Yesterday I met with the first candidate for the open part-time position my company has. It was an interesting experience being on the other side of the interviewing table. I've certainly interviewed candidates before but it was always to come in and work for the organization I was currently employed with - this was the first time I've ever interviewed to come work for me.
In a nutshell, she was really great and someone I think would do a good job and be a good personality fit to work with. She's finishing up her degree so is looking for some real world experience to beef up her resume. (On a tangent - looking at her resume reminded me of that time we've all gone through where you're desperate for someone to give you a break so you can have something else on your resume aside from part-time jobs in retail or summer positions lifeguarding.)
Given where she is in her life and career, I want to give her as well-rounded an opportunity as possible while working for me but, sadly, I also realize that my chances of holding onto her long-term are small. I realize that she's most likely looking at this as another stop on her resume that will give her the experience necessary to get bigger and better jobs. That being said, I don't hold it against her at all since my company is small and offers little in terms of room for advancement or those fun things like benefits (though I am offering an above-average hourly rate). I know that if I were in her situation I'd be doing exactly the same thing.
My hope is to one day grow the company to the point where I could have a handful of people on full-time. In reality I'd love to grow it to the point where I had a whole staff but for some reason the idea of hiring people to work for me is really scary and I've been taking very very slow steps to this point. I think it has something to do with the fact that I'll be giving up some of the product quality control to another person so it's a matter of learning to trust that another person can do this job as well - if not better - then I can. I'm also pretty worried about the fact that despite my MBA training - I've never had a good manager in my career (which is probably one of the key reasons I opted to go out on my own) so I'm worried that I haven't actually learned the skills necessary to manage people effectively.
But I'm committed to trying to work on my weaknesses this year in addition to building the business - in fact I think if I can work on them it should add to the business significantly. And one of my big weaknesses is managerial skills so now's the time to jump in and get my feet wet.
After our meeting I told Candidate #1 to think about it for a day or two and give me a call so hopefully I'll hear something one way or another by the beginning of next week. In the meantime I need to get myself registered with the state to employ workers and figure out what the best options are with regards to payroll which will be another post in and of itself. If anyone has any suggestions on any of this I'd love to hear it as I'm feeling slightly outside outside my comfort zone.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Ode to Office Max
In truth it should be an ode to Office Max, Fedex Kinkos, UPS, and all those other businesses without whom I don't know how I would manage. Closest to my heart truly is Fedex Kinkos and thankfully there one just up the road from me that's open 24 hours. It's a beautiful thing and I seem to spend a decent amount of time there.
They have all the equipment that makes life as an entreprenuer easy. I can print things out in full 4-color on powerful laser printers that would cost me several thousand not to mention not fit up my stairs to my office. I can get everything and anything laminated - who doesn't want to laminate! But best of all is the fact that they have all the latest Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator software which means I can play graphic designer to my heart's content. At $18/hour it is significantly cheaper than laying out the cash for both of those programs on my own and it also gives me just the slightest bit of outside world contact on the days when the only time I talk is when I beg the dogs to stop digging up the yard.
Have I mentioned how much I love photoshop and illustrator? I sometimes wish I was a graphic artist but, truthfully, I do not have the right talents to be a success in that industry. More frighteningly though, I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous with both of those. So much fun trying to be creative!
I figure if I could just talk my local FedEx Kinkos to install a coffee shop I could probably stay there all day. Figuring that this is Seattle you would have thought that they would have already installed one!
Speaking of coffee shops, tomorrow I'm interviewing my first potential new employee in...a coffee shop. I'll let you know how it goes.
They have all the equipment that makes life as an entreprenuer easy. I can print things out in full 4-color on powerful laser printers that would cost me several thousand not to mention not fit up my stairs to my office. I can get everything and anything laminated - who doesn't want to laminate! But best of all is the fact that they have all the latest Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator software which means I can play graphic designer to my heart's content. At $18/hour it is significantly cheaper than laying out the cash for both of those programs on my own and it also gives me just the slightest bit of outside world contact on the days when the only time I talk is when I beg the dogs to stop digging up the yard.
Have I mentioned how much I love photoshop and illustrator? I sometimes wish I was a graphic artist but, truthfully, I do not have the right talents to be a success in that industry. More frighteningly though, I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous with both of those. So much fun trying to be creative!
I figure if I could just talk my local FedEx Kinkos to install a coffee shop I could probably stay there all day. Figuring that this is Seattle you would have thought that they would have already installed one!
Speaking of coffee shops, tomorrow I'm interviewing my first potential new employee in...a coffee shop. I'll let you know how it goes.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Words From The Wise
Some would say that the entrepreneurial spirit is in my blood since my grandmother started and ran her own business for 38 years before finally retiring. Keep in mind that when she started her business, women didn't typically work let alone start and run their own business.
I talked to her the other day and one of the things we chatted about was what it really is like to run one's own business. She agreed that starting up a business is the hardest thing you'll ever do but if you love what you're doing you really wake up every day and are happy to go to work even when times are tough. She said that she learned so much during her time as a business owner - many times learning from mistakes she had made (sometimes costly mistakes) - that the business was always interesting and challenging to her. She also mentioned that the reputation she built in her town (she ran a retail store) carried far beyond the walls of her store and to this day people continue to mention that they remember buying from her and vendors still respect her for the fact that she always paid them on time even if it meant she wasn't able to pay herself.
Since my last post was about hiring help I do have to mention that my grandmother - with no actual managerial experience before she started the company - was able to create a family-like atmosphere where the women who worked for her were excited and motivated to come to work and do their best. That's no easy task.
Keep in mind that my grandmother didn't make millions from her retail operation. This isn't a $0 - $12M story. She was an ordinary woman who started a business at a time when those options weren't open to women (I think she once told me that my grandfather basically had to co-sign everything b/c the banks really didn't trust women's money-management skills) and made a decent living doing something she loved. She was happy, she was challenged, and she made a difference in the community which she lived and worked. That's pretty impressive!
Course I am biased since she is my grandmother.
I talked to her the other day and one of the things we chatted about was what it really is like to run one's own business. She agreed that starting up a business is the hardest thing you'll ever do but if you love what you're doing you really wake up every day and are happy to go to work even when times are tough. She said that she learned so much during her time as a business owner - many times learning from mistakes she had made (sometimes costly mistakes) - that the business was always interesting and challenging to her. She also mentioned that the reputation she built in her town (she ran a retail store) carried far beyond the walls of her store and to this day people continue to mention that they remember buying from her and vendors still respect her for the fact that she always paid them on time even if it meant she wasn't able to pay herself.
Since my last post was about hiring help I do have to mention that my grandmother - with no actual managerial experience before she started the company - was able to create a family-like atmosphere where the women who worked for her were excited and motivated to come to work and do their best. That's no easy task.
Keep in mind that my grandmother didn't make millions from her retail operation. This isn't a $0 - $12M story. She was an ordinary woman who started a business at a time when those options weren't open to women (I think she once told me that my grandfather basically had to co-sign everything b/c the banks really didn't trust women's money-management skills) and made a decent living doing something she loved. She was happy, she was challenged, and she made a difference in the community which she lived and worked. That's pretty impressive!
Course I am biased since she is my grandmother.
The Search Begins
After many many months of saying I need production help but hesitating on making the final move I've finally gotten my act in gear and begun the search. I'm trying to avoid the mistake I made last year of saying that I'd hire on help in the late summer only to realize that by that time of year I'm too busy with production for the Fall (major tradeshows) and Holiday season that I don't have the time to train someone. My hope is this year to bring someone on part-time early second quarter so that by the time things really get rolling full-steam in the summer I have someone who knows exactly what's going on. And if things get busy enough I can have them work on the very technical aspects of my products and hire other folks to work on the more basic steps.Now though begins the tough part of finding the right person to help me out. Is it wrong to say that I'm hoping the slowing economy makes it easier to find the right someone? I already approached one woman I know through another entrepreneur but haven't heard anything back so I'm going to begin the search next week by posting with the local community colleges and if that doesn't work then go the Craigslist route since the type of position I'm trying to fill is more of a "work with your hands" then "sit at a desk" type job.
The trouble is that while my work is technically challenging to the right person, I think that my product category - since it falls just outside the norm - may scare off any skilled community college kids which is why I think I may end up going the Craigslist route. Ideally I'd love to hire a stay-at-home mom who wants to make some extra money since the hours I need help would be during school hours - someone who is responsible, has attention-to-detail, and is not necessarily going to flit off one day because the coffee shop down the street just hired the "omg cutest boy eva and I could like totally work with him and then he'd fall in love with me and we can spend all day reciting poetry to one another." But we'll have to see what the job search turns up.
The good news is that I'm pretty sure the hourly rate I'd be willing to pay - to the right person - is a little higher then the industry norm and, from what I've heard, other hourly positions in the area. I do believe in paying the right people well and, god willing we turn a profit, also letting them partake in a bit of the company's success, but it is a nerve-wracking position to be at that point where cash is tight (as always), be thinking of hiring someone which will be an added expense and - the hardest part for control-freak me - trusting that I can hire someone who will be able to have the same focus on product quality as I do. Not to mention the uncertainty that I'll be able to adequately manage someone so that they're motivated, challenged, and want to do their best possible work for me.
Though I can't lie that I'm also finding huge irony in the fact that someone (or people) working for me will be drawing a larger salary out of the company then I am.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Just In Time
I got the photos in my hot little hands on Monday which was just in time for a number of projects that managed to crop up over the weekend. First of all I had the editor of one of the larger industry trade publications contact me saying that they're doing an upcoming story on products similar to ours and wanted to include us in on the article and could I send her pictures. I told her we were having new professional photos taken and I would get them to her ASAP (which is what I've spent all morning doing). She was very excited as many people in my industry - sad to say - don't spend the money on professional photos and obviously a well-lite and well-shot photo makes all the difference in magazines. I'm hoping that the new photos help get us closer to making the "final round" of companies that make the cut for the article as the timing would almost perfectly coincide with the new product's release and the big direct mail campaign I'm going prior to one of the big spring trade shows. All that press this time of year (when I'm typically slower) could really help boost 2nd quarter sales.
Over the weekend I also happened to randomly hear that the Martha Stewart Show was going to be doing an upcoming feature on products that are closly related to mine. It's a bit of a stretch and the odds are about as good as my winning PowerBall but I figured that since I play PowerBall when it gets over $250M that the Martha Stewart Show as equivalent to that $300M PowerBall so I might as well throw my hat in the ring and see what happens. So in yesterdays mail out went a FedEx package containing said new product, a thoughtfully crafted letter, and some photos of the final product. Like I said, it's a real long shot but you can't win if you don't play, right?
Over the weekend I also happened to randomly hear that the Martha Stewart Show was going to be doing an upcoming feature on products that are closly related to mine. It's a bit of a stretch and the odds are about as good as my winning PowerBall but I figured that since I play PowerBall when it gets over $250M that the Martha Stewart Show as equivalent to that $300M PowerBall so I might as well throw my hat in the ring and see what happens. So in yesterdays mail out went a FedEx package containing said new product, a thoughtfully crafted letter, and some photos of the final product. Like I said, it's a real long shot but you can't win if you don't play, right?
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Photos!
I just got back from our FANTASTIC photo shoot with our new professional photographer. One of the main things I'm trying to do this year, in addition to launching a few new products and getting them onto store shelves, is to upgrade all our marketing material so that what people see via website, marketing brochures, trade show setup, etc, is in line with the brand we've created. The brand is currently seen as an upscale, high-end product but much of our marketing material is truly "middle-market" so it all needs to be brought up to speed.
One of the key steps to achieving that is to get new professional photos since the last time we had real photos taken was two years ago. I went in today with a list of shots we had to have and a list of shots I'd love to get and walked out with all those and more. My photographer was wonderful and I'd tell him what I envisioned using each picture for and he would get it set up and looking wonderful. I just saw the pictures as they flashed on the computer screen but I'm over-the-moon happy with what I saw and can't wait to pick up the proofs and the disc on Monday.
One thing that did make the photos really "pop" was due to a tip another entreprenuer gave me. Photographers obviously have lots of backdrops and props in their studio but this friend recommended I hit up Papersource and Impress (fancy paper stores) and buy a small stash of anything unique that caught my eye. We ended up using the paper I bought today in the more artistic shots since I specifically bought that paper with various products in mind. At the end of the day it cost me approx $30 for the paper and the return was some amazing looking shots that I just know are really going to stand out in advertisements and blow people away at trade shows.
Not to mention that at the end of the day he charged me *far* less then I was expecting to get charged. We had talked about price initially but with photographers, obviously, a lot of the price is dependent both on time in studio as well as post-production. At the end of todays shoot he gave me a better idea of the price range we were playing in and it's less then I anticipated. I also found out that he offers his services up at an upcoming silent auction I'm planning to attend so I plan on trying to secure his services once again as I know I'll be needing more photos again at some point.
If anyone would like the name of a really great product and food photographer (he does the "menu" food shots for Nordstrom) in Seattle let me know.
One of the key steps to achieving that is to get new professional photos since the last time we had real photos taken was two years ago. I went in today with a list of shots we had to have and a list of shots I'd love to get and walked out with all those and more. My photographer was wonderful and I'd tell him what I envisioned using each picture for and he would get it set up and looking wonderful. I just saw the pictures as they flashed on the computer screen but I'm over-the-moon happy with what I saw and can't wait to pick up the proofs and the disc on Monday.
One thing that did make the photos really "pop" was due to a tip another entreprenuer gave me. Photographers obviously have lots of backdrops and props in their studio but this friend recommended I hit up Papersource and Impress (fancy paper stores) and buy a small stash of anything unique that caught my eye. We ended up using the paper I bought today in the more artistic shots since I specifically bought that paper with various products in mind. At the end of the day it cost me approx $30 for the paper and the return was some amazing looking shots that I just know are really going to stand out in advertisements and blow people away at trade shows.
Not to mention that at the end of the day he charged me *far* less then I was expecting to get charged. We had talked about price initially but with photographers, obviously, a lot of the price is dependent both on time in studio as well as post-production. At the end of todays shoot he gave me a better idea of the price range we were playing in and it's less then I anticipated. I also found out that he offers his services up at an upcoming silent auction I'm planning to attend so I plan on trying to secure his services once again as I know I'll be needing more photos again at some point.
If anyone would like the name of a really great product and food photographer (he does the "menu" food shots for Nordstrom) in Seattle let me know.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Getting It All Together
Ug - it's 8:40am and I haven't yet actually made it to my workspace despite the fact that for the last two hours I have been doing work. Sometimes the little things (mainly - paying bills, canceling old merchant account, instituting new merchant account, etc) take so much time!
I'm trying to get all the little bits and pieces of the business that sometimes have a tendancy to fall through the cracks together and organized. Since repainting the extra bedroom I've been very slowly turning it into an organized office space - very slowly! And for now the dining room table continues to serve as my main office but looks like an office that a tornado ran through.
I have a professional photo shoot set up for tomorrow for our new products so perhaps on Friday I'll have a chance to get that office organized. I'm excited for the shoot though so I'll let you know how it goes!
I'm trying to get all the little bits and pieces of the business that sometimes have a tendancy to fall through the cracks together and organized. Since repainting the extra bedroom I've been very slowly turning it into an organized office space - very slowly! And for now the dining room table continues to serve as my main office but looks like an office that a tornado ran through.
I have a professional photo shoot set up for tomorrow for our new products so perhaps on Friday I'll have a chance to get that office organized. I'm excited for the shoot though so I'll let you know how it goes!
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