When do you put the phone away for the night? When do you close your laptop?

Boundaries is something a small business owner will never have. We don’t shut it off, we don’t put it down and we sure as hell never stop thinking about.

BUT…this is should not the case for your employees and it is a lesson I learned in the last few years. I wasn’t keeping them at the office til 9:00 p.m. at night or demanding they work on weekends…but I was sending them emails, assigning things through our project management system and sometimes g-chatting them at all hours of the night.

The sad thing is, I had no idea it was affecting them and stressing them out. They felt they needed to respond immediately to my emails or take care of whatever item was mentioned. I had no idea they felt this way.  Thankfully, I had an employee speak up on behalf of other team members and I made changes in my communication.

For me, this meant drafting emails and then sending Monday morning instead of Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. I try to be much more deliberate in the way I word communication, as it can be interpreted as a bit too aggressive or blunt. Hard to imagine, am I right?

When you move from being just a business of one, the focus changes. Change isn’t easy for business owners, but it is necessary for growth.

To be clear, I mean public speaking not just talking out loud. Although I do excel at that regardless if I have an audience.

This week, actually today, I am talking to a group of professionals at OrgPro on measuring ROI on marketing efforts as well as personal branding. The latter is my most favorite topic in the world, see here and here and here.

For those of you that can’t possibly imagine getting up in front of a group of people…suck it up. If you are a business owner or have anything to do with business development, community engagement or marketing – you need to be front and center with your peers. Honestly, if you are trying to grow your network then you need to position yourself as a leader and you do that by being the one standing and talking…not sitting (just so we are clear).

Here are a few ways to get started.

1. Event attendance. If you want to speak in front of a certain group of people, then you need to actually attend the orgs/associations events. Get to know the president, event chair and other board members. When chatting with them, let them know that you would love to see a speaker on such and such topic. Follow-up at a later day and volunteer to either speak or pull together a panel.
2. Write. If you are not writing or blogging about what you do or what your specialty is, then why would anyone ask you to speak? You have to illustrate you are an expert or at least know what the hell you are talking about. Reach out to local publications, submit op-ed pieces, blog for another site – do something.
3. Sit on a board. Getting involved in an association or peer group gives you the unique opportunity to assist with programming. You obviously don’t want to be self-promotional but you can volunteer when it is a fit.
4. Reach out to your local Chamber. If you are a member of your local Chamber, then reach out to their events staff and let them know you are interested in presenting on a few different subjects. They may not have something right away, but they now know you are interested.
5. Pull together your own peer group. A few years ago, I started a group along with two other women that discussed leadership. We were responsible for the topic each month, but we invited a variety of different people to participate. Why not do the same? If you love finance, then create a group that talks about numbers. Position yourself as a leader and the rest will follow.

The more organizations, associations and community happenings you are involved in the larger your network will become and opportunities will then present themselves. Remember, personal branding?

Jerry Maguire, eat your heart out.

As a business owner you need to constantly ask yourself, “is this a good investment?” or “what is the ROI?” Marketing is one of those activities that proves more difficult to show return on investment, which is why it is usually the first to get chopped. I’m here to tell you not to do that.

According to The CMO Survey from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, only 31 percent feel they can prove the long-term impact of marketing spend quantitatively. Proving ROI is hard, but not impossible and we frankly love doing it. No really, we freaking love it.

Here is the deal; when determining return on investment for marketing activities, keep in mind the multiple variables that influence outcome. Brand awareness, customer lifetime value and touch points (over 7 are recommended) are all ROI factors. The easiest way to measure ROI is through analytics, which requires companies to invest in digital marketing such as SEO, SEM and social media. Traditional efforts such as billboards and print advertising are not trackable unless tied to inbound marketing.

Measuring and optimizing metrics on each marketing channel such as, email, social media and website provides early indicators of success (or failure) of marketing campaigns to better track and predict their cumulative impact on customers’ purchasing decisions in the long run.

With Google Analytics alone you can see:

• How many people are visiting your site
• Where your visitors live
• Which devices they are viewing your site from.
• Which websites are sending you referral traffic
• Which marketing tactics are driving the most traffic to your site
• Which pages on your website are the most popular
• How many visitors you have converted into leads or customers
• Where your converting visitors come from and go on your website
• How you can improve your website’s speed
• What blog content your visitors like the most

All of this information shows what marketing efforts are working and what isn’t. This then allows you to change your approach to increase ROI and concentrate efforts where the most impact is. What goals do you have set up for your company? What do you consider success?

Before starting a business, ask yourself the question “Do I value time away from the grind?” There is no wrong answer to this question. The fact is, we all need time off for our own sanity.

It is, however, quite different for a business owner. You never know when something could blow up or needs your attention. Here is our reality:

1. Your phone is your lifeline. I know there are all these articles out about putting your phone down and being present…but I call bullshit. If you are a business owner you are never really present because you are thinking about the gazillion things that need to be done or dealt with or managed. A fellow small business owner received a call from her landlord the other day that their office was taking on water due to another tenant’s water heater breaking. We are also building managers, admins, billing, HR, custodial, maintenance…the list goes on. Your job description will expand.
2. Vacations look very different. Just recently I spent time abroad in England and Ireland. It was amazing, but also anxiety ridden as there was a 6 hour time difference. My husband suggested we get a wifi device (I can’t remember what the hell it is called) so I would always have access. I checked my email consistently to deal with any emergencies as they came up. I also set aside a few hours each morning and evening to tackle anything that needed to be done. Payroll had to be submitted regardless of my location.
3. It is a lot of work to vacation. Before I even left to go on vacation, I had to notify our clients I would be out of town and who they should contact in my absence. I had multiple internal meetings to discuss how things would be managed in my absence, any client needs that would fall during the time I was away and who would be in charge of what. I was exhausted before I even left for vacation.

I am not writing this to discourage you from taking vacations, but what that looks like will definitely be different. Shit has got to get done regardless of where you happen to be geographically.

P.S. I wouldn’t give it up for anything.

It will be 10 years for 834 Design & Marketing this fall. Some of those years I would like to forget, there was a lot of failure, frustration and drinking 🥃. People keep telling me that 10 years is a milestone, quite honestly…I’m just happy I managed to retain most of my sanity.

I was just asked the other day what it takes to be a business owner. Besides being slightly off your rocker, I came up with the below.

1. Self-awareness. Know your strengths and weaknesses and don’t be afraid to admit them. Every single employee at 834, has strengths or abilities I don’t possess. I hired them because they are smart, capable and driven. If you feel threatened by that, then you shouldn’t be leading or running a business.
2. Willingness. You will do whatever needs to be done. That means, every employee you hire or plan to hire is doing a job you have done at some point. This also applies to interns. If you ask them to take out garbage or run a vacuum, then you sure as hell better be willing to do it yourself. It is a team effort and if you position yourself on a throne, no one will respect you and they sure as hell won’t work hard for you.
3. Toughness. You are going to get the shit kicked out of you throughout your business journey. I threw in the towel at one point and went to work for a client, it lasted 9 months. It was also the best thing that I could ever have done, because I realized I am not cut out for the corporate world or working for someone else. See #1, self-awareness.
4. Embrace humility. I am self-deprecating to a fault. I do it because it seems to set people at ease and I don’t want anyone to ever think that I walk around like an egotistical asshole. In fact, just in the last few years, I finally allowed myself to admit that I am good at my job and that 834 is a great company. My point is, never think you are better than anyone else, not your competitors, not your employees, not your waiter…no one.
5. Seek out crazy. Find other business owners, because no one else will understand what you are going through. Not your spouse, friends or family. This is a lonely, scary, exhilarating journey and you will need support.
6. Trust your gut. The times I have ignored my gut, I have made some really stupid calls. If you really listen to your instincts, you will be better off.

Never stop dreaming and never give up. Perseverance and just being damn stubborn has carried me through when times were hardest. If you fail, try again. Business owners aren’t afraid of failure, they embrace it and learn from it.

As 834 continues to grow (along with my anxiety), we naturally add more employees. Our culture is a unique one, or so I have heard, and integrating a new employee takes time, patience and resources.

A study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) states that on average, companies lose 17% of their new hires during the first three months. When you think about the investment that goes into a new employee in terms of technology, benefits, space and more; this is a really scary statistic.

The key to success is the onboarding and training process. An article by the Harvard Business Review suggests that companies extend training to a year versus just a few months. A year! Can you imagine? I’m lucky if something can hold my attention for 5 minutes.

Here are a few tips that come from individuals way smarter than me:

1. Be clear on expectations. When an employee starts, ensure they understand their job description. If they are unsure of responsibilities they can’t meet your expectations and it will leave everyone frustrated.
2. Set training objectives. A 2007 study from the Wynhurst Group found that newly hired employees are 58 percent more likely to still be at the company three years later if they had completed a structured onboarding process. Determine timeframe of training along with content. What does your new hire need to know about culture and work environment? How will their performance be measured? Investing the time in creating a solid onboarding process upfront will save you time and money in the long run.
3. First day. First days are nerve wracking. What can you do to offset this? Be sure to have passwords, laptops and a space set up for the new employee. There is nothing worse than joining a new company and feeling as if your presence is a hassle. Set objectives, define expectations and make them feel welcome!
4. Check in regularly. Be available and listen. Set up a one-month check-in to make sure they are comfortable and engaged. Review their work and give thoughtful feedback. This should go on up to 6 months, SHRM recommends a year.
5. Be empathetic. Okay, so I added this one. Do you remember when you started a new job? You were excited, scared and nervous. How can you ease the transition? How do you make a new employee feel at home? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before the employee starts. Share their excitement!

Onboarding is hard and not the most fun, but it is also incredibly important. What tips do you have for companies onboarding a new employee?

What do you support? Do you stay neutral? Stay out of any political discourse?

Many companies choose to quietly support or not support certain organizations in their community or remain quiet on what their customers may perceive as controversial.

834, I am proud to say, will always vocally support equality, inclusiveness and diversity. In fact we are proud supporters of the Grand Rapids Pride Center and this weekend’s Pride Festival. For us, this is a huge part of our culture and it is what makes our company great.

Some companies may have a different base of clients or may have a political base and need to remain neutral facing for those reasons. I am really proud that as a small business owner I am able to support great organizations like the Grand Rapids Pride Center, GVSU LGBT Alumni Association and Vicki’s Pet Connection (obviously we support all things animals).

You have to do what is right for you, your company and your customers.

What do you think?

I always think it is ironic I write these blogs about management, when I often struggle to find my way. I guess I figure, when I am researching, reading and learning…well I might as well pass it on to my 30 subscribers.

Someone pointed out the other day, that my agency has a reputation for finding, recruiting and growing young talent. With that comes challenges and rewards.

Managing individuals across multiple generations is hard and each person has to be managed differently. Take millennials for example, a recent article by Forbes said this:

Millennials are the first generation to be exposed to a very fluid labor market, making their careers a transformation journey, where they need to reinvent themselves, try out new skills, and need continuous learning.

Let me translate: They are not going to stay at any job for 5, 10 or 30 years like our parents did. This is a fact with younger talent, and guess what…that is ok! What does that mean for a small company – well, it means that you you changes will affect you much more than larger companies.

I can tell you what is important to my young team (from my perspective – you may want to ask them yourself).

• Invest in your team and they will invest in you.
• Make giving back a part of your culture. Leaving the world a better place is important to millennials, as it should be for all of us.
• Change is good. I’m still working this one out, but I know that change doesn’t scare this generation.
• Listen to them. They want to be heard and that means shutting your mouth and just listening. I’m also working on this…it’s a process.
• Trust is paramount. This absolutely needs to go both ways. If you don’t trust them, they don’t trust you and vice versa.

Hang in there, you got this (I got this).

Being a business owner is incredibly lonely. I am reminded of this daily, when I have no one but myself to turn to when it comes to tough decisions. No one cuts you slack and no one cares about your ‘feelings’.

Your significant other will not know the crushing pressure you feel when looking at finances, dealing with employee issues, clients, payroll, accounts receivable, accounts payable, insurance, telephones, equipment, technology, property management, growth, culture…you get the drift. They will say you internalize things and you need better work/life balance. What they don’t understand is that doesn’t exist when you own a business. The business doesn’t stop because you have decided you need a vacation or a ‘timeout’.

Here is what I want you to understand about business owners.

• We have tough exteriors. We are tough so people don’t smell weakness and take advantage of us. We look confident but in reality we beat ourselves up about every decision, mistake, failure and critique.
• We choose to do what we do because we truly believe we can make a difference. Sure it sounds cheesy and idyllic and perhaps it is but the fact is there wouldn’t be entrepreneurs or inventors if we were all realists.
• We have feelings. When we are criticized by competitors, clients, employees, vendors, etc. it hurts. It truly hurts. It may seem silly, but we want to be liked. If I was as tough as I looked, I wouldn’t have 4 dogs and donate to every gofundme page that pops up in my newsfeed.
• We’re lonely. If I didn’t have other business owners to commiserate with, I couldn’t do this. I would never had made it without my fellow business owner and best friend, Sue. It’s not like we got a how-to guide when we started our business.
• We’re a little like wild animals. We are fiercely loyal and protective. This means we have to make really shitty decisions sometimes that others view as shotgun or surprising. What you don’t know is the agonizing thought and sleepless nights that we endured prior to making the ‘surprising’ decision.

If you see a business owner on the street, give them a hug (not me though – don’t hug me). They could really use it. Better yet, tell them they’re doing a good job.

Is it important to be seen? To network?

The answer is quite simply, yes. 834’s Lansing partner, Vanguard Public Affairs, and I are taking in the Michigan Policy Conference on Mackinac Island this year. This is my first year, his twelfth.

The entire island is full of conference attendees, politicians, media and more. Everywhere you go, you run into someone and connect.

With the digital world what it is, many people don’t see the need or importance of face-to-face interactions. The fact is, digital should always lead to in person. Interacting online is important but it should be used as a tool to create relationships.

Networking is key in doing the following:

1. Relationships. I am not referring to only business relationships or those you deem beneficial. By connecting and learning from others, you will benefit. Don’t expect business just by showing up. Actually listen and learn – in other words, don’t be out for yourself.
2. No choice. Listen, networking is inevitable, especially as a small business or PR professional. If you are unable to hold a conversation, you’re in the wrong business.
3. Career benefits. At some point you may want to change careers or bring on new clients. The larger your network, the better.

I’m thrilled to be here this week and the alcohol doesn’t hurt either.