I attended the UltraClean Smoke Out yesterday as I do every month. This time it was sponsored by Sprague Solutions with help from a number of local vendors including Redline Recreational Toys (where the event is held), Event Rent who provides the tables and chairs, and Qdoba who was this month’s featured food vendor. Incidentally, UltraClean, Sprague Solutions, and Event Rent are all NetWorks! Boise Valley members. If you have not attended this event in awhile, it’s a great time to start back up! The venue is excellent, the crowds are smaller and of a higher caliber, and the guest speakers are dynamite! Education, networking, and food? How can you go wrong?
The panel today was composed of:
Steven Nipper – nipper@stephennipper.com, Twitter – @nipper, http://www.linkedin.com/in/nipper
Rochelle Lierz DeLong – 208.409.1614, rochelle@thinkconsilio.com, Twitter – @rochelledelong
Erik Bolinder – ebolinder@givenspursley.com, Twitter – @erikbolinder
Paul Stark – 208.884.1995, paul@idahoblg.com, http://idahoblg.com
The discussion topic was – “32 Business Tips in 32 Minutes”. As plagiarism IS the sincerest form of flattery …. here they are (smile).
- To be a successful professional, you only need to do three things: be competent, be credible, and be networked. (SMN)
- Have a business “disaster plan”. Plan with the endgame in mind (good or bad). Consider the “what ifs” and have a path to navigate each one. This is especially important for partnerships. (EJB)
- Focus on cash weekly. Put together and analyze a cash flow report that includes cash on hand, what you owe, and who owes you. (RLD)
- Protect your personal assets from business liabilities by doing three things: Part I: Maintain a sufficient amount of liability insurance. (PJS)
- The customer is not always right. Don’t let your customers abuse your staff. (SMN)
- Perfect your elevator pitch. “My name is X and L”. 10-20 second sound bit. Succinct and memorable. Spotlight uniqueness. Focus on benefits. Deliver effortlessly. (EJB)
- Uncover your purpose. Ensure your team knows it by heart and acts on it each work day. (RLD)
- Protect your personal assets from business liabilities by doing three things: Part II: Incorporate or form an LLC. (PJS)
- Always have a virtual business card. (SMN)
- Always ask for feedback, formal and informal. Customer service survey. “How am I doing for you?” “Is there anything else we can do for you?” (EJB)
- Understand your core strengths. Select one scalable and accessible personality toolset for your own personal and team development. Embrace it collectively. (RLD)
- Protect your personal assets from business liabilities by doing three things: Part III: Follow corporate formalities, don’t co-mingle, and don’t be under funded. (PJS)
- Private censorship is a good thing. (SMN)
- Master social networking. Be you, be personal. It’s okay for people to know you’re human. It is not okay to make people worry about your judgment. (EJB)
- Keep the budget out of the drawer. Develop an annual financial and action plan. Use it to measure, review, and adjust monthly. (RLB)
- Protect your business assets from your partner’s personal liability. Have a buy-sale agreement in place. (PJS)
- Max out your domain name renewals. (SMN)
- Foster the “always accessible perception.” Implied message: “You are very important to me!”
- Spend quality time with your financials. When you know the numbers inside and out, you know what to do and what not to do. (RLD)
- Be aware of the mandatory new Uniform LLC law in Idaho. Charging orders and judicial foreclosure. (PJS)
- Don’t forget the importance of your staff being comfortable. (SMN)
- Don’t always be accessible! Guard your work-life balance. (EJB)
- Value minutes as much as dollars. Minutes and dollars affect your bottom-line equally. Mastering time and task management brings focus and profit to your business. (RLD)
- Outsource what tasks which have opportunity costs so you can focus your time on what makes you money (what you do best). (PJS)
- Send your staff to school. (SMN)
- Don’t be afraid of low tech! Use your pen. Hand written notes still carry premium cache. Have personal note cards. Write 2-3 notes per day. (EJB)
- Move past technology roadblocks. Extreme technology isn’t just for early adopters anymore. Find a technology tutor to push you through the tough spots. (RLD)
- Draft good employee policies and have them available. (PJS)
- Collect your office’s knowledge. (SMN)
- “Be human.” There is not technological substitute for human touch and face to face communication. (EJB)
- Tame your paper tiger. Own your information flow so it doesn’t own you. Adopt a system that works for your thinking style. (RLD)
- Do exit interviews. (PJS)
Good stuff! I was particularly drawn to Erik’s comments. I think we may be paison (smile).
Great event and I will see you next month!
Craig
