Escape from Cubicle Nation

It takes a village to raise a one-person business

Some entrepreneurs have a hard time asking for help, preferring to do everything themselves, from computer software and hardware installation to billing to licking stamps.

I often have the opposite inclination, which is to outsource or shortcut just about anything I can think of.  Is it so bad to consider whether I can hire someone to take the trash out on Wednesdays and fold and put away the laundry on Saturdays?  (I know, I know, that is why we have kids and spouses, but sometimes we all get busy) Don't get me wrong, I love to work hard and consider no task "beneath" me, but the older, busier and more kids I get, the more I am inclined to use outsourced resources efficiently.

In my business, I also firmly believe in the principle of not re-creating the wheel.  If there is someone who has done (well) what I am attempting to do and can sell their expertise in the form of coaching, education or instruction, I am more than happy to purchase it.  I believe what Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton preach in their book Now, Discover Your Strengths which is we should stop spending lots of time and energy learning skills to prop up our weaknesses and instead should focus on building and leveraging our strengths.

The only problem with using lots of outside resources, of course, is that this can get rather expensive, if you don't have any criteria for deciding when, who and how to use them.

So here are some thoughts to get you started.  And for the sake of common understanding, I am defining "outsourced resources" as:

"A person, program or information product that either shortcuts or replaces the time you spend completing a task"

When to use an outside resource

The mantra I used to use in my corporate training and development work was "just in time learning."  What this means is that you are much more likely to pay attention to, absorb and integrate skills if you learn them just before or during the time that you will apply them.  So the best time to learn presentation skills is just before you have to deliver a real presentation. The best time to learn how to create an information product is while you are actually creating it.  The best time to learn how to market your services is while you are setting up your website and talking with potential customers on the phone. 

In these circumstances, not only will you be very interested in what you are learning because you know you will need to apply the knowledge immediately, but you will be emotionally invested in mastering it because you will be demonstrating it in a live situation, with real people.

In addition to a just-in-time learning moment, you also want to make sure that you have the time to commit to what it takes to obtain a desired result.  What this means is that:

• You don't have lots of outside distractions.  If you are moving, leaving a relationship, working three jobs or having a baby, it may not be the best time to use an expensive coach or participate in a time-intensive workshop.  These kinds of distractions not only take up time on your calendar, but they are emotionally intensive which can drain some of your natural creativity and ability to learn.
• You make time for and commit to completing your homework.  The most gifted, results-oriented and dynamic coach or consultant will not be able to help you obtain your desired results if you don't do your part.  Even if you totally outsource a task (like planning and coordinating and event, or creating a product or program), you will still need to be consulted at certain times and make decisions.   As a coach and former consultant, this is a very tricky and frustrating situation, since I know I ethically cannot do my work and the work of my client, even if I am really motivated to see results happen.
  

Who to use

If you are hiring a coach or an expert, there are some obvious and not-so-obvious criteria to use, including:

• Expertise.  It goes without saying that you should hire someone who has the knowledge and skills to help you solve your particular problem.  For some people, certifications and credentials are very important (such as an advanced degree from a reputable institution, or training in a particular methodology).   For others, knowledge based on real-world experience is more important.  Know your own preferences and screen for someone that meets your criteria.
• Experience.  Someone can be very knowledgeable, but not have the experience of applying this knowledge in real-life situations with real clients. So be sure to ask who they have worked with in the past and the different kinds of situations they have faced.
• Results.  You are actually not buying the time with your expert, you are buying the results of your time together.  So be clear about the results you are looking for, and ask if they have obtained similar results with others in similar situations.
  
• Rapport.  This is really, really important.  You must feel trust, ease and comfort with a person that you are working with, particularly if you are dealing with sensitive issues like financial matters or personal fears or blocks. Even though a colleague may rave about a particular program, product or coach, make sure that they are a fit for you.
  

What to use
Usually, one-on-one consultations are the most expensive way to learn something.  But for some people, that is the only way that they will really get work done or projects completed.  A wide range of shortcutting or outsourcing options for you are:

• e-books.  These are essentially online instruction manuals which explain a certain topic, or walk you through a set of steps to complete a task. 
• audio/video programs. These are online, CD or DVD-based programs that are sometimes accompanied by a workbook or supplemental materials.
• teleclasses.  These can be single or multiple-session conference calls on a particular topic that generally don't include a lot of "extra" interaction outside of class.
• group coaching programs.  These combine elements of teleclasses, e-books, one-on-one coaching and moderated online forums, where a group of anywhere from 5 to 100 individuals follow a program together
  
• in-person workshops.  From one to five days, these are often intensive learning experiences where you work with instructors and fellow participants in a live environment.
  
• one-on-one coaching.  A coach usually helps you define problems, challenge unproductive underlying beliefs in your thinking, understand your roadblocks and strategize ways to overcome them and provide encouragement and support.
  
• one-on-one consulting.  A consultant is paid for his or her expertise, and will most often provide detailed, specific recommendations for which strategy you should pursue.  So while a coach may help you identify your weakness in understanding SEO optimization for your website, an SEO consultant would share and possibly implement a particular SEO strategy.
• task outsourcing.  You may hire a virtual or in-office assistant to take care of certain tasks such as bookkeeping, billing, customer support or information technology.  Depending on the size of your business, these can be part-time independent contractor resources, or full-time employees.

In order to know what is best for you, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is my preferred learning style?  Am I auditory (learn by listening or reading), visual (learn by watching) or kinesthetic (learn by doing)?  Do I learn best one-on-one or in a group?  Am I able to tune into a virtual learning environment (like a teleclass, webinar or group coaching program) or do I need face-to-face interaction?
• What motivates me to get things done?  Is it clear information, support from a buddy, group interaction and dialogue, peer pressure or threats and intimidation?  (In which case you may want to hire the bully who tormented you in high school to come sit in your office and call you names when you really want to get something done.  Some desperate times require desperate measures.)
• Is this task one that I want to be doing myself on an ongoing basis in my business? (in which case a learning program may make sense) or is it something I would much rather someone else worry about and complete? (in which case you might outsource it immediately).

How to use

• Evaluate the value of the service based on your return on investment.  One person or program may charge $5,000 a day and be worth every penny because they will help you make $50,000 in sales due to their guidance and efforts.  Someone or something else may be a waste of your hard-earned $20 because it is inferior in quality, inapplicable to your situation or the wrong solution to your particular problem.  So look at what will happen as the result of what you learn.  If a well-designed e-book on designing and conducting teleclasses for $79 is all you need to get them implemented in your business, don't waste $1500 on an in-person workshop on the same topic.  But if you know what you need to do and just have trouble doing it, it may be worth $1,000 of a coach's time to work you through your blocks, if it means you can expect $5,000 in teleclass revenue within the first 4 months of implementing your program.
  
• YOU manage your desired outcomes.  If you are not specific about the results you are looking for, you can't expect your outside resource to guess.  And you know how the saying goes:  "If you don't know where you are going, you just might end up there."  You should be able to articulate exactly what you want as a result of your time together, such as:
  • I will have the knowledge and skills to successfully record and publish a podcast
  • I will gain clarity about three possible business ideas to pursue
  • I will complete a business plan that is suitable to send to xyz angel investors and venture capitalists
  • I will be able to pick up the phone and conduct an effective sales call without breaking into hives
    
• Plan your mix of outsourced activities carefully, and watch your budget.  I said before that I have no problem using outside resources, so if I allowed myself free reign to outsource in my personal and business life, I would not do much else but write, roll around on the floor with my toddler, eat good, healthy food (that someone else prepares), go for long hikes and read People Magazine.  Until that day arrives, I need to balance and prioritize money in my budget for learning and outsourced activities.

I am a bit afraid to tally up the money I have wasted on information products that I downloaded and never read, classes I took whose homework I did not complete and coaching or consulting advice that I fully appreciated but did not heed. Instead of fretting about it, I prefer to learn from my mistakes and share them with you.

I would love additional tips for deciding when, how and what to outsource, particularly as it relates to weighing cost with outcome.  Please share!

Reduce your dread of marketing and sales

Most new entrepreneurs are freaked out by the prospect of marketing and selling themselves to prospective clients, because they believe that the whole field is slimy, pushy and disingenuous.  Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid:  The Fastest, Easiest and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients, Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling, debunks these myths and shares how you can create a strong marketing platform built on being yourself, clearly defining who you want to work with, and establishing a (true!)reputation of trust and credibility.

Michael also has some good wisdom to share about creating information products, which can be a great passive revenue booster for anyone in the professional service sector.

Listen to my interview with Michael on Friday, August 24 on the VoiceAmerica Escape from Cubicle Nation Radio Show.

Show details:

Date:  Friday, August 24
Time:  11am-12pm Pacific Standard Time
Topic:  Reduce your dread of marketing and selling
To listen:  Click here

If you miss the live show, you can always listen later, through the link above.  To download as an Mp3, you will have to click on the title of the show, which will bring up the "download as Mp3" option.

Resource-rich post for women entrepreneurs

Thanks to Rich McIver from businesscreditcards.com for alerting me to this great list they compiled on their blog with tons of information for women entrepreneurs (and good info for men too!).  Check out The Woman Entrepreneur's Toolbox:  100 Networking Resources, Guides and Links. 

There is a real mix of eclectic and practical, and I look forward to reading up on some new topics. 

There sure is a lot of information available, and my challenge is finding the time to read and explore it all!  I suggest skimming the content for relevant links, and taking in small bits of useful information.  Otherwise you spend all your time researching and little time doing.

I was added to the list too, which I always appreciate.  Although you all know that I am an "equal opportunity" entrepreneur site.  Translation:  I write for whoever wants to read me.  :)

Embrace synchronicity in your business and enjoy the results

You may notice that the closer you get to your right life and business, the more frequently coincidence, synchronicity and serendipity occur.  Once thought the purvey of mystics and dreamers, more and more business people are embracing insight and intuition as a critical business skill.

In this week's podcast episode (about 7 1/2 minutes, found here), I share:

• My own frequent experiences with synchronicity
• Some "rational" reasons why it may occur
• Resounding encouragement to stop being so stuffy and embrace the benevolent forces of the universe on your way to creating a great business.

Don't worry - you won't have to buy a Grateful Dead album in order to enjoy the concepts, just have a listen and tell me your views on all this mystic, law of attraction, ask and you shall receive stuff!

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Technical note:

This is the first podcast I am recording with my new iMac, (I am giddy with joy re-learning the Mac after 20 years) and I saved the audio file in a different format than usual.  Let me know if you have problems listening by leaving a comment here, and I will make sure to address it.  Thanks!

The secret to great relationships with mentors? Reciprocity

I can honestly say that my business would have failed miserably without great mentors.  Since the first day I opened my doors (11 years and 2 days ago!), I relied upon the good faith, support, advice and encouragement of smart and experienced mentors.  In addition to helping with general questions (How much should I charge a client?  How should I market my services?  How do I deal with a surly and difficult executive?), just knowing that they cared about my success gave me a tremendous psychological boost.

I have written about how to find good mentors before, but I wanted to highlight a key component of an effective mentor-mentee relationship that was driven home for me recently:  reciprocity.

Besides people that I have worked with directly or know personally, I have a collection of "professional mentors" that often have no idea I exist.  I guess it is the equivalent of being a business guru groupie.  These are people whose work I follow over a number of years because I like what they do and who they are as people.  And over time, given the right conditions, we connect personally.  For my business, these include people like Martha Beck, Andrea Lee, John Jantsch and  Robert Middleton.

I first met Robert Middleton at his workshop in the San Francisco Bay Area about 6 years ago.  He is a marketing consultant who works exclusively with independent service professionals (like coaches, consultants, therapists, and advisors).  In the workshop, he introduced the concept of "Infoguru," which essentially states that in order to build a strong and  effective connection with your market, you should share a large quantity of high-quality, useful and free information,  build a relationship over time, then charge a premium for specialized products or services.  I really resonated with the concept as I have never felt comfortable with a one-sided and pushy sales and marketing model.  I applied a lot of his ideas to my own business, and that of my clients, to great success.

In the years since I met Robert, by actively reading his weekly ezine, I saw his own business grow, going from a mailing list of 5,000 to 50,000, and his products and services change to meet the needs of his client base.  What I like best about him is that he is very sincere and practical.  His information products are truly useful, and I never get the "slimy marketer" aftertaste when reading his sales letters.  He slowly builds his business, based on careful research and testing.  I have probably referred thousands of people to his website over the years, all with no hesitation, as I knew that what he offered was really valuable.

So recently, I noticed that while he posted a version of his weekly ezine on his blog, he didn't do much else with it, nor did he talk about blogging as a central and effective marketing strategy.  Due to my own amazing experience with blogging, it seemed like he was missing some opportunities to share this  strategy with his readership and clients.  So I sent him a brief email asking what his thoughts were about blogging as a marketing strategy.  And he responded back, curious to hear how I had used my blog to grow my business.  He said he had heard lots of hype before and was a bit skeptical of the whole thing.  So we had a phone conversation which really piqued his interest.  And he followed up a few days later asking if I would be willing to be interviewed about blogging for an audio product that he could share with his readers.

We put together an outline and had a juicy 75-minute conversation about how you can use blogging as a key and central part of your online marketing efforts.  He got really jazzed about how he could use blogging to share more information and build relationships in his own business, in addition to how it applies to his readers. (You can see the resulting product here)

The whole experience made me feel really good.  Here was someone who I had admired for years, whose work I had followed and applied with great success.  And despite his 23 years experience as a professional marketing coach as compared to my "enthusiastic amateur" status, I had a sliver of professional insight that was truly new and useful to him. 

And this is what I took away from the experience:

• Those you admire the most have a need for new and different insight, information and resources.  No one is omnipotent, and even the smartest business gurus have blind spots.  Look at their business and ask "What is missing?" If you know of information or resources that would help them fill these blind spots, share them.
  
• Be proud of what you know.  It can be intimidating to approach someone you really respect because you may wonder if you are "worthy" of their time and attention. Hogwash!  All of us have something valuable to offer the world, and we often project superhuman qualities on those we admire.  They are exactly like us, with the same anxiety and stresses.  The only difference is that they have mastered action and implementation.  (Qualities I now think are the essential characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.  Planning, brilliance, innovation and creativity are all important, but mean nothing if you can't get off your rear and get some things done.)
  
• Beware of becoming "one who asks too much."  As I said before, a great mentor-mentee relationship requires give and take.  Even the most generous soul will tire of continual questions and advice, since they have their own business to run and life to live.  So if you find yourself continually asking for advice or favors, switch tactics and ask  "What can I offer this person that will make their life or business easier or more successful?"  One of my dearest  mentors, Dr. Srikumar Rao, always approaches people he is interested in connecting with this way, and it is both refreshing and very genuine.

I offer my encouragement to each of you to reach out to a respected mentor this coming week and share a piece of valuable insight or information.  Don't worry about the outcome -- the important thing is to get in the habit of doing it on a regular basis.  You may just end up like me, and be delighted by a totally unexpected result!

Your company brand is only as strong as your technical support

Although there are certainly more stressful days to endure, like climbing Everest, brokering a major peace treaty in the Middle East or launching a new business, yesterday was frustrating, draining and generally unpleasant.

My blog went down out of the blue, after functioning perfectly well for nearly two years.  I was clued in by some generous and aware readers who sent me emails alerting me about the situation (thanks for being the first Tim, and for troubleshooting and commiserating with me).

And so began my journey with the Typepad technical support system.  Notice that I am saying "system," not "people," since, as I will explain in a bit, the people are perfectly capable and helpful.

For context, I am probably the kind of customer that tech support people groan at when they receive my help tickets.  As much as I try to explain my problem objectively and descriptively, the best I can do sometimes is "my blog isn't working - please fix it!"  So a typical technical support interaction with me requires some diagnosis and problem-solving.  I know a few things just to make me dangerous, but generally live in the realm of "clueless end user."

So here was the sequence of events from yesterday:

• 9:35am:  Realized there was a big problem with my blog which needed to be fixed, but I didn't know what it was.  So I sent a help ticket to Typepad technical support
• 10:08am:  Added some more relevant information to the help ticket, as I discovered more problems,  based on reader emails
• 12:05pm:  Was beginning to get ants in my pants and begged for a response from technical support, also on the help ticket
• 12:15pm:  Looked up the Six Apart company phone number on their web, with hopes of talking to human who could help me.  Received automated voice mail system which directed me to "technical support," which informed me that all help is handled via the web-based system.  Like I didn't know that!
• 3:09pm:  Added critical information to the help ticket, based on some analysis from one of my clients.  I had passed begging for help, and let them know I was very frustrated with lack of support
• 3:15pm:  Sent a new, differently-titled help notice to see if someone, anyone, could get back to me.
• 3:39pm:  Finally received a response from Typepad, which let me know the source of the problem was with my domain mapping with Network Solutions, which holds my escapefromcubiclenation domain.  They also added: 

"We answer tickets as quickly as possible in the order the arrive. Although we appreciate you adding relevant information to the existing ticket, each time you reply moves the ticket back to the end of the queue. We will get to your tickets as soon as we can, and we appreciate your patience."

• 3:40pm:  Now I realize that I was actually contributing to my lack of response time by adding new messages to the help ticket!  The problem is, that fact is not highlighted anywhere on the help ticket system.  Or if it is, it didn't jump out at me.  I wonder how many others have had a similar experience?
• 3:41pm:  Responded to Typepad response, with a further set of questions.
• 7:14pm:  Received response from Typepad with the final set of instructions I needed to resolve the issue.
• 7:15pm:  Called Network Solutions technical support.  Got a human being on the phone and within 5 minutes had the problem diagnosed and fixed. 
• 12:15am:  It took a few hours to get the necessary changes spinning through the Ethernet, (plus I fell asleep because I was exhausted) so I finally made the final tweaks to my blog and was back online.

So what was my biggest takeaway from this experience?

My formerly strong and enthusiastic support of the Typepad platform, built over two years of good and stable service, was radically diminished because their support system failed when I needed it most.

How can we apply this learning to all of our businesses?  Take into consideration the following things:

• What are the different levels of support needed by your customers?  Does your support system include a way of distinguishing between general questions, which can take a few hours or days to reply to, and critical-path issues which need to be resolved immediately?  This can apply to any kind of business.  If you sell tee-shirts online, a customer may not mind if a personal purchase arrives one day late.  But he will care if the custom tee-shirt for his 16-year old doesn't arrive in time for his birthday.  If you are an accountant, your clients may be able to wait two days to learn the difference between a debit and a credit.  But if they are meeting with an IRS agent for an audit in an hour, they will need to hear from you right away. 
• How clear are you with instructions and guidelines for your technical support?  Do you clearly outline critical things (like moving the help ticket to the back of the queue if more information is added by the user) in your web and written communications?
• If you can not afford to offer extensive technical support for your product or service, do you have a trusted network of people who can for a fee?  I didn't learn until this morning that there is a Six Apart Professional Network.  I would have gladly paid someone to help me figure this problem out yesterday at 9:30am.
• Do you have a way for your customers to get in touch with a live human being by phone in case of emergency?  I realize that it can be very expensive and unwieldy to deal with technical support on the phone.  But there are times when your frustrated customer can be helped in five minutes or less if they talk to someone on the phone.  I can't believe that it was much more expensive to pay the Network Solutions tech support guy than the Typepad tech support folks who typed their responses.  But the difference to me was huge -- I got resolution in 5 minutes from one, and in nearly 16 hours with the other.
• Do you think holistically about what your customers need and balance your business model accordingly?  In the case of Typepad, they are building more and more features to make your blog a website-and-blog-in-one.  This is great, as it allows entrepreneurs to consolidate their online presence and save money with web design and hosting.  But it also means higher stakes for customers, who may suffer great financial consequences if their business blog goes down.
• Do you support your excellent technical support people with a system that works?  I really can't say anything bad about the people that work in Typepad technical support.  They are always very courteous, knowledgeable and professional when they respond to questions.  The problem is that the system they work in is radically insufficient for the needs of their customers.  So they probably take unfair heat from grumpy pregnant (and non-pregnant) customers like me all the time.  Good people will tire of this and leave to go elsewhere where their skills are allowed to be applied very effectively.

I realize that I may be a tad dramatic in going into so much detail about my blog being down for one day.  No one was hurt, the stock markets survived and no rain forests were cleared as a result. 

But the impact to the trust I have in a company I have been doing business with for a long time was pretty major.  And this makes me stand up and take note.  A strong brand and trusting customers are  very precious and fleeting things indeed.  It doesn't take much to erode years of goodwill.  So I will be taking note of how this applies to my business, and I encourage you to do the same.

 

Testing RSS feed

Hello Escape from Cubicle Nation readers!

I am finally back on line and wondered if a few of you who subscribe to my feed would mind leaving a comment to this post letting me know that the feed is working properly for you.  It has been broken all day, and I think it should be working now.

Thanks for your help, and sorry for the technical difficulties!

It has been a long, frustrating day.  But I am happy that all is well, and look forward to writing a new post tomorrow.

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Update 8/15 mid-morning:  Thanks to the great comments from all of you, looks like the feed (and blog) are back in business.  Now I will find a way to write my frustration up in a way that is (hopefully) useful to everyone! 

Escape from Cubicle Nation layout is experiencing technical difficulties

I apologize to my blog visitors today -- with no provocation or re-design on my part, my blog layout is acting up for some reason.  I have never had problems with this before, so I am working with Typepad technical support to resolve it.

It must be related to the wonderful plug I got from Robert Middleton (and his mailing list of near 50,000 ) today -- isn't it always the case that technical difficulties arrive at the most inconvenient times?

Stay tuned, hopefully things will improve soon.

Thanks!

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Update 8/15 early morning:  We are back!  Long, frustrating story that I am glad has come to an end.  Sweet dreams everyone!

9 Ways to keep hucksters, shucksters and slimeballs at arms length when starting your own business

A smart and thoughtful reader Ashton recently sent me this email which really got my brain going:

"I'm interested in perspectives on how to deal with people who do not act in good faith and lie, cheat, steal, and take advantage of others in business.  I've had a few people come through in my professional life in the last year who could be described one way or another in this fashion.  And, I know there will be more.  One of my top professional and personal goals in my life is to maintain my integrity.  I have realized that one of the biggest risks to me is not missing out on a large sum of money, or fame, or anything like that--but lying on my death bed someday and looking back knowing that I did not act in good faith towards others.        

The difficulty is, others are out for short term gain, they go back on their words, they rationalize, and they inch towards poor behavior without realizing they've gone a mile.  When my interaction with these kinds of people finally comes to a head--I generally look back and see that there were a million red flags waving that I could have seen earlier.  I feel now that I want to limit my interaction with people like this in life as much as I can from the outset.  They are a waste of energy, time, and money.     

In your experience with many entrepreneurs and business people, grand and small, have you, yourself learned, or have you come across people who have successfully learned, how to sniff out those who would take advantage of them and remove them from their lives or business dealings?  Have you found any tips yourself, or through these people, which might help someone like myself hone this ability?  I don't feel any of the people who would trespass upon my trust can ever really do me in, but man are they a pain in the arse and I would love to be good at keeping them at bay."

Well, Ashton, I certainly have had my run-ins with the "integrity challenged" (the most polite term I could think to use in this PG-13 environment) in my personal life and my business, and have come up with some general guidelines to both sniff them out before they do harm, or to get rid of them as soon as they show their true colors.

First, it may be useful to qualify the types of hucksters you may come across in your business dealings, especially when you are forging new frontiers as an entrepreneur:

• Make a million bucks in one month with no effort marketers.  They can usually be spotted by marketing and advertising language laden with hype like "so easy a 3-year old could do it!" "no experience required!" and "super secret formula for success only available to YOU!"  If what they are offering is truly a great way to make money with no strings attached, everyone would be investing their money with them.
  
• Unscrupulous business partners.  These can be much more tricky to detect, as some start out seeming to be nice, reputable business people.  But, as time goes on, slime begins to ooze from the side of their mouth.  They can do things like "forget" agreements about poaching customers, flake on responsibilities and try to blame it on you, or, in the worst case, run away with money without completing work.
  
• Slippery customers.  We tend to look at all customers as allies, right?   But some have no intention of acting honorable, and do everything they can to take unfair advantage of money-back guarantees, accuse you of shoddy service or products in an attempt to get a discount, or try to muddy your reputation with other customers as a threat.  Mind you, this is very different than legitimate customers who truly don't find value in what you offer, or who are mistreated by you in some way.  They deserve full sympathy and refunds.  The "integrity challenged" ones know that what you offer is high quality, they just don't want to pay for it.
  
• Flakey vendors and suppliers.  These folks will produce everything late, not take responsibility for mistakes, disappear from contact just when you need them the most, and claim nothing is their fault.
• Online, anonymous slanderous meanies and trolls.  Perhaps the most frustrating and slippery creatures of all, these folks prefer "slash and run" techniques, where they attempt to inflict as much personal anguish on you as possible, in as public a forum as possible, then slip into the night undetected, leaving you and your reputation bruised and bloody.

So if you are afraid (as you should be) of some of these scary characters, what can you do to protect yourself from harm?

1. Observe them for a long time before letting them into your "circle of trust."  (If you have seen "Meet the Fockers," you may crack up at that term, but you know what I mean)  I got some awesome advice on this from an elder capoeira master when I was in the midst of a particularly messy situation in my martial arts days.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, the world of martial arts can be a very political and backstabbing environment, with teachers trying to take each other's students, challenge each other's styles, etc.  I asked this elder master how he survived so many years in such a contentious environment, and he told me "On the surface, show the same, smiling face to everyone.  But behind your external mask, closely watch the person to see how he interacts with others.  Is he nice to you, but rude to those around him?  How does he treat his mother?  Take a very long time to observe how someone truly behaves, not how they say they behave, before you really open yourself up to them."  This rule can apply to people that you hire to coach or teach you, programs you invest in, or joint venture partners that you do projects with.
2. Discuss, clarify and document expectations and agreements.  If you are going into a business partnership with someone, it is very important to discuss every aspect of that partnership.  What are expectations for sharing money?  How will you interact with clients?  How will you decide ownership of intellectual property?  What are common values that you have in your work?  What will you do if the partnership doesn't work out for either person?  The more you discuss and document these things up front, the easier it will be to resolve problems in the future.
3. Do your background research.  Talk to prior partners, customers or contacts to get feedback on their experience with the person or company.  If you are researching a vendor, check for complaints with the Better Business Bureau or its equivalent for those of you non-U.S. folks.  I have had my personal "hunch" of trusting someone proved dramatically wrong in a few cases where I did NOT check references against my better judgment.  The worst case was the birthing coach who simply disappeared (with my $150 deposit) as soon as I went into labor with my son, never to be seen again. 
4. For big, important partnerships or really sticky situations, consult with a lawyer.  I don't like that our society has become hyper-litigious.  But there are a lot of good reasons to consult with an ethical lawyer, so that you protect your assets, intellectual property and reputation.  In the case of the damage inflicted by the meanies and anonymous trolls, you must know your rights, and the appropriate course of action to protect your reputation.
5. When you see unethical behavior, cut the ties fast.  Don't wait for the person to do more damage just because you are in the middle of a project.  It may be painful if you have to replace a key resource while you are busy, but it is better than letting a toxic person stir up more trouble.  If it is an unethical customer, have a polite conversation, end the relationship and drop a refund check in the mail.  Some of you may disagree with me, but I would rather pay someone in full to close the door on future negotiations and litigation, even if I know I am right, than fight with them over contracts or dollars. 
6. Pay by credit card, not cash or check.  I learned this the hard way when a custom furniture maker (who had created other pieces for me in the past) closed up his shop overnight and took off with $4,000 of my hard-earned cash.  I had paid by check, which gave me no legal recourse.  If I had paid with a major credit card, the credit card company could have refunded my money in full.  That was a very painful lesson, and I felt like a fool.  Learn from my mistake!
7. Do not stoop to bad behavior yourself, no matter how much someone provokes you.  No situation makes you want to lash out more than when someone is rude or slanderous in person or online.  But the very worst thing you can do is to respond with your own tirade of bad words and accusations.  Take the high road and hold your tongue, as much for your dignity as for your protection.  Words spoken in public settings in the heat of angry passion will come back to haunt you. If you need to let things rip, do so when you are alone in the car and tell this person exactly what you think of him.   
8. When people show you who they are, believe them.  It is good to be optimistic and trusting by nature, and to believe that people can change for the better.  But if someone keeps repeating unethical behavior or doing things you don't agree with, trust your instinct and take action.  We often second guess ourselves too much, and end up in very messy and uncomfortable situations because we want to avoid conflict.
9. When they are gone, learn the lesson and let go of the emotion.  You can drive yourself crazy analyzing why you wrote a check for $4,000 to a shifty furniture salesman, or trusted a birth coach at face value without checking references, or allowed a slimy business partner to run away with your best customers. (OK, maybe those are my problems - I am sure you have your own!)  This angst will eat you up if you let it and make you afraid to ever trust anyone again.  Instead, look for the lesson and realize that their bad behavior or karma will catch up to them at some point.  Then move on with your life.  Don't give away more of your life force by dwelling on their bad energy.

I am sure some of you have had some hairy situations with unethical people (or at least I hope I am not the only one!)  What other advice would you offer Ashton?

Start smart: 5 quick ways to set up business processes on the fly

If you are just launching your business, chances are, setting up business processes and infrastructure is the last thing on your mind.  Usually, you are more concerned with things like:

• How in the world will I get new customers?
• Will my business idea work in the real world, or am I deluding myself?
• Was I insane to leave my "stable" job and put my family's financial future at risk?

If you keep your focus and work diligently, these fears will generally dissipate.  But you may quickly become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of details related to keeping a whole business afloat by yourself. 

One of the best ways to make sure you are efficient with your time from the start of your business is to adopt the practice of only going through the excruciating process of gathering information or crafting communication once.

You will find that in the start-up phase of business, many of the vendors, government agencies, potential customers, media contacts and partners want the same kind of information about you and your company.  So instead of digging through file folders and your "sent" email, here are five suggestions for setting up quick and dirty business processes and organizing your information for easy access:

1. Create a "General Company Information" cheat sheet.  This can have things on it like:
   -Legal identity information (your business name, when you were established, when you were incorporated (if different), official contact information, tax I.D. numbers, trademark registration info)
   -Contact information for your key business partners like your accountant, lawyer, insurance agent and banker.  Make sure to add the complete contact information of name, address, phone, fax and email.
   -Current supplier contact information for credit applications.  If you are applying for credit the first time, often they will ask for references to ensure you have a track record of paying people on time.
   -Client references.  Prospective customers may want to talk to some past clients to be sure you are who you say you are and will meet their needs.  Just be sure to check with these references to see if it is OK to have someone  contact them.  As a general rule of thumb, I don't like to give out the same name more than three times, lest I waste the time of a satisfied customer.
   -Policy information for insurance.  This can include coverage for life or liability insurance.  Make sure you note what the total value of the coverage is.
   -Financial information about your company.  This can include current revenues, projected sales, profit margins, and, for bank and credit applications, personal net worth.
   -Major business assets if your company requires major equipment.  Write down the name and description of the equipment, year, make and model, purchase price and date of purchase.
   
2. Create email templates for common inquiries.  If your marketing is in order, you will get inquiries from prospective clients that say things like "please tell me about your services."  I have a very basic email template that I send out to people who inquire about my services that describes the process of coaching in a few bullet points, outlines basic services and encourages them to sign up for an introductory session.  Anytime you notice that you are sending the same general emails to many people, create a quick template to save time.  These can be for things like:
   -Company background for prospective clients
   -Explanation of standard billing procedures or processes
   -General agreements for joint venture partners
   -Media inquiries (see next bullet for more on this)
   
3. Whip up a "media page" if you plan on courting the press as part of your marketing strategy.  I just put together a quick and dirty one myself, since my "About Me" section in the blog was a bit long-winded (it still needs editing, but one step at a time!)  A Media Page (or Media Room) should have the following information to make it easy for the press to contact you and see if you are the expert they are looking for:
   -Brief bio that describes what you do and what qualifies you to do it.  This is not the place to say things like "enjoys listening to Journey songs and doing yoga on the beach" since most media contacts really don't want to get to know you that well.  Do include things that make you unique and press-worthy.  It can be appropriate to include personal information like marital or parental status, if that would be relevant to your status as an expert (I chose to mention that I am married with kids, as much of my target market struggles with issues of supporting a family while starting a business)
   -Media appearances.  This can be online and offline media appearances in print, radio and television.  It helps to put the most noteworthy towards the top, since one of the best ways to be characterized as an expert is to be featured in a prominent mainstream news source.  Include the name of the publication or media outlet, title of the story and date of publication.  If you want to link to the story itself, that is fine, but not totally necessary when you first get up and running.  Be careful when displaying video clips on your site (such as from T.V. appearances) since you can run into copyright issues if you don't get permission first.
   -Story angles.  Help the media think up newsworthy articles by suggesting story angles based on your expertise. 
   -Interview questions.  Outline the major types of questions that are of critical interest to your target market.  This can save the reporter time, and make sure that you get to reinforce key messages as part of your brand and company mission.
   -Contact information (again).  Even though you have the contact information up front, put it at the bottom.  Reporters are busy, busy people, so the easier you make it for them to contact you, the more likely they will.  Final tip on that -- call the media RIGHT BACK.  They are often under last-minute deadlines, and will quote whichever expert gets back to them first.
   (I stole much of this layout from my friend Andy Wibbels - check out his media page here.)
4. Start a bare-bones operations manual for common business processes.  This doesn't have to look great or have a huge amount of detail.  Just start by capturing the basic steps required to execute key business activities such as:
   -Bringing on a new client
   ("Send welcome email" "Send agreement in the mail with pre-paid envelope" "Enter contact information into Outlook")
   -Starting a new project
   ("Send billing procedures confirmation to accounting contact," "File final version of proposal in project file," "Enter project milestones into calendar.")
   -Purchasing a new piece of equipment
   ("Update general business info sheet with information," "Add equipment to insurance policy," "File warranty paperwork.")
   -Conducting a presentation,  event or workshop
   ("Book event location," "Send confirmation notice to participants," "Book catering 6 weeks in advance.")
5. Create a folder of frequently accessed documents on your desktop.
   These can be things like your general business information sheet, head shot, one-page company background or current press release.  Over time, your folder structure can get more complex, but there is no need to create many levels of folders at this point if you just have a few key documents.

With any of these quick and dirty business infrastructure tips, you can go crazy making them look  pretty or technically flashy.  A common trap for new entrepreneurs is to take too much time with internal processes and not enough time on external processes like marketing or pressing flesh with prospective customers.  So while you could spend 40 hours creating a beautiful database to house your general business information for the next 5 years, don't -- at least at this point.  Instead, spend 40 minutes creating a Word document, then enhance it later.  When the big bucks are rolling in from all your new clients, you can hire someone else to make everything look great and function perfectly.

As a final note, an added benefit of documenting these basic processes from the beginning of your business is that it will be much easier to delegate tasks to assistants and partners as you grow.  I have known many entrepreneurs who grew substantial businesses with all key information in their head, and nothing on paper.  When they were totally overwhelmed with work and ready to outsource to others, it took lots of time and effort to hand over tasks. 

Any other quick start up tips from those of you more seasoned entrepreneurs out there?