Articles

25 Things I Wish I Knew Before Building My Business

October 15, 2021 by Laura Lollar

Way back in 1997, I left my corporate job to start a consulting, training and facilitation company in Colorado. Yup, I took some classes about how to be a self-employed person. But there were 25 things I wish I knew before building my business.

What I never learned back then would have saved me immense amounts of time, money and emotional energy. These are the kinds of things they don’t teach you in school.

You either get the knowledge through experience OR from someone who has been there, done that. I got two great pieces of advice from a mentor. He said, “Never be afraid to turn down business when it’s not the right kind of business or if you have doubts about the clients’ intentions.” He also said, “Keep your overhead low.”

It’s still hard to figure out some clients, but I’ve definitely kept the overhead low by working from a home office, driving a used car and learning how to build and manage my own website and blog.

So, the following tips are especially helpful for freelancers, those who have recently started building a small business, or anyone who has a regular job, but plans to go out on their own at some point in the future.

Purchase your name as a domain name and never let it go.
Create a list. This is hugely important! Get ACT or another contact management software system, then build it up and back it up. Don’t rely on LinkedIn for your contacts list.
Build a following of people who love you and value what you have to say, THEN create a product or service they want and will pay money for.
Build an audience of blog/newsletter readers around shared interests (business, self-improvement, gardening, fishing, camping, antiques, etc.)
Don’t wait to start your business until everything is perfect. Start and then adapt as you learn what people want and need.
You will get rejected – often. Gird your loins and expect it to happen. Then you say, “next” and move onto the next project.
Don’t wait for someone to give you permission or (like Seth Godin says) to “pick” you. Create the work you want to be part of. Pursue the clients you feel connected to and who can pay you. (That last part is important!)
Some people will say they want to do business with you but they really want to: A. find out your pricing structure because they have a friend who is a competitor, or B. get a “third bid” so they can meet purchasing requirements. You will get wise to this and be able to detect when someone is pulling your chain. Consider it part of the learning curve.
Write. Write articles, blog posts, tip sheets, white papers, newsletters, opinion pieces in the newspaper — anything that will help you educate others while showing your knowledge and experience.
Most people I know don’t do just one thing. They piece it together. They set up multiple streams of income, all designed to serve one market.
Keep your eyes peeled for people you’d like to do business with who can support you, such as a virtual assistant, graphic designer, accountant, IT person, etc. You will need them at some point.
Don’t get intimidated by those who have established businesses and many clients in the same industry or line of work. They have worked hard to get there and were once where you are now. You will get there too!
Leverage your personality, even if you are a bit quirky. Don’t try to blend in and be like everyone else. Let people know you are an introvert, you love bears or you make fabulous margaritas. Give them something positive to remember you by along with your business expertise.
Get rid of that yahoo or hot mail email address and use a professional one, like BillSmith@BugZappers. com or Mary@BBQTips. com. Avoid info@XYZ. com — email distribution systems like Constant Contact will not like it and people won’t trust it.
Buy small amounts of business cards so you don’t feel wasteful when you decide to change something on them — you will end up throwing them out.
Don’t use a free blogging site (like Blogger) to host your website or blog. At some point you will realize you don’t own that real estate and it’ll be a pain to move everything over to your own self-hosted site.
Pay off as many bills as possible before you start your business. Cut your monthly expenses. Learn how to live on less.
Serve on a committee, a council, a commission for your community or industry.
Be picky about the work you accept. Your reputation and sense of self-worth is on the line.
Re-purpose work you’ve already done. Create templates and systems. Most of us aren’t creating from scratch.
Commit one afternoon each week or hour each day to professional education. Listen to business or industry podcasts, read blogs and trade magazines, attend webinars, etc.
You don’t have to be a social media whiz kid to have it work for you. Have patience. Be friendly. Pick one or two platforms and forget the rest for now. Invite people to friend or follow you. And don’t get hung up on the numbers. Be in it for the long haul.
Be there for other business owners. Being self-employed can be tough. You’re usually in it all by yourself. Be generous with your encouragement and support.
Remember, one phone call or email can change everything. Just because you’re struggling this month doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Every day you get a new opportunity to make things better, do good work and help someone out.
Don’t be afraid to stand out. There is a risk you take by trying to be like everyone else in your industry — by designing your website the same, using similar language on those awful trifold brochures, choosing a business name with words like “solutions” or “resources.” The risk? You’ll be lost in the crowd. So, take a stand on something that’s meaningful to you. Leverage your name, a hobby, family history, the distinctive car you drive, the color of your hair or the method you use to solve problems. Find something that will help you stand out from the pack, so you will be memorable.

Don’t let this list discourage you. If I had it to do over again, I’d follow the same path. Being self employed is one of the most worthwhile and personally rewarding things I’ve ever done. Despite all the ups and downs experienced when building my business, I learned more than I ever expected and been able to serve so many wonderful folks along the way!

5 Ways Leaders Can Shine

October 1, 2021 by Laura Lollar

People aren’t complicated. Human nature is fairly predictable. And we don’t need a plethora of rules and regulations to define every possible way a person might step out of line. We can boil it all down to the basics — a few simple things most people want and the five ways leaders can shine.

The Principle of Legitimacy in Leadership

At the 1814 Congress of Vienna, an idea was proposed to help restore to power the lawful monarchs from royal families who ruled before Napoleon. Titled the Principle of Legitimacy, it was a governance guideline to ensure peace and order. It included five common sense concepts that most of us would agree should be the basis for sound leadership:

Rules don’t change: people like to know what they can count on. No one likes to be evaluated against a moving target. Some say a sense of certainty is one of the greatest human needs.
Authority is fair: remember when you were a kid and you got punished for something your sibling did? We didn’t like it then and now that we’re grown up, fairness is even more important. However, fair doesn’t always have to mean equal. People need different things and deserve to have their circumstances take into consideration.
Things make sense: the reasonable person wants to see a pattern, cause of action, greater purpose and ends that justify the means. Nobody likes to feel like they fell down the rabbit hole. Too often policies are established that work for one team but are totally nonsensical for another.
People have a voice: they want the opportunity to raise issues, express concerns, identify gaps. Freedom of speech is a bedrock right of the people of our nation. Many organizations do themselves in when people don’t feel free to speak up. Too many problems go unsolved because people don’t want to be labeled, “not a team player.”
People need to be heard: some say we humans are one big walking ear. In over 35 studies, listening was identified as a top skill needed in business today. Yet, fewer than 2% of us receive training in listening skills. Read this Harvard Business review article on listening.

Ensure the above listed needs are addressed in every major workplace training such as internal and external customer service, sales initiatives, employee engagement, job satisfaction, harassment prevention, teamwork, communication skills and leadership. Most definitely leadership. Then embed then in performance reviews for frontline supervisors, team leads or anyone managing a group of people for whatever purpose, even if it’s the neighborhood bake sale.

Another Approach and Ways Leaders Can Shine

Sometimes it’s easier to say what we won’t do versus what we shall do. Otherwise you have an increasingly long and complicated set of rules that try to capture every possible way people can mess up. (If you’ve been a supervisor, project lead, parent or teacher you know how creative people can be!)

You could define your mission by simply stating, “We agree to do nothing to embarrass our constituents, compromise our values or (the best one yet) require a lawyer.”

Or, “We agree to do nothing that is disrespectful to one another and requires an intervention from the boss or the Human Resources Department.”

Can you see how those simple statements could benefit a team when trying to establish norms of behavior? They define what people will NOT do versus what they SHOULD do. This limits the parameters greatly. You can start broad and then, if necessary, narrow the scope.

What was true in 1787 and 1814 is still true today. Let’s keep things simple, easy to communicate, able to withstand the test of time and establish guidelines the average person can understand. That would make life a whole heckuva lot easier for people we interact with and ensure you get better engagement no matter what the project, policy or plan.

How to Be a Leader People Will Follow

September 15, 2021 by Laura Lollar

Recently, I watched as a highly influential public figure, business owner and community leader treated someone with an impairment with a level of respect, kindness and consideration rarely seen these days. He was a leader people will follow. Those who succeed, in business, in school, at work and in their communities, are not always those with thousands of “friends” or followers. They don’t necessarily have a blue check mark next to their name on Twitter or the title of “influencer” on LinkedIn. They succeed where it counts — in the way they treat others, no matter whom they may be. Strong leaders do the hard work and still remain gracious.

They…

1. Learn from the past

Smart leaders take pains to learn why things are being done the way they are. They believe in the old adage, “Those who cannot remember the past, are doomed to repeat it.” (George Santayana, writer and philosopher) We are on this earth for just a blip of time and we’re not the first to face certain challenges or aspire to those BHAGs (big hairy audacious goals). Some say there are no new ideas. Centuries of lessons learned came before us, and we don’t have the corner on innovation with many things. We should be wise enough and humble enough not to put people through costly, stressful, time-intensive exercises in futility. Most people have a head on their shoulders and can think for themselves. Our leaders don’t have all the answers.

2. Acknowledge others

Leaders say “thank-you,” look people straight in the eye, offer congratulations and generously share the success of others. They look for opportunities to give colleagues and fellow team members the spotlight. Most of all, they respond. Good leaders know the worst thing you can do to a person is to ignore them. It’s the fastest way to devalue one’s worth and demoralize the team. Recognition is everything.

3. Ask for Feedback

They don’t school or scold if they don’t agree with the opinions of others. If they have more knowledge or experience in a matter, they don’t discount the input they just received. They take notes. They say, “I’ll get back to you on this.” They appreciate it when people take the time and make the effort to offer suggestions. And they are open to the idea there may be more than one way to skin that proverbial cat.

4. Extend Invitations

Wise leaders know that some are just waiting to be asked to participate. They seek out people who are often overlooked — the wallflowers, the quiet ones, the people who aren’t normally considered one of the “cool kids.” These are the folks who will work their hearts out for a worthy cause, if given the chance to help.

5. Are Loyal

Loyal leaders remember old friends and those who helped them get where they are now. Rather than allow themselves to be blinded by the flash of flattery, fast talk and the glitter of groupies, they put their faith and trust in those who supported them way back when.

6. Aren’t Afraid to Apologize

Leaders aren’t perfect. The pressure to deliver can be intense and there’s never enough time or money to consistently do it right. But when they screw up, they fess up. No waffling and no blaming others.

7. Know the Difference Between Confidence and Arrogance

A colleague and author has said, “Politicians aren’t kings.” Well, community and workplace leaders aren’t either. True leaders know they are in service to customers, co-workers and constituents. They may exude confidence, but humility keeps them grounded, approachable, credible and trustworthy. Arrogant people in power are seen as obnoxious.

8. Are Committed to Solving Problems

Strong leaders remove obstacles. They do not play politics with people’s lives. Their job is to make things better, not to deflect, exacerbate, inflame or ignore unintended consequences. True leaders remember who they were “hired” to serve, the mission that guides them and foundational principles that gave them the opportunity in the first place.

In Summary

I’ve been fortunate to worked with and for a number of talented leaders throughout my career. Leadership is a tough position to be in. You can’t make everyone happy and too often end up on the firing line, literally and figuratively, when they speak up to raise important issues. While we may not always agree with their positions, we have to give them credit for being wiling to take the heat. If you’ve never risked it all — job, reputation, friendships, business opportunities, personal safety — you can’t imagine how difficult it is to hold the line and do what’s right. That’s what leadership courage is all about and an example of how to be a leader people will follow.

7 Steps to a Magnificent Career

August 21, 2021 by Laura Lollar

steps to a magnificent career

There are some simple things you can do to take your career to new heights of success! These seven steps to a magnificent career will get you great results — they include:

1. Create a “Master List” of your accomplishments. Each week come up with three or four things you got done that you can quantify and add them to your list. Then organize your list into functional categories based on what you do more of or what you do best. For example: leadership, operations, crisis-management, PR, writing, etc. What you’ll find is that, over time, you will have a few key areas where your skills and accomplishments shine. You’ll also use this list to draw from when you look for another job, seek a promotion, apply to serve on a board, etc.

2. Develop a personal business card. I know that sounds contrary, but the intent is you have a personal card you can pass along to people you want to stay in touch with should you ever leave your present job. Too often, we lose track of people when they move on, get downsized, retire or their company is acquired. Put your personal contact info on the card and perhaps a nice headshot photo so people remember who you are and what you look like. Make this a fairly current photo. (Put your ego aside.)

3. Keep a contacts list on your personal computer. Do not rely on LinkedIn as a way to archive contacts and their phone, email, etc. Create your own list and keep it up to date. Every week, reach out to one or two people to see how they’re doing. You don’t need to make a coffee or lunch date with all these folks, but some you may want to reconnect in person. You could end up doing business with them or being able to help them through a tough time. Either way, this is one way to keep your network alive.

4. Review your social media posts and connections. IF you use social media (and not everyone does) occasionally scan your posts to ensure you’re not shooting yourself in the foot with something you published a few years back. You may also want to revisit the profile photos of those you are connected to and make sure they aren’t reflecting poorly on you. The old adage is true, “Birds of a feather flock together” and potential hiring managers and HR folks now routinely check social media for inappropriate content. You may also want to lock down your profile settings so only your friends have access to your posts. But those mischievous HR folks can still figure out how to learn more about you, so beware!

5. Learn how to tell stories. I don’t mean fibs. I mean organized, succinct tales of your best accomplishments. Use my CARLA Concept™ as a way to structure your story in preparation for that unexpected interview or lunch conversation. So think back over the “best of the best” things you’ve done in your present job or years ago and structure it this way: C = the challenge or change you faced; A = the actions you took; R = the results you achieved (quantify them); L = what were the lessons learned?; A = what’s another approach now that you know what you know?

6. Cultivate a long range mindset. Always be open to opportunities but think long-term. What is your long term desire or goal? Too many of us hop from one job to another without any kind of strategic plan in place. I’m guilty of doing it too! Set your sights on something that is achievable but will require that you stretch yourself to make it come true. It doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind later on, but at least you’ll have greater control over the direction you’re heading. Better than wandering from one job to the next with no roadmap to guide you.

7. Always ask the second best question in the world. It is: “Who else should I be talking to?” (The #1 best question? It’s “Can you do better than that?”) Every time you do an interview or have a coffee meeting or casual chat with someone about your work or their work, ask them that question. This way you’ll set up a string of connecting “pearls” with people who are referred. You will greatly expand your network and your career this way!

No matter which of the seven steps to a magnificent career you choose — and you may choose them all — you will make steady progress towards professional success. These strategies will serve you well, no matter what phase you are in on the climb up that proverbial ladder!

The Influencer Personality Style

January 15, 2021 by Laura Lollar

As an Influencer personality style on the DISC profile, I’ve tried my best to figure people out. It’s always a challenge to discover why people do and say the things they do. Some folks will inspire you, some will mystify you and others, well, you just have to keep a sense of humor!

So, after years of presenting DISC personality style trainings, I’ve collected a few examples people have shared about their own humorous behaviors.

Here are a few from the Influencer personality style folks. They will:

Put scented garbage bags in every trashcan (including in the garage), hang air fresheners in their car and buy fragrance plugins for every room.
Read obituaries in the newspaper to see who they know. Or, in my Mom’s case, she looks there first to be sure she’s not listed!
Decorate their offices with plants, motivational posters and lots of family photos. They’ve even been known to put miniature beanie baby animals on top of their computer monitors.
Firmly believe “the more bling, the better!”
Never use a checkbook register, but occasionally login to their online bank account to make sure there’s still money left.
Share more details about themselves, friends, family and people you’ll never meet than you ever want to know.
Put a candy dish on their desk so people will stop by and visit them.

Facilitator Lessons Learned

Influencers prefer freedom from details. For example: while conducting a training session, I was in the middle of writing key learning points on a whiteboard when, from the back of the room, I heard a groan.

I turned. “Stephen, what’s up?”

“Why do you write like that?”

“Like what?”

“Why do you mix upper and lowercase letters when you’re writing something? It’s driving me crazy!”

Everyone in the room looked back around to what I’d just written on the whiteboard.

Someone laughed. Someone snorted and said, “It’s true! She DOES mix them up!”

KiNd oF LikE tHis.

And indeed I did. I hadn’t noticed until then, but I DO mix my upper and lowercase letters, especially when I’m writing something in a hurry. And to me, it’s no big deal.

But it was having a big impact on Stephen. He’s an analytical kind of person and admits to also being a perfectionist. My lack of using correct letter case was a distraction and was getting in the way of his learning process. He was focused more on how I was writing than the oh-so wise and wonderful concepts I was trying to teach.

We all had a good laugh and, just for him, I made an effort to discipline my writing. It taught me a good lesson that some details, which don’t matter much to me, are pretty important to others.

Typical Influencer Behavioral Traits

In addition to freedom from details, Influencers tend to be social, well-connected, optimistic and enthusiastic. They are good at creating a motivational environment and tend to move through the world with energy.

They like to voice opinions, propose solutions, share ideas and verbalize proposals. In other words, they like freedom of expression and strive to have an impact over others. They also like freedom from control.

Reputation is important to these folks. They like bringing people together, making introductions and are often amazed that those within their social circles may not know one another.

But done to excess, influencer personality style behaviors can be seen as manipulative, impulsive, unprepared, unfocused and unable to follow through. Because of this, their more analytical colleagues often don’t take them seriously and may question their credibility. The Influencer’s attraction to proverbial “shiny objects” and love of socializing may keep them from getting the job done.

And despite what you might guess, Influencers aren’t always extroverts. They can be on the quieter side and may prefer to spend time with one or two friends versus being around large groups of people. Too much social stimulation can be exhausting for introverted types.

Living with a Complementary Style

While we Influencers like to “go with the flow”, we benefit from partnering up with others who bring more structure into life. My husband (the engineer) is a great process guy. After we got married, I learned it was frustrating for him to never know whether dishes in the dishwasher were clean or dirty. So we devised a method to indicate what condition they were in.

To avoid mixing dirty dishes with the clean ones, we decided to stick a magnet on the front of the dishwasher. When the dishes are clean, it’s right side up and says, “Love you to the moon and back.”

When they’re dirty, we turn the magnet upside down.

It’s a really great system — a thing of beauty, actually. Now, I just need a process to help me remember to flip the darned thing around!

The Directive Driver Personality Style

December 30, 2020 by Laura Lollar

I once had a client who was the directive, driver personality style. She supervised a large department for a financial services company. She was a wonderful lady to work for — fun, smart and very good at her job. We got along great. While debriefing her results on the DISC personality assessment, she said something that surprised me.

“Laura, you’ve said it’s important to greet people when I come into work and ask how they’re doing. I make the effort to do that, but I do it because I know it motivates them. It’s what some need from me to do their best work. I do it because I know it gets results.”

She knows it’s what good leaders do. They adapt to what their employees need, even if it’s not something that comes naturally or is important to them personally.

This supervisor’s motto was “Git ‘er done!” She was all about results and getting down to business. Protecting people’s feelings was not her main concern. Her focus was on the work. But she knew not everyone on her team had the same style and would respond to the same kind of treatment. Some wanted the “touchy feely” approach to feel like their manager cared about them as a person. So she adapted her style to match what her people needed.

Benefits of the High D Style

These folks make great leaders. They are action oriented, wired to take on challenges and overcome opposition. They move through the world quickly and love to solve problems. They’re task oriented (vs relationship), thrive on a variety of assignments and opportunities to excel. Good with change, they will challenge the status quo.
They are great entrepreneurs because they don’t get easily discouraged. They make good courtroom lawyers and possess a great deal of bench strength and self-confidence. Control, power and authority are important to them. They’d rather ask for forgiveness than seek permission. Some believe that rules are meant to be broken or at least bent.
They feel the need to push harder and will rely on their own internal fortitude vs outer forces (like research or committees) to accomplish their goals. They respect people who challenge and stand up to them.
Our High D folks make things happen. They persevere and overcome overwhelming odds. They take on large responsibilities, seize the reins of leadership and achieve great things.

The Evil Twin

But just like all our personality styles, some behaviors taken to extremes reveal the dark side or an “evil twin” that can slow their success.

High D people can be intimidating. One supervisor I coached was surprised her team members wouldn’t bring their problems to her. She’d say, “I don’t understand why they don’t come to me.” Well, she came on SO strong that it made it doubly difficult for an employee to raise issues. She was too abrupt. Her preference for short, direct answers made it difficult for some to explain their circumstances without feeling cut off.
Directive driver personality style folks can show impatience. They’ll cut to the chase and don’t care for a lot of detail or backstory. They want short, direct answers and don’t like to waste time. When handing out results of the DISC Personality Assessment I try to walk people through the report in a logical sequence. My High D folks have already flipped to the end and are ready to move on.
They may become workaholics. Task accomplishment is primary and relationships often take a back seat. They are driven. Success may be defined as status, titles and public achievements. They push themselves and can go overboard engaging in activities to earn recognition at the expense of other priorities.

How to Get Constructive Outcomes

Taken to extremes, their evil twin needs to listen to others, take time to build relationships, get input, include people in the decision-making process and explain their reasoning. Some may perceive them as lacking empathy and being overly forceful.

Since most of us have a secondary style, our directive driver personality style folks can call on different traits to work better with others. They don’t have to change their personality, but can adapt to use strengths that complement their hard-charging nature.

Half the battle is to become aware of how others see us. Ask more, tell less. Seek out those with opposite styles vs “look alikes” to join your team. Recognize your definition of success is filtered through your personal preferences and you could get better results by experimenting with another approach.

There is no one “best” personality style, but knowing more about ourselves makes it easier to learn what jobs to pursue, why some friendships last longer than others and what we can do to build self-confidence. We also raise our chances of success by better understanding our kids, customers, co-workers, spouses and business partners. Ultimately, turning the lens inward and building self-awareness turns life into a happier ride!