I’m winding down
the romance writing business
but my pen name
hasn’t told anyone.
The pen name
hasn’t told readers
or my editor
or fellow writers.
No one should know.
I’ve been receiving
semi-frantic requests
for minor character stories
from readers.
They somehow know.
Your customers pay
closer attention
to what you’re doing or feeling
than
you likely think.
Assume your ‘secrets’
won’t remain secrets
for very long.
Make decisions
and tailor your communications
to reflect that.
Last night,
I hit the wall
brain-wise.
My brain was
empty.
Nothing was happening
up there.
But I still had energy
and I had time.
So I completed
tasks
that didn’t require any thought.
I shredded confidential
documents.
I shared social media posts
writing buddies
had crafted
to help them sell books.
I organized
the tax file.
I put some mailing
together.
Those tasks had to be completed
but I had saved them
for times like last night,
times when my brain
wasn’t working properly.
Save some
no-thought-required tasks
for when you are past
the point of thinking.
If you want to
change a life today,
tell someone
they’re doing a good job.
That someone
could be the cashier
at the grocery store
or
the delivery person
handing you the package
you’ve been waiting for
or
the barista
making your coffee
for you
or
someone else.
Look them in the eye
and solemnly tell them,
“You’re doing a good job.
You know that,
right?”
Because odds are…
they DON’T know that,
they rarely, if ever,
hear
they’re doing a good job,
and they NEED to hear it.
Note:
A good job
is very different
from a great job.
A great job
exceeds expectations
and should always be
commented on.
But a good job
is often sufficient.
And it deserves
recognition
from time to time also.
Tell someone
they’re doing a good job.
I’m extremely busy
right now
so I asked a loved one
to help me
with my holiday shopping.
Did he get
the exact presents
I would have gotten?
No.
But he did d@mn well
and I think our loved ones
will love the gifts.
When you delegate tasks,
they won’t ever
be completed
exactly the way
you would have completed them.
Embrace that.
Accept that.
Then move on.
Whenever I have a spare
couple of minutes,
I craft another post
for client k
and schedule it
for the future.
I can modify that post
and/or reschedule it
at any time.
I can even delete it
if the situation changes
or I receive new information.
But the post is there
and ready.
Which is good
because we’re moving into
my busiest time
of the year.
And I will need
all the extra moments
I can get
then.
I suspect we’re moving into
a busy time
for you also.
Complete as many tasks
as you can
now.
Your future self
will thank you.
A buddy counted on
insurance covering
any lawsuits
his business experienced.
Then he lost
his insurance coverage.
Because his physical store is
situated in
a frequently flooded area.
He’s hustling to incorporate
now.
It is a huge mess,
expensive
and every day
his business isn’t incorporated
is a day
when all his personal assets,
his personal home and pension,
are at risk.
Climate change
is slamming the insurance companies.
They are aggressively
canceling contracts.
We can’t count on insurance
anymore.
Ensure the risks
to you
and your business
are covered
in some other way.
As business builders,
we all need
confidence.
We need confidence
to sell our products.
We need confidence
to convince people
to partner with us,
to give us business loans,
to take a chance
on a new-to-them business.
But there is a huge difference
between
confidence
and
arrogance.
I think of arrogance
as the assumption
the laws,
whether they are
society’s laws,
the laws of nature,
the laws of human interactions
or something other than that,
don’t apply to us.
Arrogant people
tell themselves
they are exceptions.
Those laws are
for ‘other people.’
They don’t have to pay taxes,
for example,
because they’re smarter than other people
or more worthy
or more powerful.
That arrogance is often
their downfall.
(Do NOT f*ck with
the tax people.
They will mess you up.)
Be confident.
But keep your arrogance
in check.
If you’re starting
a new business
in a neighborhood,
buy as much as you can
from local businesses.
Get your coffee
from the coffee shop
on the corner.
Buy your morning bagel
from a different restaurant
in the neighborhood.
Ask a neighbor
which electrician
she uses.
Buy your printer paper
from the local office supply place.
Yes, it will cost
a little bit more
but it should pay off
in connections.
Communities tend
to support their own.
Become ‘their own’
as soon as possible
by being seen
supporting the places
THEY support.
If you’re starting
a business
with a physical location,
whether that business
is a taco truck,
an Airbnb
or something else,
having a good relationship
with your neighbors
is important.
It can mean
the difference
between your business
succeeding
or failing.
Because neighbors
can make your life
absolute he77.
They can call the city
about perceived or real
coding violations.
They can call the police
about noise issues.
They can bad talk
your business
to potential customers.
They can block your driveway.
And do a thousand
other things
that will take your time
to resolve
and cost you money
and customers.
Introduce yourself
to your neighbors.
Give them something
as an apology
in advance for any inconveniences.
Of course,
offer them a ‘special’ discount
with your business.
And keep them informed.
You NEED your neighbors
to be
on your side.
Or, at the very least,
you want them to be
neutral.
This will
make or break
your business.
A loved one
claims he purchased
a house
as a business opportunity.
He plans
to turn it into
an Airbnb.
I walked through the place.
His claims
of it being a business
are
bullsh*t.
He plans to use it
as his personal
vacation property.
How did I know this?
Every renovation decision
was based on
his personal tastes.
He has a kitchen counter,
for example,
that needs to be cleaned
a very specific way
or
it will scratch.
All his textiles,
as another small example,
have to be treated
very, very gently.
That’s not rental friendly.
If you base decisions
on what YOU like,
not what your target market
likes or needs,
you have a hobby,
not a business.