Outstanding Service

October 10, 2012
Entrepreneurship Training, Events & Community, Profiles
PTA
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Last week I received the Outstanding Service Award from Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. This award was presented by CEO Sharon Miller to recognize over twenty years of work with Renaissance as an independent business consultant in developing classes and incubator programs and as the primary business planning instructor and coordinator.

receiving the Renaissance Outstanding Service Award

It was such an honor to receive this award in front of colleagues, students, friends and family during Renaissance’s gala event, “Small Business, Big Impact: Celebrating 28 Years of Small Business Success” on October 2nd at the Bently Reserve in San Francisco.

It was quite surprising to realize that I have taught over 5,000 business planning students and supported over 100 incubator tenants at Renaissance. The secret is that I’m constantly inspired working with new and emerging business owners. I love the experience of helping students to explore options, get organized, develop practical business skills and take the steps necessary to make their small businesses work. I am inspired each day by the diversity of people who want to start their own businesses, the variety of business ideas, students’ focus and passion, as well as their willingness to put in the time and make the commitment to be successful.

While the award was so appreciated, the people who truly deserve the accolades are the Renaissance graduates — the new entrepreneurs who are doing research, creating prototypes, testing concepts, launching on a trial basis, and then jumping into the marketplace.

with fellow Renaissance graduate award winners, Heidi Gibson, Yvonne Hines and Alphonso Rhodes

These small and micro businesses are the engines of our local and national economy. We need to support them so they can thrive, continue to expand, offer jobs, and become community-based institutions for our neighborhoods and cities. When you choose to frequent small, independently owned businesses you are directly building the local economy and, in the process, supporting some amazing, dynamic people. Our small business owners are heroes. They are making a difference through their focus on sustainability and their attention to the local community. We need to award the local, small business owner for outstanding service!

Leading you in the Right Direction

As business owners, we cannot do it all by ourselves. Small business specialists can help tackle problems in accounting, law, insurance, graphic design, marketing, management and other critical areas.

I’ve found there are three primary reasons for a business owner to hire an outside expert:

For the short-term when over-extended, such as market expansion or preparing a business for sale
For specific or sensitive issues, such as personnel problems
For issues demanding special expertise, such as computer systems, taxes or engineering help.

Here’s how you can choose the right professional for you and your business:

Before your search begins
Determine what you really need, when you need it and how much you can afford to spend. This will help you decide the type of professional to look for and the criteria you’ll want to use in evaluating your options. Know the results or outcomes you would like to obtain. This will help clarify the level of expertise you’re looking for.

The Search
Ask for recommendations from colleagues in businesses of similar type, size and philosophy (instead of blindly searching the internet). If colleagues have been satisfied clients they will be happy and eager to refer the professional or consultant to you. You can also find quality help through business associations and industry-specific professional groups.

The Screening
Find an advisor who can really listen, evaluate the situation, make recommendations and then, if appropriate, help you implement solutions. When you first talk with the professional, notice if he or she can connect your problem to his or her previous experience. Pay attention to the questions the professional asks you.

The Meeting
Spend the first few minutes of your first face-to-face meeting setting an agenda, identifying possible outcomes and getting agreement on the length of the first session. This will help focus your time, set criteria for measurable results and keep you in charge. The professional should be able to define the basic issues and then estimate time, terms and fees.

The Agreement
It’s wise to get things in writing, including a work plan and timeline. Many professionals will provide a letter of agreement but don’t expect consultants, like a computer or management consultant, to provide a full analysis for free. A thorough analysis of your business situation and expert recommendations are worth paying for in advance of a solution being implemented. This important step, if done properly, can actually save the overall expenditure of certain projects and should be included in the total budget for the project.

Using professionals in your business is not a sign of weakness! It is an indication of sound management practices. As a business grows, staff can be added to replace outside experts or you can continue to use contract professionals.

Tasty crowd-sourcing

September 14, 2012
Business of Food, Money, Trends in Small Business
PTA
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It used to be that finding capital to start or expand your business meant asking your family and friends for funds, applying for a small business loan, or saving your money for months or years. These days many people are turning to crowd-sourcing technology like Kickstarter and Indiegogo to convince a wider community to contribute to their business idea or project. For instance, Paul Terry & Associates client, Blue Chair Fruit Company, used a Kickstarter campaign this year to raise money to buy a jam jar filling machine in order to expand their business.

jam from Blue Chair Fruit Company

There is now a new crowd-sourcing platform in development specifically for food ventures called yumspring. It is being billed as a place where chefs, bakers, brewers, canners and all other sorts of anti-hunger innovators can connect with people who have an appetite to support new, local, adventurous food entrepreneurs. Check out this 5-minute pitch from yumspring’s founder on food and tech connect, a new blog about the growing food and information technology movement.

Do you have what it takes?

A display of pies from new business Desperation Bakehouse

Do you have what it takes to start your own small business? There are so many things to address when thinking about starting a business for the first time. You will be your own most important and first employee, so an objective analysis of your strengths and weaknesses is essential.

Are you someone who:
…can launch something on your own?
…is a self-starter and takes initiative?
…can make good decisions when there are many options?
…has the necessary physical and emotional stamina to be self-employed?
…can plan and organize new and existing information well?
…has a positive attitude and a passion for being in business?
…has good support from family and friends?

Do you have a business or business idea that you want to develop?
Do you know what business you want to start? Do you know how to assess whether or not an idea is viable for you and the marketplace?

The best business for you is going to be the business where you have:
…a strong passion and a sustaining interest in the product or service.
…some of the skills needed to provide the service or build the product.
…some previous and related work experience.
…researched the potential for this type of enterprise.
…worked for someone who is doing something similar to what you would like to provide.
…some understanding of what the customer or client expects from this type of business.
…confidence that this product or service is wanted or needed in the marketplace and can attract clients/customers.

Not all of the above conditions need to be in place before you start exploring self-employment. But these are issues that will be key for long-term success!

Eating Well from Street to Street

August 20, 2012
Business of Food, Current Climate for Small Business, Events & Community, Support Systems, Trends in Small Business
PTA
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On Saturday I joined the crowds in San Francisco’s Mission District to experience La Cocina’s fourth annual Street Food Festival.

The sunny streets were full of happy people enjoying tasty delights from 85 vendors—including from some of my former students: Gail Lillian of LIBA Falafel, Claire Keane of Clairesquares, Antoinette Sanchez of Endless Summer Sweets, and Neal Gottlieb of Three Twins Ice Cream. What a treat!

Neal and Paul at SF Street Food Festival

As a small, start-up food business it is a challenge to break into the industry and be successful. Food entrepreneurs can have great ideas and delicious recipes but they also need to afford legal kitchen space and the start-up costs to open their businesses, find a niche, compete for shelf space and break into a crowded marketplace. Motivated entrepreneurs like Gail, Claire, Antoinette and Neal are making it work by renting kitchen space and/or selling out of a food truck. (Neil started very small over 6 years ago and now sells ice cream in almost every state.)

Luckily, food businesses don’t have to jump into business ownership without some support. La Cocina’s non-profit kitchen incubator and programs for low-income, immigrant and women-owned food businesses and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center’s programs and small business incubator provide valuable training and support. There are other non-profits and businesses sprouting up around the city to help food entrepreneurs and strengthen the local food movement—from the Underground Market and Forage Kitchen, to the new Good Food Merchants Guild and Good Eggs.

City government is also helping to make the climate easier for food start-ups, such as easing regulations for street food vendors and even passing an ordinance to allow community gardeners and city farmers to sell their produce directly to the public on site. And we’re all waiting to see what transpires with the California Homemade Food Act.

It was great to see the success of small street merchants and so many supporters of the Bay Area’s local food movement this weekend. Let’s keep up the support for sustainable food businesses!

Are you all alone?

Being the owner of your own small business is a fantastic undertaking. Here is where you prove your concept, sell your product for a profit and become a social entrepreneur, changing the world one transaction at a time. Yet, being a small business owner CAN be isolating and sometimes lonely. However, there IS one simple and successful support strategy that is free, motivational and really helpful from a practical perspective. This is a solution that will provide information, motivation, and access to resources. This is a solution you can develop without spending a lot of time and money on professional advisors and/or consultants.

Solving Isolation

All business owners need personal support, access to accurate information, and to be around people who can motivate and inspire. Business is an interdependent environment of vendors, competitors, and resources. Business owners need to set up support systems that are appropriate (for level and content), easy to use (accessible) and timely (available when and where they are most needed).

The first step and easiest solution is to find a support partner who will help make you accountable. The support partner is your unconditional “business friend”. Ideally, this is someone also in business like you who can listen, give emotional support for your business issues, and can provide constructive feedback on business dilemmas and opportunities.

The relationship is bi-directional – each support partner helps the other. You may agree to meet weekly, catch-up, share problems and successes, and then use your partner as an objective reviewer for your plans of the week. The meeting should be a check-in for ongoing support and follow-up. It is also key that this be on-going and long-term (e.g. 6 months) so that your support partner gets exposed to the issues and understands the context and the players in your world. Your meetings with your support partner can be a catalyst for positive change and an opportunity to talk discreetly about business issues outside of your own business environment.

Roberto felt that getting his business marketing efforts off the ground was so difficult he ignored many of the key initial steps. He felt the isolation and frustration and had no one to really talk to that could relate to his issues of time management, cash flow and making internal decisions. Then he found Maria who was in a very similar situation, yet in a totally different business. They liked each other, respected each others’ opinions and set-up a weekly review meeting over coffee every Friday when they could talk to each other, give each other feedback, and commit to an action for each week. These meetings continued weekly for many months and were supported by the occasional e-mail and phone call.

All you need to starts is to find ONE person in business like yourself. This will need to be someone you like and trust…and is willing to help you just as you will help them. Try it out and see if this will help you build your business and get the support you need to keep going and flourish!

The To Do List: Getting it done

There is too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. In fact, there are two facts that time management experts seem to agree. You will never really catch-up and you will never get it all done. So what can we do, if anything?

Christopher Robin was explaining this issue to Pooh Bear in one long walk in the woods. His wisdom went like this; ” Well, Pooh…there is so much to do. So organized is what we do, before we do it, so when we do it, it is not all mixed up”. Too much to do; too many interruptions from so many people who want your attention. What to do. Do whatever you want when you feel like it? Only do what is most important and only that? Make sure you only do what you like to do? Only do what makes sense for your clients and customer service? Do what makes money first and then pay attention to what you need for you, last?

Hard to know what to do and what tools we can use to make a difference. Sometime it can be an on-line solution with an application or a bell that rings. Sometime it is simply a short hand-written sheet of paper.

The real issue is what do I NEED to get done!

In running our small business…what is the key matter to get done now. Can I build skills that make this issue better? Is there a tool that works for me? What is the best solution for me? Do we write it out; do we use an on-line tool; do we post it on our screen; do we tell others so they will remind us; do we have a regular schedule so that we have the time set aside.

Yes…all or some of this list. Whatever works for you and moves your business forward. It is good to have a balance of the big three – work; family and health. Bring that into a daily balance and it can only get better. One more thing. If your time management system no longer works, try something else. Do not let the procrastination rule you. Keep moving!!!

Radical Aging – One Step at a Time

July 25, 2011
Profiles
PTA
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We are all aging…some with grace and patience and others without notice, care or attention. It seems like everyone I know, I see at the “gym” or out and exercising in some way. The streets in SF are full of bicyclists (another story later); there are runners all over Potrero Hill (our hood); the exercise equipment is in full use and diets and focus on healthy band local foods is prolific (See last blog re eating locally).

My dear friend, John of 30+ years really believes in radical aging and exercise. He is 70 and has been doing this since I met him years ago in Vancouver. He is someone who is on a mission to prove a point. To age and age well, we must be a radical in what we do; in how we live and most specifically, how we plan and exercise. I plan to go to a movie in about 2-3 hours or perhaps look ahead for one month and buy theater tickets. John and his hiking buddy Brian spend weeks together and plan for months to look for glaciers to cross, mountains to conquer and/or trails to hike, backpack and conquer – for days and weeks at a time.

John is now on an amazing journey. He is biking from Whitehorse in the Yukon to Victoria in British Columbia – solo. The journey is 2350 kilometers or about 1800 miles. He is alone without a support truck or cell phone. He is on this journey for the personal challenge and to raise money for Parkinson’s research. (If you want to know more about his journey check out his Facebook page updated by his daughter every 2-3 days when he finds a pay phone and calls in with an update – after 100 miles riding per day.)

So how are we doing? Do we age with grace and attention to detail or only notice our bodies when we are sick? Do we quit bad habits when the “hacking” gets to us or because it is essential we exercise to live well…now while we can? An old Buddhist saying comes to mind: when sitting, just sit; when walking, just walk. Above all, do not wobble”.

Can we take action for ourselves and our businesses? Are we better managers and owners if we plan and take action? Can we set up systems, support groups or get consulting help when we need to take action. I hope your next steps are solid and well placed. If there is a radical step to take in your near future, plan well, create systems to support yourself and then go for it. Don’t forget to call in and if you need help, ask for it. Habits are formed one step at a time…Here we go…take that first step. The next one is so much easier. Radical – one step at a time! Not THAT hard…right? So, when you are walking or running, just do that and see what happens.

Food for Thought

June 13, 2011
Business of Food, Trends in Small Business
PTA
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Food as a small business and the business of food. Taste and preferences have radically changed and there are so many new businesses that are popping up in the Bay Area. In fact, “pop-up” defines many new neighborhood food businesses. You do not have to “go to them”…they will come to your neighborhood – farmer’s markets, food carts, food trucks, or food events at an abandoned cafe once a month. You go online and hear about it all from a tweet, a whistle or a hoot. So many opportunities for cooks to get their ideas out there and be tasted.

Do you support your local food vendors, confirm they are local and legal and see that they are there next week and the week after? They are passionate about their wraps, their salsa, their falafel and their cupcakes. And they are a business…they need to be supported and sustained. You buy from them and stay loyal. They are confident to stay in business, track costs and hire people to help them out.

Tiny micro businesses are popping up and sticking to the wall. They are launched with the passion of the cook and helped by the curiosity of the crowd – having fun, being out and eating the organic, sustainable goodies. This is everyone’s business. Help your favorites run like businesses, give feedback, check for quality and service and be supportive with positive word of mouth. Perhaps most will stay in business if they have fun, love what they are doing and become profitable. Wow… making a profit doing what you love…over and over again. Now that is a thought that we can all relish and support.

Time for Action: Seven Steps

Planning and managing your time effectively is the single most important factor for the launching and management of a successful small business. You may have great ideas, a great product or service and a receptive marketplace. However, you still have to find and take the time to do all the work. How do you get things done?

Does any of this sound familiar:

you feel pressured and overwhelmed with too many tasks and not enough time
you work harder than anyone else with endless meetings, calls and interruptions
you have ideas on how to improve but no time to implement.

Therefore, you become paralyzed, tend to sabotage, procrastinate or simply give up. All of the above conditions are a common reality. There is simply too much to do and simply not enough time to do it. There is no one who is available to help you and only you, of course, can really do it right anyway. So the only other solution … you stretch, juggle and squeeze!

However, it is possible to get things done without such a “squeeze”. You can change and learn to work smarter so you can meet deadlines, be creative and then celebrate each success with a reward. You can start right away with one successful strategy and build from there. Pick a routine, a time management tool, or office procedure. Make it something simple and easy to initiate. Then include a monitoring or reward system to acknowledge that you have made this technique your routine and it is making a difference. We are talking about CHANGING BEHAVIOR…and we can do it one step at a time.

Here are seven simple suggestions that, if implemented, can really help:

1. Write out a goal that is very specific and measurable. (You want to open your business for the holidays. You must be ready with inventory and marketing collateral by the end of August or you will be too late.)

2. Use the master “to-do” list and match each task to pre-set goals. (Use a prioritized list of very specific action steps each with an estimated start date AND completion date).

3. Prioritize your “to-do” list based on effective criteria that will help your business now. (Make sales calls to new and old clients before you procrastinate to file old client files.)

4. Eliminate unproductive meetings or any personal phone calls during the business day. (Have meetings early in the day and make personal calls after 5 p.m or not at all.)

5. Establish a predetermined place where you get things done efficiently (For example, try to answer all calls right at your desk near client files when you first arrive at work and make all appointments right there).

6. Revise your plans constructively. If something doesn’t work out, you have learned from a “mistake”. (Learn from your OWN experience. This is NOT a failure but a discovery of what didn’t work. Take this lesson learned and change your next action accordingly.)

7. Take your predetermined reward. (Set up a reward in advance for your efforts. When you have achieved the “success” that you have set for that hour, day or week and take the reward when you are “done”).

Plan and use your time well. If your business is to be exciting and profitable, your attention to developing time management expertise will have a significant impact on your success!

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