The Buzz
Lower sights to return to office
Q: I’ve been self-employed for the last 10 years. I’m 55 and I miss working in a traditional business environment and I want to return to the office setting again. Where should I start?
A: After 10 years of self-employment, switching gears may test your resolve. The scope of activities in an organization is typically more limited than in your own business. List your top priorities for returning to work as well as the tasks you are most passionate about doing. Focus on roles that satisfy both.
Next, take stock of where you excel and the results generated during self-employment. Highlight three to five of your biggest successes in your resumé, outlining briefly what it took to accomplish these results. This demonstrates your distinctive brand of creativity, initiative and perseverance for a prospective employer to envision how your skills align with the organization.
Now it’s time to check out the market. Just like starting out in your own business, look for allies who will promote you in new arenas. Contact businesses that link closely to where your unique skills and experience would be most appreciated. Conduct informational interviews with individuals whose job interests you for an inside glimpse without the pressure of a job interview. Scrutinize the daily role. If it seems like a promising fit, request a job interview.
Once there, carve out a role for yourself. Present how your specific combination of skills would benefit the organization — companies do create jobs for an ideal candidate, but it may require patience.
Finally, don’t be offended if you are temporarily offered a slightly lower position than you expect. If it puts you on a direct path to the role you want, it may be beneficial as you acclimatize to the company. From the inside, it’s easier to design your next move.
Originally printed in The Province on August 24, 2008
Is time right to take the leap?
Q: I’m ready to leave my job to launch my own business, but I’m worried about the U.S. recession and the impact it might have on the Canadian economy and my business. Would you recommend I wait until the economy improves?
A: New businesses start and succeed at every point in the economic cycle. The advantage to starting up during a weaker economy is there are probably fewer competitors entering the market at this time and what better way to create a recession-proof enterprise than to launch a lean business machine?
For now, keep your expenses minimal and set up simple stream-lined systems. Resist the need to invest up front on glossy marketing materials, elaborate business cards or lavish office equipment to make your business “official.”
Focus your efforts on the work itself — and doing the kind of outstanding job you want to become known for. Start small by giving clients a low-risk experience of working with you. Your goal is to leave them wanting more.
Develop your reputation and build on their confidence and trust in you. Trust that word-of-mouth referrals will follow when you’re professional, deliver excellence and ask for more business.
Grow your market slowly and steadily, ironing out the kinks in your early days. A start-up business has the flexibility to respond quickly to consumer needs — an advantage in a constricted market when buyers are more value conscious.
However, if worries are getting in your way, it’s not unusual to hold a day job as a fledgling business is ramping up. Being hungry for the business can drive you; being desperate for the sale can drive clients away. Playing your cards right when consumers are belt-tightening could mean hitting the jackpot when spending confidence resumes.
Originally printed in The Province on July 13, 2008.
Outlining expectations will save headaches later
Q: I’m an independent contractor and my largest client continually squeezes me for more services for the same fee. How do I stop the bleeding without jeopardizing the deals or the client altogether?
A: First, don’t compete on price. Promote the value you are providing for the fee charged. Managing client expectations may be even more imperative than delivery of the service itself.
As an existing service provider, you have the competitive advantage of meeting the client’s evolving needs — even shaping them. Track this vital information by summarizing your progress, reporting results and highlighting achieved outcomes to the client after key milestones.
Here’s your opportunity to elicit feedback from the client. What are they satisfied with? Where are you exceeding expectations? When the client articulates this, it reinforces the return on their investment. The most challenging yet noteworthy question to ask is, “What would you want different next time?” Their responses enable you to refine your service to more closely meet their needs.
When pressed to include additional services, refer the client back to their stated satisfaction levels.
If they insist on bundling more services for the same price, hold firm. Fees that appear negotiable run the risk of being ground down by the client.
Instead, explore what’s motivating their need to discount. Determine what services they are willing to take off the table in order to reduce the price. Alternatively, offer to exchange, reduce or remove other components to maintain your fee.
Originally printed in The Province on June 1, 2008.
BC Business: 10 power moves
How many times have you inwardly seethed while a colleague glibly speaks up at a meeting, passing off your brilliant idea as her own? Or felt that inner alarm bell jangle when your boss spells out a plan that you know is doomed to failure?
They don’t teach you how to handle these everyday dilemmas in business school, but knowing how to field them smoothly might just save your bacon if the going gets rough. With the help of some advice from the experts, here are 10 tips that will help you finesse the challenges that might otherwise derail your progress from the bullpen to the corner office.
Questions can quell surprises
Q: I interview for jobs that look great until I get into them and usually end up hating them within a year. How can I ensure I make the right choice this time?
A: Couples tend to spend more effort on the wedding than they do on the marriage. Similarly, candidates can get side-tracked by the thrill of landing the job without considering the day-to-day role.
Take an honest inventory of what tasks you love to do, the type of environment you thrive in, and the career goals you are aiming for. Then search for organizations that meet your criteria.
Many candidates just focus on their role; however, a company’s culture influences everything it does.
Research the company’s business practices, industry reputation and track record. Its website, marketing collateral, and annual report provide insight into its attitude, values and work style. Get firsthand information from past or current employees about what it’s like to work there. Ask suppliers or customers for their perceptions and experiences.
The interview contains a wealth of information for the astute candidate. The questions indicate what’s important and how employees are evaluated. Before leaving the session, ask questions to determine how well you fit together. For example, what characteristics do they value most? What investment will they make in your professional development? How do they support work-life balance?
At the short-list stage, ask more specific questions about the expectations and work style of your prospective supervisor, team and role. A job is like a marriage. Short-sighted choices that lead to divorce can be costly.
Originally printed in The Province on April 27, 2008 .
