Recently, I had to remind
a project manager
that a key deadline
was approaching.
If we miss that deadline,
it’ll cost us
a LOT of money.
I shouldn’t have to do that.
A key part of the project manager role
is tracking and ensuring
the project meets
deadlines.
There’s really no point
of having a project manager
if they don’t do that.
If you’re a project manager,
and ALL business builders
are project managers,
track deadlines.
I fly quite a bit.
And I’ve noticed
two things that have happened
on 90% of the flights
I’ve taken.
There’s a medical emergency
during the flight.
What this means
for other flyers is
there WILL be
a delay getting off the plane
as medical personnel
transport
the afflicted person.
Factor that
into your schedule.
There will also be
turbulence.
What this means
for other flyers is
there will likely be
interrupted or cancelled
drink and/or meal service.
Take your own water
and your own snacks.
I refill a water bottle
after I go through security.
Business travel is often necessary.
Take steps to ensure
it is as comfortable as possible.
I stayed in a new hotel
a few days ago.
The staff was great.
The experience was amazing.
Occupancy was low.
I want this hotel
to do well.
But…
The complimentary breakfast area
can barely fit
the number of guests
they currently have.
If I promote this hotel
to others
and it becomes busier,
I risk losing access
to the complimentary breakfast.
MY experience will suffer.
Greatly.
If the average person
sees the situation
the way I do,
they won’t tell others
about the hotel.
They will keep quiet
about their amazing experience.
If you want existing customers
to promote
your business to others,
ensure they know
their experience won’t suffer
if you gain more customers.
That could mean
building more capacity
than you currently need.
Unless I’m getting advice
about how to run my business
from another expert,
I tend to remain quiet
about how I’m running it.
Yes, I’ll talk about my products.
Often. To everyone.
But I don’t talk
about my business operations
to everyone.
Or to many people.
Because not everyone
wishes my business
or, heck, ANY business well.
And this is definitely
the era of surveillance
and will soon-to-be
the era of punishing people and entities
not falling within
the increasingly narrow
bands of ‘normal.’
(This is also why
I do my not-very-decorative
vegetable gardening
in the high-fenced backyard.)
Someone will have a problem
with some aspect
of your business operations.
Don’t tell everyone
everything.
A home in the neighborhood
was broken into.
The owners asked
if anyone had security camera footage
of suspicious people
hanging around
or entering their house.
There was no response.
Because no one wanted
to risk dealing with the owner
of the broken in house.
He has started fights
with almost everyone
in the neighborhood
over the past few years.
And the probability was high
that any help given
would result in another fight.
If every interaction with you
ends in a fight
or
an argument,
don’t expect people
to interact with you.
A new level
has been added
to the heat risk system
– Magenta.
It warns of
“Very High Risk
for the entire population,
due to long duration heat
with little or no relief overnight.”
When a new level is added
to anything,
warning systems,
rating systems,
response systems,
it tells the world
the situation has changed.
The situation has changed so drastically
the notification system had to change.
And if that notification system
had to change,
other systems usually have to change
also.
I go through my business systems
and evaluate if the new level
i.e. the significant change
impacts them.
In this case,
for example,
our businesses will need policies
for when the heat is so high
it is dangerous for anyone
to be outside.
Do employees go to the office?
Do we deliver products
to our customers?
What happens if someone
has a heat-related health emergency
on our premises?
Etc.
New levels indicate
a new situation.
Do your business systems and policies
cover this new situation?
A writing buddy was complaining
yet again
about how another writer does no marketing
(that she knows about)
and still has great sales.
This writing buddy
would likely have better sales
and more happiness
if she focused on her own sales,
her own books,
her own business.
Sure, we can
briefly look
at competitors
for inspiration
but
we should spend
the majority of our time
working on our own businesses.
We have limited time
on this wonderful planet.
Spend as much of it as possible
working to make
our own dreams
a reality.
Stop worrying about
everyone else.
I planted some frost-sensitive plants
in the garden this weekend.
According to the weather forecast,
there should be zero chances
of frost
over the next two weeks.
That forecast could be wrong, however.
It IS a forecast,
not an absolute.
But I had to make a decision
and it is the best information
I have at this time.
We all have to make decisions
for our businesses
based on the best information
we currently have.
That information could also
be wrong.
And we’ll have to
hastily make some corrections.
That’s part of building a business.
There are no absolutes.
Make the best decisions you can
based on the best information
you currently have.
And move forward.
I know an aspiring business builder
who is searching for
the ‘perfect business.’
She has a long list
of attributes
this business must have.
It must have the ability
to be run
out of her home.
But it also has
to have face-to-face
interactions with customers.
It must give her income
quickly.
But it has to require
NO start up funds.
The products have
to be handmade.
But she doesn’t want
to hire employees
or spend much time
herself
making these products.
The list seems endless.
And I believe it is an excuse
NOT to build a business.
She likes the dreaming part,
not the doing part.
There is no perfect business.
If you’re waiting for perfection,
you’ll be waiting forever.
My Boomer Mom carefully curates
everything she sees and hears.
She doesn’t want unhappy news
so she deliberately
filters it out.
She lives in
a happy alternative world
where war and pandemics
and climate change
aren’t threats.
She is vaguely aware they exist
but she doesn’t believe
they will impact her
and she doesn’t want
to hear about them.
She’s not alone
in doing this.
As the world becomes
more and more challenging,
more people will try
to disconnect from it.
As business builders,
we don’t have that luxury.
Remaining connected
to the world
and to reality
will be key
to our success.
Resist the urge
to disconnect from reality.