The Boss Lady Masterclass

  “The cost of hiring someone bad is so much greater than missing out on someone good.” Joe Kraus  Founder of Excite, JotSpot and Digicelconsumer.org I conducted a brief survey a few weeks ago and I asked local entrepreneurs what were some of the skills they were lacking when they first started their business; 85 percent said that they hired poorly and managed badly. Now, how many of us make the same mistake? I know I did…I really have to stop hiring families. Most of us complain about hiring ‘stupid staff’ and that they were all driving us crazy but ‘who hired them? who trained them? what system were in place?’ Yes as leaders we are responsible for all that! Entrepreneur’s are 100 percent responsible for the team and their results. We have to take much needed effort and time in hiring the right staff and acquiring the business skills you would need from the people you hired; kind a like a reverse apprenticeship. Big Dave from my earlier post about comfort zone also had the sa...

No one likes to move beyond their comfort zone, but as the saying goes, that’s where the magic happens. It’s where we can grow, learn, and develop in a way that expands our horizons beyond what we thought was possible. Also its terrifying! But all of us confront tasks at work that force us outside our comfort zone. It could be giving negative feedback, or promoting ourselves, or speaking up, or networking. The list of uncomfortable but necessary tasks is long and unfortunately quite challenging but no one accomplished substantial goals without confronting them. “A ship is always safe at the shore but that is not what it is built for.” Albert Einstein I remember reading a book about a man who was known by many as BIG DAVE but his real name is David Staughton and he was from Melbourne, Australia. He was sharing his story about his 12 days business partnership with his father who was also a business man himself. During his teen years and on to his early 20’s he would earn money while work...

1. First and foremost you must have a passion for what you do! Then you must get a policy and procedure manual written, explaining how you do business with your customers so when your business grows and employ staff they know exactly what is expected. As the saying goes ‘when you get serious, get systems,’ this helps with clarity about what, why and how you do things. 2. Save 80% and live on 20% of your profits . It is a mistake that I have seen to many people make when they start out in business. It can be tough, but the ability to discipline yourself to do this separates the people who want to nurture a business from those who enjoy spending the profits. 3. Don’t look down on any kind of work you are given, take pride in whatever it is you are doing. So if I am sweeping the floor in one of my shop I do it with enthusiasm and I do a great job. I would never ask a staff to do a job that I haven’t done or wouldn’t do. This earns respect from your employees. 4. Look for ways f...

 "Failure is another Stepping Stone to Greatness"      ~ Oprah Winfrey Improvisions in life's crises is a skill we must all practice and hone long before calamity strikes. It requires preparation, engagement, resourcefulness and creativity to come up with solutions when your new business faces potential disaster. Have clear targets, goals and systems while remaining flexible enough to adapt to the realities of business as we discover them. Testing, trying, experimenting, adjusting, researching and regrouping is all part of the process. You must persevere to overcome setbacks and continue toward your destination of success.  Do not be afraid of making mistakes. Every mistake and failures is your stepping stone to your future success. Stepping stones bridge one educational opportunity to another so that you can move forward, even if its a smaller leap then you once hoped for.   And sometimes it requires you to step back and regroup before leaping forward agai...

 A farmer wanted to give his land to one of his three sons. He offered each of them the same chance to win it. After a heavy snowfall, he took the boys outside and pointed to a tree about a 100 yards away. He said to them, "Whoever can walk to that tree in a straight line will get the farm." The oldest pushed his brothers aside and boasted how he would let them work for him on his farm. Then he began carefully placing one foot in front of the other. He kept his eyes "glued" to the ground so he could watch each foot go perfectly in front of the other. When his father told him he had gone far enough, he grinned from ear-to-ear. When he looked up, he was dismayed to see that he had practically made a complete circle, almost to the spot where he had started! Next the second oldest began his quest. To avoid making the same mistake his older brother made, he kept a careful watch over his shoulder. He wanted to be sure he didn't look foolish too. He was determined to t...