I am a restaurant person.  My first job was handing out cheese samples in the mall for a gourmet cheese company.  That was my first job serving food and making sales.  I love restaurants…and have worked in virtually every position on the org chart.  Perhaps I would still be in the restaurant business if my husband hot rod’s partner had not died.
Team Pride…
My nephew Christian is a restaurant manager with a very cool company in Park City, Utah.  It’s called Bill White Enterprises.  http://billwhiteenterprises.com Owner, Bill White operates differently from most restaurateurs.  His focus is on happy diners.  That is the statistic that drives every decision.  How do we create an amazing dining experience…and how many people do we make happy?  Every day, that’s the basis of the management team’s discussion.  Sales revenues are reviewed monthly…and not of immediate interest.   The team understands that a fantastic gastronomical experience delivered to enough people drives the top line and bottom line numbers.  [...]

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Have you been to www.Pinterest.com? If so, odds are you spent a lot of time there, compulsively looking at just-one-more page of beautiful images.   If not, ask a few people in your life about Pinterest.  You’ll get some animated responses, particularly from women, as they talk about their boards and pins and exactly how they are going to re-do the bathroom, travel through Italy or layout the garden.
What is Pinterest? It’s a virtual corkboard, upon which you can “pin” images and words.  If you like something someone else has pinned, you can re-pin it on your board.  You make friends by following other “Pinners” and they can respond to or re-pin your images and well, you start to get the idea.
What’s in it for you? I’m a big fan of visualization and have always put “vision boards” together to help me set goals and make things happen.  You,too?  Then you will love creating boards for “Vacations” or “My Dream Home” [...]

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What does it Mean to be a Manager…
Today, let’s embrace the Manager position.  Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.”  The “end” or the goal of the Manager is to have the people who report to you performing at or above minimum standards of performance.  It’s an awesome responsibility and it can be a super satisfying career.
The problem with the word “Manager”
Have you ever noticed this:  Someone gets promoted to manager because they are a fireball of energy and productivity?  Then, he or she becomes a chair-bound bossy-pants who never seems to actually do anything.
So, let’s shed these myths:

Management is a desk job.
Managing others depends on wielding your superior status on the Organizational Chart.
Managing others involves raising your voice.
Managers have a different set of rules than everyone else.

And, let’s adopt a new management model.   Management is about helping people – in the field and in the office – be successful.  It is about leading by example and holding [...]

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My rookie year…
Once upon a time, I quit my real job (restaurant manager – good salary, benefits and someone to cover for me when I wasn’t around) and went to work for my husband, Hot Rod, in his contracting company.
It was the dumbest decision I have ever made.  It was hell.  I left my steady paycheck behind and assumed financial responsibility for a sinking-fast company.  I was college educated.  I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Business Administration.
The BS really stood for my approach to business.  I didn’t know what I was doing.
I was the rookie bean counter.  And, I didn’t know my asset from my elbow.
I did NOT want to crunch numbers, look at spreadsheets or confront our financial situation.  I wanted so badly for a magical bean counter fairy to wave a wand and make millions of dollars appear in our checking account.
“Shouldn’t our accountant handle this?” I fumed.  “I don’t have time to figure this [...]

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When you come to a fork in the road – take it.”  ~Yogi Berra
Do you ever feel like you hate absolutely everything and everyone involved with your business?  Do you wonder why you even show up in the morning?  Do you fantasize about pitching it all and running away to Costa Rica?  Do you doubt your ability to make the business a success, to make it WORK?
On a Day of Doubt, give it one more day.
It’s OK to give up on your business. If you are not succeeding, you may not have yet found your true calling. Or, you may not have given it enough time. Or taken the right steps.  How do you know?
Pray for a sign. Why not? You might get one. Or, you might realize the signs have been there all along. You’ve just not seen them.
Is it too much to ask for a bolt of lightning?
Today, on a Day of Doubt…play “hookie.”  Punch out for a [...]

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Salespeople are paid hourly according to skill level and licensing or skills training achievement. Aim for a consistent hourly rate for the position. Overtime applies according to state and federal wage and hour laws. Use a Bonus Plan to reward production over Goal. Performance at Goal is what is expected of those who hold the Position of Salesperson. Continue Reading »

The more I travel, the more astonishing it is when I find outstanding customer service. If someone is pleasant to me, I am usually delighted, and don’t expect much more. On a recent trip, however, I had an extraordinary customer service experience. It was a simple interaction, but the good feelings it inspired stuck with me for days. That’s a solid indication that I should write about it. So, here goes… I was staying at a run-of-the-mill Radisson Hotel. The décor was a bit outdated. The carpets were a touch worn. Overall, the hotel facilities were just so-so. It was the people who made me pay attention, and one person in particular. Continue Reading »

In this country, in these times, we have access to everything we need to be healthy, wealthy and wise. So…what’s getting in the way? Maybe you are. The stumbling blocks on the road to success are of your own creation. I’ve listed the most common ones below. Recognize any of them? Continue Reading »

(Macon, GA) Did you think you would be further along in your business than you are now? Business can be a path to prosperity and freedom. Or it can be a grind - too much to do for too little to show for it. Are you ready to get focused, get going and get profitable? A simple, flexible business plan – and an easy way to implement it – can help you realize the dream that caused you to “hang up your shingle” in the first place. That’s why Small Business Expert, Ellen Rohr is hosting her powerful and popular webinar series The Challenge, starting September 18th, 2011. Continue Reading »

If you were driving 80 miles an hour, in the dark, with your lights off, heading towards a cliff, would you like someone to yell, “STOP?” OK. Stop! Do you produce financial reports – the balance sheet and income statement – every week? Do you analyze sales, costs, cash flow, and debt every week? If not, you may be heading for the cliff. STOP. And find out. This is the year. This is the day. From here on out…you are going to KNOW. Continue Reading »