I would never discourage anyone from starting their own business and going out on their own, but I do think it is important to have all the facts before making the leap. Becoming an entrepreneur is easy, succeeding as an entrepreneur is really, really hard.

Here are just a few things you can expect.

1. Work/life balance will never be achieved. As a business owner you are always on, you have to be as issues and opportunities will pop up at all ours of the day or night. A recent Small Biz Musings blog talks about the myth of work/life balance. It will be important to have a conversation with the significant other in your life to prepare them for your soon-to-be crazy schedule. You will need their support and understanding.
2. Your schedule is no longer your own. If a potential client wants to grab drinks at 6:00 p.m., then you will be grabbing drinks at 6:00 p.m. If they want to meet for a 7:00 a.m. meeting because it works best with their schedule…then you will meet them at that time. If you want to land a contract, you need to do whatever it takes. That won’t always be the case, but in the beginning you need to show up and crush it.
3. Cashflow will always freak you out. Your financials will always hang over your head, you will find that you go from sitting quite comfortably to ‘holy shit…we gotta make payroll.’ This does get better, but in the beginning you are investing everything and you’ll be lucky to see a return in the short term.
4. Small business owners are your new family. You are not alone, even though it will certainly feel like it. There are others that have done what you are about to do successfully and they have great advice to give you. There is no how-to manual for entrepreneurs, maybe I should write one…oh hell, I don’t have time for that.
5. Failure is your new norm. It’s ok, because you will learn from it, just don’t be so hard on yourself. How you deal with failure will impact your business’ future. There is such a stigma attached to failure, see it as an opportunity.

My last, perhaps most important piece of advice is to never stop learning. Read everything you can get your hands on and set aside quiet or thinking time for yourself first think in the morning or in the evening. Oh, and always have a bottle of your favorite spirits on hand. You never know when you are going to need it.

What would you add to this list?

I’ve been having a conversation with several other business owners regarding balance and finding that within your life. Can I just say, I think it is utter bullshit? When did work/life balance become a thing? If you want to work all the time, because you love it, then do it. If you want to shut off your phone at 5:30 p.m. and spend time with family or friends, great! Good for you!

What is important to you, isn’t necessarily important to another person. I have always thought work/life balance was a myth, what is important is that you love your life and feel fulfilled. What is listed below, are my non-negotiables, which more than likely aren’t the same as yours. If they are, lets hang out soon – because we are both clearly fun.

1. Enjoy yourself in all that you do. Can you imagine if you spent all day doing a job you hate, it doesn’t matter how much work/life balance you have in your life…you are not going to be happy. However, some don’t have a choice, which means attitude then becomes everything. If you approach work, meetings, conversations with a positive attitude, it will rub off on others around you and even if you are faking it…it starts to feel right. We are wired to see negative and to doubt everything, turn that approach on its head and force positivity.
2. Get some sleep. I love sleep, way more than I did when I was a kid. I take multiple naps on the weekends and it is glorious. I don’t know if there is a set number of hours you should get at night, but you should feel somewhat refreshed in the morning. Otherwise how will you deal with everything the day is going to throw at you? Also, I feel like being positive relies on you being refreshed.
3. Make time for fun. I don’t care if it is forced fun, schedule it. Maybe it is happy hour with friends, a date with your significant other, time set aside for reading, petting a dog – the point is…if you can’t laugh – then how the hell do you deal?
4. Get moving.  I know, I know…this is hilarious coming from me. You don’t need to go run a marathon, but maybe get 10,000 steps in for the day. I like to jump on my elliptical and burn a remarkable 150 calories as I watch funny YouTube videos. I feel good about myself and don’t feel like a lazy cow, so there is that.
5. Go into the woods. I like to spend time in the woods, wrapped in a blanket, reading a good book, enjoying a glass of wine, with a raging fire while surrounded by 6 dogs. This is a very specific formula that you will need to tweak. The point is, find your happy place and go to it often.

Work/life balance just isn’t a thing because in everything I listed above my work is integrated into it. I dream about it, talk about it, reflect on it and work wherever I am. What is most important is that you are happy, it shouldn’t matter how that is achieved or how many hours you spend working verses self-care (which is also BS).

What do you think?

It is part of all PR practitioners jobs to stay up-to-date with current events and we often stumble across interesting stories. This past week is no different, so I offer you the following to entertain you while at your desk or home weathering this snowstorm. My commentary is especially amusing.

1. Really Smart Girl Scouts Sell Cookies Outside Marijuana Stores, Internet Reacts. First off, I am hiring this girl when she is old enough to legally work. She sold 300 boxes in 6 hours. Just genius.
2. Trump Lied About What He Paid For Melania’s Engagement Ring. Guys – Trump lied…WHAT??? I know, it comes as a complete shocker, but at least this time he didn’t offend an entire country or gender…just poor Melania. Anyways the story isn’t nearly as interesting as the headline, but feel free to give it a read.
3. The Trump White House has been plagued by rumors of illicit romances — and now Hope Hicks is at the center. If you don’t have real work to do, maybe this is the only way to entertain yourself? Hope really knows how to pick ’em. Her love interest, Rob Porter, was just accused of physical and emotional abuse by not one…but two ex-wives. Don’t worry, Hope helped him craft an official statement defending himself. So all is well.
4. An Alaska Airlines jet was forced to land after a naked man locked himself in a bathroom (ALK). The dude was in the restroom, what more do you want? At least the flight attendants had rubber gloves.
5. It’s -700 Degrees at the Olympics, but Tonga’s Flag Bearer Gave No F*cks and Went Shirtless. He is on an international stage, might as well do it up. Also, his name is Pita.

Our world is a crazy place, staying informed is a necessity…but also seeing the humor is key to maintaining sanity.

I couldn’t help rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles last night, Nick Foles’ story is just amazing and who doesn’t love a great underdog story? As everyone by now knows, Foles almost walked away from football, he was discouraged, disappointed in his career – spending much of his time on the sideline. We all know how his story ends but the leadership lessons we can glean from it are a valuable reminder to all business owners.

1. Perseverance. At the age of 26 he was going to call it quits, instead he took  time to reflect and decided his story wasn’t over. He listened to those he respected, got away to unplug and then he put his head down and got to work. Anyone running a business has times when they want to call it quits, it’s hard sometimes too hard, but you need to suck it up, think and move forward. It’s what business owners (and quarterbacks) do.
2. Teamwork. We don’t get where we are by ourselves. Just like Nick Foles’ Superbowl win is not his alone, your business is much more than just you. What are the skill sets the company needs? Pulling the right talent together is what makes a company unstoppable.
3. Humility. Understanding that you didn’t get where you are a lone and acknowledging that whenever you get a chance is what will make your company great. Do you know what Nick Foles had to say after winning the Superbowl? “I think the big thing that helped me was knowing that I didn’t have to be Superman. I have amazing teammates, amazing coaches around me. And all I had to do was just go play as hard as I could, and play for one another, and play for those guys.”
4. Adversity. Foles obviously didn’t have the career that people write books about, until now, but what he did have was the ability to see the bigger picture and tackle adversity as it came at him. He went up against Goliath and he won. The key to overcoming adversity is viewing it as a challenge,  not an unsurmountable feat. Take it day-by-day, step-by-step and as always – never stop moving forward.
5. Poise. When I was watching the game, it struck me how Foles approached each play with a sense of calm and calculation, he seemed completely unfazed. Leaders need to have the ability to approach difficult tasks with an analytical mindset, while taking the emotion out of the situation. This is something I work at every day, because the passion that founded our businesses cannot be how we make important decisions.

Sometimes, being the underdog isn’t a bad thing, people will count you out and underestimate you – let that drive you to work even harder at being the leader your company and industry need.

When starting a business the only thing you can think of is….$$$. How will you pay bills? Hire employees? Feed your dog?

Fast forward and you are now a relatively stable company (I mean are small businesses ever really stable?) and you are struggling with clients, you’re exhausted all the time, management of employees is clearly not your strong suit…and you’re wondering how this phase of your business could possibly be harder then when you were broke?

I’ll tell you why. As your business grows, your mindset needs to change. How you run your business needs to evolve and that means some serious non-negotiables.

1. Stop competing on price. At some point you have to stop taking on every Joe Blow that walks through your door with a wad of cash (ok…it depends on how much cash is in the wad). Ask yourself what makes a good client and who can you helo? Break it out by industry, services you want to provide and what your price model is. Concentrate on making your company stand-out through exemplary results, great client relationships and a phenomenal culture.
2. You cannot please everyone. This goes back to the price piece, if someone doesn’t see your value, then don’t work with them. No business should have to spend time constantly convincing a client they are worth the cost of the service. Although, if this is the majority of your clients, then you need to spend sometime thinking on why that is. If you see your value, so will your clients.
3. You are not a friend. Running a business, means hiring the right people. Employees are not your friends, sure you can go out and have a drink or chat about personal lives (to a certain extent), but you are their boss. Do not cross that boundary, it will only spell trouble for your entire business.
4. Spend time on the business. So often we are working in the business, we don’t step back to and strategize ON the business. Pick up the book Traction, once you read it, have your leadership team read it, then tell me what you think.
5. Stop with all the late nights. Regardless of what you think, you cannot work all the time. Stop pretending like you can or you do, because we all know you sleep. You’ve heard of the “busy disease;” I like to call it the small business owner competition…and the funny thing is we think we are competing against each other but really it is all in our head. I am always comparing myself to other owners and how they run their business, which leads to me inevitably finding something wrong with myself…just stop! Do what is right for you and the business.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the business habits you had to break to take your company to the next level. The growth stage is one of the hardest to guide your business through.

Yesterday, 8THIRTYFOUR officially celebrated 11 years with our community, clients and staff. While our anniversary gave us an excuse to throw a party, our intent was much more powerful than that. Our message for the evening was the “Power of Small Business,” which we highlighted with a superhero theme. To me, small business owners are superheroes. They tackle challenges and failures on a daily basis while continuing to push forward. We have a vision in our head of what we want our business to be and who we want to help and we refuse to give up.

As a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM), I am surrounded by super heroes every day. Associating with these badass business owners has lead 8THIRTYFOUR to truly embrace what makes us a great company. Our dedication to our community, clients and culture are what separates us from the rest. It is hard for me to embrace kudos and show pride for 8THIRTYFOUR and all we have accomplished in the last 11 years, however, it is necessary.

When we choose our clients, we do so knowing we can help them meet the integrated communication goals they have for their company. We won’t work with businesses we don’t believe in and we won’t take you on if we can’t help you. Our clients trust us and recognize our value and for that I am damn grateful.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for trusting 8THIRTYFOUR with your brand and for believing in the power of small business. We didn’t just throw a party, we threw a message and I hope it resonated with those that attended.

Apparently 11 years is a milestone for a small business, or so I’ve been told. This week we are throwing a party to celebrate 8THIRTYFOUR’s eleventh anniversary, while also highlighting all things small business.

As a business owner, you tend to be pretty pessimistic, you are always waiting for the other shoe to drop; for the next big surprise. Money, employees, bills, invoices, contracts, taxes, culture, clients, failure, mistakes – if you could see my brain as a word cloud…all of those items would be in it (along with dogs, dogs, dogs and more dogs).

It is hard for me to accept a congrats or way to go when I can’t see past the mistakes and hurdles. How do you feel successful when there are so many things you have messed up? So many things you could have done better?

The lesson in all of this, is that it isn’t about me. It is about those that have supported, worked for and embraced us in the community. This anniversary is about you, just like everything we do. I don’t think any business owner is ever truly satisfied where their company is and maybe that is what makes us keep striving to better ourselves, our company and those we serve.

If I were asked to list the lessons I’ve learned in the past decade, it would include the below.

1. Failure is part of running a business, so you better get used to it and you better figure out how to learn from it and move on.
2. There is no professional and personal work life balance.
3. Spoil the ones you love, always be overly generous. Send thank you notes, celebrate milestones with them, let those you care about know you are thinking of them.
4. Surround yourself with lots of dogs, in fact six seems like a great number.
5. Go on adventures with your life partner, whether that is an eighteen hour car ride with six dogs or a trip to Spain with your best friends.
6. Spend time in the woods, nothing puts things in perspective like trees, water, bugs and your furkids.
7. You are going to piss someone off. You can’t keep everyone happy and at the end of the day you have to do what is best for the business.
8. Hire people that possess skills you do not and will take the company where it needs to be.
9. Never stop reading and learning.
10. Take the time to think big picture and don’t be afraid of change.

Thanks for supporting 8THIRTYFOUR on this journey and thanks for always being there for me. It does not go unnoticed.

“Leadership that is not deeply rooted in a foundation of truth is leadership destined to fail.” – Mike Myatt of Innovation Excellence.

As a leader, you are only as good as your word and how you live out that word. The most successful business leaders of our time have built their personal brand through honesty, making the right decisions and perhaps most importantly – admitting when they have it wrong. Success, in my opinion, is dependent on a leader’s moral compass.

A recent Forbes’ article had this to say about leadership, “True leaders don’t have the luxury of blaming others. Instead, they own every failure and work tirelessly to fix problems no matter the source.”

A good leader…

• is selfless.
• brings people together.
• owns failure.
• makes sacrifices.
• pursues the greater good, often at their own expense.

As we are inundated with news of the latest scandal caused by 45, it is imperative that we remember what a leader truly embodies.

My top blogs of 2017 were incredibly personal and a bit painful to write. I narrowed last year’s blogs down to the top 5. In each of these my passion and commitment to small business is evident, as is the sacrifice and growth that comes along to it. So, take a gander and if you would be so kind…let me know what you would like me to write on in 2018.

Why you should quit your job
I got a bit of blowback on this one, apparently I shouldn’t be encouraging people to quit their job (they hate) to do something they love. I started 8THIRTYFOUR when I was in my mid (okay late) 20s and my age played a major factor in the beginning. As we age we become more risk adverse and this was something I most definitely didn’t contemplate at the time. Your happiness is more important than your age, so make the leap, be happy.

It sure is lonely
I wrote this blog when I was dealing with employee issues and I was at my wits end. I was frustrated, felt abused, disrespected and hurt – the outpouring of support that resulted from this blog, seriously restored my faith in humanity. It was obvious I wasn’t the only one experiencing these feelings.

❤️

Motivation in loss
This blog still gets me choked up. Losing Murphy, was and is one of the hardest life moments I have had to overcome. He was with me during my divorce, bankruptcy, move, multiple jobs, the start of 8THIRTYFOUR and more. He was my constant companion and he loved me when it felt like no one else did. Finding the lesson in the loss was difficult, but this blog and the responses from it…made all the difference.

Dress to impress
Let’s be honest, we are all judged by our appearance and in the professional world you can’t afford to be lazy about it. I was inspired to write this after we passed a dress code policy at 8THIRTYFOUR. I want my employees to be comfortable but first impressions are everything. Adding some wardrobe staples to your closet will make all the difference…and stop using the excuse you can’t afford it – I showcase multiple affordable options.

How to give a memorable interview
For anyone entering the workforce or those that are looking for a refresher/tips, this blog hits all of the key points while also being wildly entertaining…ok, mildly entertaining. After our second or third intern interview, my managing director and myself looked at each other and said “what just happened?” How could simple etiquette not be applied to all human interaction, much less an interview?

I really, really, really want to get your feedback on the Small Biz Musings blog. As much as I entertain myself with my own writing…I hope it gives you some worthwhile information and tips.

Feel free to email me directly, kim@834design.com.

Strategies are hard.

Where the hell do you even start? Whether you are the one responsible for creating a marketing plan or you are working with an agency, you need to understand the components.

The following outline is what I start with when crafting a strategy and then I customize based on the client, industry and overall goals. This will give you a starting point, and you can then add and subtract from there.

Marketing Plan Overview:
This is just a paragraph or two of what is included in the plan. What are the components and sections that are outlined in the strategy.

Goals & Objectives:
It is imperative that you map out measurable goals, break it out into internal and external goals. Below are some examples:

• Increase leads through website by 10 a month.
• Map out internal processes to streamline the customer service experience.

You will also want to outline how you plan to measure each of these goals. Obviously with the website lead generation, it will be how many forms are filled out, calls made, traffic on page, etc. For the internal processes, you can set a timeline of when each section will be completed.

SWOT Analysis:
SWOT Analysis is a tool for examining the current status of a company in a particular marketplace. This is not expected to be timeliness, but to give a snapshot of the company and the market forces at this point in time.

Competitor Analysis:
This may seem redundant year after year, but it is important to revisit ever year. Look at what your major competitors are doing well or not so well in the marketing realm, so look at their website, social media, search rank, blogging, email marketing and more. Learn from what they are doing well and avoid what they are not doing well.

Research:
This section will vary based on your industry. However, if you have done surveys or client interviews in the past, that is a great starting point. You can also indicate in the strategy that surveys are going to be implemented as part of the strategy. By gathering as much intel as you can on your current and past customers, you can effectively plan out tools and tactics within the plan. This section is also where you map out buyer/audience personals. Below is an example, if the client was a home builder or realty company:

• Millennial Couple with Young Kinds, a Dog
  • Clear pricing is important for this group so they can manage budget, although they are often willing to stretch.
  • Space is important for kids to be close and have places to play, desire to entertain family and friends is also important.
  • They research every buying decision online before moving forward. This is often done on a tablet or mobile phone.
  • They are avid watchers of HGTV, especially Fixer Upper as they can relate to Chip and Joanna Gaines.

Messaging:
Clear and consistent messaging is a must for all brands. By maintaining consistence across all communication mediums, you ensure that everyone is receiving the right message. In this section outline your brand attributes, positioning statement, elevator speech, tagline, tone and voice and sample language.

Tactics:
This is the section where you map out how you are going to achieve the goals you mapped out early on in the strategy. Depending on what the research, competitor analysis and other sections reveal this can include, but is not limited to:

• Community engagement
• Digital – SEO/SEM
• Email marketing
• Social media
• Video
• Advertising
• Public relations
• Blogging

The next section is implementation. I recommend breaking this out first quarterly, then monthly, then weekly and finally daily. Be sure everyone on your team knows what they are responsible for and revisit the strategy often in bi-weekly meetings to adjust as needed.