Calling in the experts
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Friday, 24 October 08 - 08:23 AM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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I am now completely sold on the idea of calling in the experts. When you run your own business its so tempting to JFDIY (just, well, do it yourself) because it saves money. Well, maybe, but it certainly doesn't save you time if you're bashing away at a website that would take someone else three hours to create. Time is money, and its more valuable.
That argument has been had and won before. BUT there's one more layer to add, now. And that is, calling in the experts exposes you to a level of skill that you just don't have, that can take your business somewhere you hadn't dreamed of. That's why they're called experts, stoopid.
Example - I'm moving offices, and moving in with Frances to a cool new pad on Boulcott Street. Hurrah! I had a vision of some nice matching furniture and a couple of pot plants and, well, simply our own space. This is what we're renting:
And this is what Roz Paterson has designed for us
See I love it so much its my desktop background 
Aren't we lucky! And aren't you looking forward to the office warming....
What's the right ratio?
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Tuesday, 14 October 08 - 04:33 PM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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The projects my confederates and I work on are all about solving business owners problems. This is challenging, rewarding work with real results.
Unfortunately I'm in this interesting situation where, in order to secure a contract, we practically have to solve the problem in our proposals. Because the client isn't completely convinced that we know what their problem is until we've articulated it and described the methodology we'll use to remedy is, plus some possible outcomes. Actually that's not true - it's not because they doubt our abilities, but because they don't know what their problem is until someone else begins to articulate it!!!!!
Which means if the client then goes away for a while, gets snowed under with other things, or gets distracted in the million ways that business owners can, we've put in DAYS of work for no return. OK so that's not true either, the return will be downstream because a happy customer is a happy customer, even if they haven't parted with any money. It's not about the money (repeat ten times).
One day (soon) our track record will be so deep, wide and impressive that we will be able to incorporate the problem solving proposal into the contract itself - because honestly that process is so valuable and inclusive that it really is a service too.
In the meantime (next few weeks!) grateful for your reassurance that its normal, and what exactly a good ratio of hours to propose versus value of contract might be! 
Sustainable Political Business
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Friday, 12 September 08 - 08:58 AM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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In true Sects in the City style (if you don't know what that means you're not reading mine and Frances' column in INBusiness, so suggest you get out and buy the magazine RIGHT NOW!) Frances and I were at the Sustainable Business Awards networking party last night.
Last year it was fantastic, lots of brilliant businesses celebrating being sustainable - truly living and breathing the concept - an enthusiastic committee of people who really care about business' impact on the environment and actually doing something about it.
This year, well the champagne was nice, the venue was lovely, the enthusiastic committee was still there in force but we got politics.
Apparently the SBN has decided to embrace the concept of sustainable business = ethical business = upholding the position of Maori as tangata whenua. And so we had a powhiri to begin, and a keynote from a Maori business lecturer. All good in principle - fascinating topics and appropriate angle for the SBN in NZ to take.
However, the powhiri began with the man stomping his staff on the ground to remind us of the drums that sounded when his land was taken from him. Cue embarrassed shuffling and extremely uncomfortable glances. The keynote went on to discuss the issue that Maori language and symbols belong to the Maori and should only be used with permission so that benefit can be derived back to the Maori. OK now skating on thin ice here, but hey that's what blogs are for. Those kind of statements drive me mad. Especially when delivered by someone who identifies as Maori AND apparently has Indian heritage, however that's possible. To the point I got up and left the Awards after the first one was announced (under cover of the applause). The atmosphere was ruined, looking around I could see many other people feeling completely unwelcome and very uncomfortable.
The language I speak most often, English, is a mish mash of many. It has been borrowed and adapted by countries all around the world. And yes, forced on some too. Isn't is great that countries don't behave like that any more (er....whole other topic there!) I am honoured to hear other people use it, and flavour it and enhance it with additions that will ultimately change it into something new. In my opinion, I don't own the language, it is not rooted in England, or English people, or in me. I don't expect to derive benefit from others using it, even if they use it for commercial purposes to make money.
So - disappointed that the SBN started with admirable goals, of respecting and providing a space to discuss and embrace Maori culture and business within it's network of members, but that the delivery on the night of the awards was aggressive, political and served only to identify differences.
The only person that loves you..
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Tuesday, 08 July 08 - 09:51 AM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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Went to the 'Managing High Growth Ventures' workshop last week, hosted by Victoria University's Mark Ahn and with speakers from around NZ. Sadly more advisors, incubator companies and presenters in the room than high growth business people who, if they only went on one training course this year, should have made it that one.
Great snippets:
- Kill your ugly babies quickly (if your idea is a bad one, stop putting effort into it)
- The only person that loves you is your mum (get market validation from real customers not friends and family who want you to be happy and won't tell you the truth!)
- If you don't know where you're heading, any road will take you there (planning is good)
- The future belongs to right brainers (my favourite! - lawyers, accountants, coders belong to the nineties, the future is for generalists, community builders, creators and innovators)
- Less is more for successful ventures - having more 'mass' makes you less agile, active and efficient so get rid of it (mass = office politics, staff, long term contracts, permanent decisions, meetings about meetings, 10 year roadmaps. less = multitalented teams, multitaskers, open source, open culture)
Why networking works
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Wednesday, 02 July 08 - 12:24 PM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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Just had a great example of why networking works. For all those of you struggling to get out to events and connect with new people in this cold weather particularly!
People trust you if they can link to you. Then they'll do business with you.
Huh? Well, Simone, who I share an office with, has been on a networking drive in the past few months. Not because she has an insatiable urge to talk (ah, er, well....) but because she wants to grow her business. It's working. Yesterday she talked with a client who's committed to a small piece of work, with the potential for more. As they explored that client's business Simone could demonstrate that she was connected to her client's financial advisor and board member. Now that client knows she's real, she's got a reputation to protect with people that this client trusts - Simone is trusted by default. And therefore can be trusted to do business with.
Nice to have a tangible reason why being connected gets you business.
A person not a woman
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Thursday, 22 May 08 - 02:23 PM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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I had an email this week from someone asking how I was going in a contract I've taken up - and whilst he probably didn't mean to, it was worded in a way that made me feel very small and girly and that he wouldn't have sent it if I was a man. So I was a bit affronted and stopped only by the skin of my teeth from sending back a reply along the lines of "well, tee hee, i'm hanging on by my g-string but luckily got some good blokes around who are keeping me on the straight and narrow, and since investing in the boob implant definitely getting more attention and i think the lap dance at the next event will have them rocking up in droves..." 
This week though, I also went to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce' 'Women in Business' networking event - 25 women, yup in business, listening to a presentation from, er, a woman in business.
Now here's my difficulty. On the one hand I enjoy those networking sessions, women are easier to network with and the atmosphere is much more about personal development than commercial connections. On the other hand I hate having my gender drawn attention to in business, overtly or subconsciously - its so 1980s.
Can't have it both ways so think I'm going to have to give up the Women's networking and take my place as a person at Non-Gender-Specific People In Business events.
Getting sweaty with Strangers
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Wednesday, 23 April 08 - 08:34 AM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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Yes well I'm of course not the first to rant about the benefits of exercise for busy people but I had a wee epiphany yesterday and, believe it or not, it's all down to Les Mills and their combat class.
Now for the first 25 odd years of my life, exercise meant dancing in night clubs or occassionally splashing about in the sea (when we went to Europe, not in the English seas). Then I lost 20 kilos thanks to learning how to eat properly, and exercising. Since then I've become a bit of a gym bunny. I go to Les Mills at least three or four times a week and always do the combat class.
Two reasons - firstly doing a class means that you can't buckle under the pressure, the racing heart, the dripping sweat and the godawful PAIN in your legs rather you keep going because, well the nice instructor has given up his time and there's all those people watching you slink to the door.
Secondly - its a bloody awesome class. My partner thinks its wierd to jump around to someone else's instructions, getting sweaty with strangers. I think its fantastic. The music is so loud and the routines so intense you can't think about who you need to bill, who hasn't paid their bill, how you'll fit in all the work you've promised in a short week, how you can juggle the boat and the business, who else to approach for a commercial mortgage etc etc etc. It's pure meditation.
So its my luxury escape - and it means I can eat white chocolate passionfruit cheesecake from Pandoro whenever I like. As they say - get into it. See you there.
Though please don't catch my eye as I'm in the zone, right, there's no-one here but me
Surprise your customers
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Wednesday, 16 April 08 - 09:26 AM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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Last night Cafe Bastille launched their beautiful new menu. The invite said there would be 'sumptuous hors d'ouevres to stimulate and delight the palate, matched of course with fine French wines and good company'. Well that was true. Double smoked venison and champagne is an excellent way to kick off a Tuesday night. What was absolutely amazing though was that, after the nibbles, we were moved downstairs to the restaurant for a four course degustation dinner. A complete surprise. Everyone was bowled over - as we'd all wondered why the restaurant was laid out for dining - and totally delighted to be able to experience Dean Wong's creations and another four glasses of beautiful wine 
It was a brilliant way to get buzz. Promise something lovely and deliver something fantastic. Give your customers a surprise and make them feel that you truly appreciate their connection to your business. I doubt I'm the only one raving about the place today!
Wellington Business Networks List
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Tuesday, 01 April 08 - 08:11 AM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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Whenever I talk with people about the power of networking, we always end up trying to list the two or three most 'useful' network events to attend - time limitations mean you can't be everywhere, but also it doesn't take long in a town like Wellington to be across most of the community if you choose the right networks to associate with.
If you'd like help making the choice, check out my list of Wellington Business networks - I'd love to make this completely comprehensive so if you have some to add let me know and I'll keep the file updated.
Click on our lovely city to view the file:
Psychological Contracts
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Friday, 14 March 08 - 12:52 PM (GMT +12:00) By Marie-Claire Andrews in Business |
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When you start a business you should always draw up a shareholder's agreement. In fact if you really want to do things properly I think you should get one written, witnessed and signed before the business starts, and not begin business activities until it's in place.
We all know this (how many of us actually do it?!) - but it was hammered home to me over the last two months while I negotiated with my business partner as he resigned from Vault. We didn't have a shareholder's agreement. What we had was really a pyschological contract between us. And that made things more difficult than it needed to be as we both approached the partnership and the exit quite differently - like a philosopher and an accountant might, for example (not kidding - my degree is in Philosophy and his in Accounting!)
A pyschological contract is built upon conversations, statements, discussions and is casual. You don't know you're creating a contract at the time. But some of the initial statements, no matter how informal and imprecise, may later be remembered as promises and give rise to expectations. As we were negotating the terms of his exit, we had to recount the reasons we went into business, what each would bring, what each would take, how each of us would perform. It was so hard to confirm precisely what was said, and what was agreed. Remember, effective communication is message sent, message received, message understood AS INTENDED. I intepreted some of what he said to me casually differently than he intended. I saw things more fluidly, he saw things in a spreadsheet. I heard promises and had expectations, and so did he but they were different. We both broke the psychological contracts.
I didn't realise we were making a pyschological contract - a set of promises and expectations. Now I understand that its a natural result of communication. There are so many occasions you could be in creating a psychological contract you should be aware of them, as breaking them can lose you friends and respect and cause stress and worry:
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when starting a business
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when someone asks you a favour
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when you do pro bono work
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when you agree to collaborate on a project
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when you accept a favour
are there more?
... More items are available in my News Archive
