend over on a slower evening and made a fairly healthy meal for us that had plenty of leftovers. Now I have food for the rest of the week. Last night, I got home around 6 and did NOTHING until I went to bed. The to do list is always never ending. Make sure you stop at your water station so you can keep going. And make sure you provide a water station for your team. Remember that the break will come, you just need to get yourself there.

Staff Scales

You probably often hear the “feast or famine” theory when people talk about business and sales. It’s true for me at least that most of the time it seems like we have too much business and are frantically trying to keep up or nothing is going on. For us, feast or famine is much more related to staffing than sales. Fortunately, the “famine” side doesn’t happen to us all that often. The “feast” side though is not uncommon. I often wonder if this is a management style thing or if it’s just the nature of the beast.

It’s possible I’m too reactive with situations in business. I’ve never been a big planner, I tend to make decisions and move forward and while I have the ability to plan it’s not my natural reaction. So maybe if I was better at planning we wouldn’t end up in a feast state so often. On the other hand, planning in this case mostly means hiring. There’s a delicate balance with hiring staff if you don’t yet have the hours for them and making sure everyone has a reasonable amount of hours. Having a bit of a cushion is smart, it gives your people the chance to take some time off or just have a shorter day from time to time. Even just not teetering on the brink of lateness all the time because their schedules are too stuffed is so good for everyone’s mindset; dog walkers, managers, me. So proactive hiring is super valuable. That said, I don’t want to hire so much that no one is making the money they need to make. That means good people are going to leave. So where do I go from here?

Our staff tends to be fairly stable and then see several people (2-3 which is over 10%) leave around the same time. Best I can tell this isn’t related to any policies or changes. Usually they all have a good reason (back to school, family situation changed, graduated and moving on, etc). For whatever reason though, this always leaves us on our heels. This most recent time, we knew 2 people were leaving and we spent a month trying to hire to replace them and we did! We hired 4 people, one broke her leg, one thought he could do walks whenever he felt like and not at their scheduled time, one is great! and one didn’t work out for other reasons. While hiring these people another dog walker left to take care of family. So now we find ourselves short staffed again and are running around trying to fix it. And we will, we’ll get there. Every time we’re short staffed though, business slumps. I assume it’s because it just takes us longer to get back to people because we have to make sure we have the staff to cover them. We’ve reached a point where we’ve decided to make it a goal to hire two people a month (after we’ve fully staffed up). We know that not everyone we hire will stay forever. Our experience tells us that a lot of people take this job because they think it’s fun and easy. It is fun and it is simple but it’s not easy. While we try to give them reasonable expectations sometimes it doesn’t get through and sometimes even if we and they do everything right it just doesn’t work. Adding even one person a month will hopefully insulate us from some of these dramatic changes a little without overwhelming us with staff. We’re also hoping it will give us the space for rapid growth.

It is so hard to balance the staff scales. Business size doesn’t seem to matter all that much either. It’s certainly harder when you’re very small and one person may be doing half the work the business needs to run. Replacing that person can feel impossible. At least now for us we are usually able to absorb one dog walker’s schedule into others if we lose just one person. There are some core people though where that would be hard, doable , but hard. What have you done to keep your staff stable. Turnover, especially in an industry like mine, is inevitable. How do you keep good people and how do you stay ahead of the curve without driving people away?

When to Cut and Run

This one sounds depressing. Cut and run? You mean everything I’ve worked so hard for is just for nothing? I’m here to tell you…maybe? Ultimately deciding whether or not to keep your business going is almost always going to be up to you. This whole blog is about how to succeed during and after failure and the truth is, knowing when to cut your losses is one of the smartest things you can do. There is no way this is not going to suck. Even if your business is relatively successful and you’ll be paid well for it, handing it over to someone else is painful and bittersweet at best. YOU made it. YOU grew it. Now it’s not yours. Whether someone makes you an offer you can’t refuse or you just simply aren’t able to run it anymore (maybe your health is failing, family has gotten too big, whatever) letting go of the thing you built is going to sting.

The harder side though, is when the business isn’t succeeding. Hope can be almost addictive. Knowing that you’re just one big client away from making it is tantalizing and hard to resist but if that big client has been your goal for the last X number of years and you still haven’t hit it, is it time to say goodbye? No one can answer this question for you. You can (and should) talk to consultants who have your best interests in mind. Get input from other people in the industry. Ultimately though, it’s your business and just like that stupid broken printer is on you so is this. There’s not a lot of advice I can give here but there are a few things that always keep me going. If these things don’t exist for you, it might be time to rethink your situation.

First, do you love what you do? I do. It can be frustrating and stressful and I love my vacations too but I don’t want to do anything else right now (except maybe be suddenly independently wealthy). This work works for me and I don’t think I want to do it for the next 40 years but I’m happy now and I’m always aware of my options. If owning a business brings you no passion, it’s not for you. I absolutely love solving problems and making things run more smoothly. I get so excited when I make a change that I think will be for the better. If your business doesn’t excite you, it might be time to exit.

Second, are you making a living? This metric can vary for people so I encourage you not to put a hard number on it but think about where you’re at. Are you using credit cards to pay bills? Do you personally have more debt than assets (this isn’t a deal breaker, some people don’t want to be home owners and that’s a huge asset)? Do you have a little extra to save or spend as you see fit? Despite being about numbers this question really is subjective. My idea of a good living could be radically different than the next person’s or the next but overall, are you OK financially. If you’re having nightmares about bills every other night or your partner is asking you to pitch in, it might be time to rethink things.

Finally, are you happy? Work/life balance gets thrown around a lot and there are definitely going to be times when you do a whole lot of work and not much life. That’s OK but not sustainable. If the only way to make number two a yes is to work 80 hours a week, that’s not practical long term. If you can’t take some time to yourself or with your friends or family, you won’t last very long. I know there are busy seasons and the first year is always tough but I’m not talking about that. Really think about it. Do you have any balance in your life?

Those three things are what keep me here. Overall, I’m happy doing what I do, I make a decent living, and I have time to unwind or spend with friends. I’m living a good life right now. Like I said before, I can’t make this choice for you. It’s yours to make and yours alone. You may have different criteria but I’d bet that if the answer to every one of those three questions is “no”, it might be time to close shop and move on. There is no shame in knowing when to fold em.

Many Hats

Small business owners wear many hats. We’ve already talked about IT, customer service, business development, accounting etc. This week we’re going to talk about an entirely different one: Therapist. I use this term loosely as I have zero training and can often be heard asking people what their therapist thinks about what we’re talking about. Anyone who manages people though, knows that approaching those people with kindness and understanding will get you much further than anything else. We all have bad days sometimes and that can certainly affect our work. For us, if we’re having an off day, we might not pay attention to the clock and shortchange a client. This stinks because it means they didn’t get what they paid for and it looks like we were trying to pull one over on them. When I get a complaint like this, there’s a couple different ways to go.

First I could call up the dog walker and say the client told me they shorted the walk, I’m docking their pay and I never want to see it happen again. Of course there are less harsh variations of this but ultimately, it’s not that effective. Now, my employee will still make mistakes because they are human, but they’ll also do everything they can to hide them from me. Which means I will never be able to do damage control with a client because I’ll only find out something is wrong when the client tells me.

I could ignore it. This is obviously a bad idea. Whether the employee made a mistake or it was intentional, they need to know that someone is paying attention and they missed their expectations.

Finally, I could reach out to my employee and ask what happened and actually listen to their whole side of the story. Honestly, most of the time the answer is they weren’t focused, it was an accident and they’ll be more careful. All of my good employees feel bad about it and say they didn’t notice and it won’t happen again. It usually doesn’t. If it does it’s months, possibly years, later. Nobody is perfect.

Sometimes though, it’s something bigger. Some of my dog walkers may be going through a very hard time that I have no idea about. They don’t tell me their deepest secrets usually but sometimes when it affects their work something might come out. I once had a dog walker who I had historically gotten along well with, who had been working with me for several months, probably well over a year at this point, snap at me for something that was admittedly annoying (last minute schedule changes) but was something he didn’t usually complain about. While it was last minute, we essentially just swapped one walk for another and it was very out of character. I don’t remember exactly what my reaction was but I do remember trying to explain that it should have helped his schedule not hurt it but he couldn’t hear me. I don’t know what finally got through to him, whether it was something I said or if he just stopped and looked more closely but he apologized and told me he was having some problems in his personal life and that he wasn’t mad at us he was just mad. At that point, I told him we could help. I just needed him to tell us what he needed. We lightened his load a bit and gave him the time and space he needed to work things out. He still works here and is one of my best walkers. Now,if something is going on, he tells me. Then I can reach out to the client in advance and get ahead of a problem.

Of course, my dog walkers may remember these interactions differently, but this is what I strive for. I can’t fix everyone’s problems. I can listen though. I do want to be clear that while it’s important to listen to what people are telling you it’s also important to know where you stand. I know that everyone needs to have certain schedules and make a certain amount of money in their lives and while I do my best to accommodate them, there are times when I can’t. I think it’s just as important to be honest in these situations as well. I want people working here to be happy but if I can’t give them what they need, they never will be. That’s no one’s fault it’s just a reality. Treating your staff like people and not cogs goes a long way toward building a company culture you can be proud of. Listen to the feedback you’re getting and act on that. It’s much more effective to respond to a person than an infraction.

Vacation All I Ever Wanted

I’m on vacation this week! With the magic of technology I’m scheduling this almost two weeks in advance but it’s still gonna be a vacation post. This week, I’ll be scuba diving in Bonaire with my dad. I am so fortunate to not have to create a large vacation budget because we do family vacations that are largely paid for by him and not me. It would be much harder to travel as much as I do without that. That being said, if this opportunity dried up on me next week, it’s something I would start prioritizing ASAP.

Scuba Diving for me is one of the best releases I have. I’m not sure if it would be the same if I could just take a weekend or go for a day trip. The combination of being out of the country and under water is freeing to me in a way I struggle to describe. The underwater world is just that, a different world. It’s like jumping onto a different planet. It is beautiful and dynamic and bright. Time spent on the boat or underwater is such a reliable way for me to recalibrate I think at least part of this is due to being fully removed my phone. I’ve gotten much better about turning off but when I’m diving I’m less likely to be wondering if someone needs me. It’s something I try to translate into daily life as well but it’s harder. Whatever the reason, diving has become one of my favorite happy places. Have a great week everyone, we’ll be back to normal next week!