I work in an office at 57 Napier Avenue
And say to myself…
You have a responsible job havenue?
Why then do you fritter away your time on this Doggerel?
(Or better yet Douglas..why would you use a noun from the 14th century, meaning “of low literary value”
to articulate a point?)

In speaking with an old friend the other day, who happens to be a communications professor now, the topic of  ”new speak” or  the short messaging in social media and the smart phone world,  inevitable came up.  Speaking generally  we came to the conclusion that there is, at present, a false dichotomy that has been created by “us”……  Business communications and  Arts communications are two non-overlapping ways of communicating and we tend to use one or the other…or worse yet… We are taught that there is one way or the other. This false dichotomy  must end, if we want to truly communicate.

Entrepreneurs, like poets, invent new ways to connect people, ideas, and organizations through reinterpretation of images and ideas. Poets like entrepreneurs take the same intuitive leap, creating meaning where it didn’t exist before — then communicate it to their audience. The common denominator is coming up with an idea and making it real. Simply put, starting a business is the business equivalent of writing a poem.

Even in established businesses, many managers and leaders find their business inspiration in poetry. Many business leaders write poetry as part of daily journaling or simply to help centre themselves as they sort through their business challenges. In fact, it makes them leaders, much like a poet leads us through the reinterpretation of an image or idea.

So why the difference in the way we write? Well that is changing…..

A growing movement in business is the desire to inspire greater creativity in organizational life by overcoming habitual fear and reticence of expressing oneself through fostering, or nurturing, a sense of passion within the office. Passion is developed using poetry and story telling as a way to express deeper emotions. The goal is to provide new ways to look at life in business and to finding greater satisfaction in one’s work. Really, passion, creativity, innovation, emotional bonds, all are very human traits …and we are, in fact, humans.

Furthermore poetry is commonly found in mottoes, slogans, and even mission statements for businesses today. A whole new group, “entreprenual poets”  we will call them, provide inspirational verses, poetry-driven motivational programs and professional development using the skills one learns in the pursuit of the creative arts….. especially that of poetry and verse.

Haiku writing 101 at your nearest business school? I don’t think that will happen anytime soon but, what makes you a good communicator in the arts, will make you better communicator in your business dealings. How practical is this?Well…

Every year we pay business tax….. and every year…. along with the my paperwork   I send a handwritten note on a scrap piece of paper consisting of 17 syllables.. Will it change the Canadian Revenue Agency? I doubt it…it is sent merely to communicate.   I send it to articulate  a new way of looking at  our system, spread an idea, and to articulate a reinterpretation of the organization.

worker bees can leave
even the drones can fly away
the queen is their slave

I think the CRA agent  that opens my taxes every year, at least,  gets my point…

your neighbour,

Douglas

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Ahhhhhh……Friday the 13^th!

Besides being intrinsically linked with homicidal maniac Jason, Friday the 13^th is also dreaded by many as one of the unluckiest days on the calendar. In an odd juxtaposition, it is also viewed as a great day to have a party if you are, say, the proud owner of a motorcycle with an affinity for the Port Dover area.

Do you know that there is an actual name for the fear of Friday the 13^th? It’s ‘friggatriskaidekaphobia’! (Friggatriskaidekaphobia! Friggatriskaidekaphobia! Friggajgljgjhhfytrijgjkgjhkjgy! Ooooops!). Okay then, if you knew that, then you probably know that somewhere in the neighbourhood of 20 million people suffer from this affliction! TWENTY million!

It’s also been estimated that nearly a billion dollars of business is lost each Friday the 13^th because people are too afraid to conduct any financial transactions, or in some extreme cases, are even too afraid to get out of bed in the morning because of the certainty that bad things will happen to them!

But is Friday the 13^th really unlucky? Well, according to the Dutch Centre for Insurance Statistics, there are ‘fewer accidents and reports of fire and theft’ on days when the 13^th falls on a Friday than on other days of the calendar. Their conclusion? Because it’s Friday the 13^th, people are generally more careful in their day-to-day activities. In other words, statistically speaking, driving on Friday the 13^th for example, is slightly safer than performing this routine activity on any other day of the year – unless Carol Leeming happens to be on the road in her truck! Thankfully, that’s not usually to be the case as this Motorcycle Mama is just as likely to be on her way to Port Dover!

But again, how does this translate into one’s business? Well, if you’re an automobile dealership, it might be harder to close sales on Friday the 13^th because your potential customers may be less inclined to take a test drive fearing that they may be more likely to get involved in a fender-bender. In this case, it may not be the fear of injury so much as the predicament they would find themselves in after having crashed a car they did not own.

Speaking of cars, what about making major purchases in general? Customers may subconsciously shy away from buying a television, lawn mower, cell phone, car, Ipad and etc. simply because of the perceived bigger chance of buying a lemon! Even with guarantees, most consumers would prefer NOT to have to deal with the hassle of returning a defunct purchase.

What about consumers who want to buy a pet? Or take a trip? How many people would feel really comfortable booking a flight on Friday the 13^th? Oh sure! Everyone says they don’t believe in that stuff but…betcha they can find any number of reasons to put that reservation off until Saturday!

So, what’s my point? Only that there are lots of reasons why business ebbs and flows. Very few of them are as simple as, “it’s the economy, silly!” More often than not, it’s the customer service (about 68% of the time according to a well-known Harvard Business School study). In other words, at the end of the day, your business will be much better off if you know what makes your customers tick. How they feel about certain things or react in specific circumstances. And even, what deep, dark subconscious phobias they might have that will affect your ability to do business with them – especially if they don’t know about these things themselves! Beware! You can’t always just educate your consumers out of their ‘irrational’ fears. However, you do have a much better chance at success if at least, you know where they’re coming from.

In the meantime, it is NEVER unlucky to read our Small Business Success Newsletter and I’ve conveniently attached April’s edition to this email.

I’ve also got a few more ‘bits & bites’ to share with you:

1.   Reach For Success Recruitment Program – Perfect for Employers looking to add another set of hand to help out at little or no cost. Begins April 23^rd so act quickly (Flyer attached). Contact Kim Postma at 519.235.0471 x 25 for more information and registration;

2.   Simply Accounting Training – The Centre for Employment & Learning is offering a Simply Accounting course starting … Whoops!!!….tomorrow!!! ACT FAST!!! There is a flyer attached for more information. A few spaces remain so while I’ll stop short of recommending, ‘just show up tomorrow at 8:30am’, you might want to consider just showing up in Exeter tomorrow at 8:30am (or a little earlier) to see if you can get in! There are about 4 spots left! At worse, even if they fill up before you get there, you’ll be driving to a lovely community where you can spend a little time shopping, looking for white squirrels, and eating breakfast or lunch at one of their fine restaurants;

3.   Would You Put ‘Umm’ On Your Business Card? Join Jeremy Tracey at Clinton’s REACH Centre on Tuesday, April 17^th (7pm) for the next instalment of our Better Business Workshop Series. Jeremy promises to help you learn how to better communicate what you can do for your customers. I guess he believes that better communication leads to higher sales. You know, he may be RIGHT! Get off your KEASTER, it’s no longer EASTER, and REGISTER today at 519.527.0305. Pre-registration is required! The workshops series flyer is attached for your information;

4.   If you’ve read this far, then take comfort in the fact that you’re one of the first to know that the Huron Business Development Corporation is launching a ‘Customer Service Excellence Program’ for Huron County businesses! Details are to be finalized this weekend but the first training date is set for May 1^st 2012 and the session will be held here in Town at the Seaforth Legion. More details to follow on Monday. Stay tuned!

That’s it folks! Have a wonderful weekend! Get outside, enjoy the sunshine and zippy air and in the evening, cuddle up with that special someone, fur-covered or not, a bowl of popcorn, and watch at least ONE Friday the 13^th movie. Guaranteed to delight and scare!!

Your neighbour,

Jim Niesen

Business & Loans Manager

I know! This is so NOT how one is supposed to introduce a peppy, upbeat, and positive newsletter like our Small Business Success! In my defence, it is apparent that the February ‘blahs’ are in full flight today!

Which brings me to today’s topic – ‘denial’! Okay, that was a pretty big leap but you’re a small business owner, you’re quite proficient at working long, hard hours with little more than ‘faith’ to motivate you!

So who’s in denial? Well, sorry, but perhaps…you are! Consider this Dilbert: http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2012-01-25/

I’d wager, and it’s a pretty safe bet, that the majority of small business owners consider themselves to be great bosses! While I haven’t done a formal study on the issue, I do have over 20 years working with such entrepreneurs. My experiences tend to bear out these comments, and those that follow.

Actually, perhaps you ARE a great boss. However, over the past couple of days I’ve become privy to a number of situations that are causing me to ask myself whether small businesses, who should EASILY be able to offer a better work environment than their larger counterparts, are in fact maximising this potential advantage to the fullest. Consider the following:

An owner at one small business had a tantrum that culminated in one employee hiding under her desk while a stapler was thrown AT HER from across the room;

Another owner yelled loudly so the entire office could hear her request that ‘somebody’ tell the employee to whom she was directing the tirade, how to do her job properly;

And a third employer had a reputation for screaming and yelling at employees in very public areas for procedural ‘mistakes’ that had been made when employees followed poorly documented protocols that ultimately lead to undesired and unintended outcomes.

Where, under the phrase, ‘staff motivation’, do you think the above instances fit?

Now, consider the following:

1.   Many small business owners believe they cannot afford to pay what larger companies give and that when they pay less, they will ultimately lose that employee. So they unconsciously conduct their inter-personnel activities accordingly (ie. with a short-term viewpoint) to the detriment of the business;

2.   Many small business owners complain that once they make the expense to train their employees, these same employees leave the company for better paying jobs. Perhaps it even happens this way sometimes. By the way, have you EVER offered a job for life? In any case, when exiting employees are interviewed by a third party (as opposed to the owner asking, ‘Why are you leaving?’), the #1 reason for departing is not lower pay, but the owner’s personality and attitude;

3.   However, because they fear losing employees to better paying jobs, many owners don’t invest the necessary time and resources into properly training their people. There are many problematic outcomes to this approach including lower productivity and output, poorer customer service experiences, and employee frustration … which almost without exception will lead to their eventual departure;

4.   Many employers pay minimum wage believing that they cannot afford to pay more. All minimum wage is guaranteed to get you is a minimum effort. It’s not the amount of the premium that matters here, it’s the fact that by paying an extra quarter an hour you prevent an employee from excusing minimal or low effort with the rationalization, ‘Hey, I’m just getting paid minimum wage here!’ Ask yourself, ‘What would even a 5% productivity boost do to your bottom line?’ Do you think it might cover the extra two bits an hour? I’m guessing, ‘Yes’;

5.   The majority of employers believe that high pay motivates employees best. However, in a ‘Small Business Magazine’ survey from several years ago, this motivator was at the bottom of the list. First on the list was, ‘an appreciation of the employee for the work being done’;

Why does all this matter? How do human resources affect the typical small business? Simple. Despite the lack of a budget line item called, ‘turnover costs’, these expenses are real and may be approximated. In general, a company with a 25% annual turnover rate incurs the equivalent of about 9% of its revenue in additional costs (Yikes!). On an employee basis, and this may be somewhat industry specific, most research puts direct turnover as costing between 25% and 50% of the annual wage paid.

To paraphrase one of our former Prime Ministers, ‘The proof is the proof!’

If you are having HR difficulties, perhaps the first step towards a solution is to look in the mirror and figure out what kind of boss they have!

And since here in Ontario, there doesn’t seem to be an ‘Employee Appreciation Day’ per se, let’s piggyback on the U.S. where the first Friday in March is recognized as ’Employee Appreciation Day’. This seems like a good idea until an Ontario day is officially designated. This year it’s March 2^nd. On this day, buy a couple of pizzas for your staff’s lunch, then use it as a de facto starter’s pistol to launch a SIMPLE human resources planning effort. One that will convert your employees into revenue-generating Mastodons (!), help improve morale, and in due course, turn your company into a better place to work. With all these positive results, could a healthier bottom line be far off? For a couple hours of your time, is it worth it to reduce your costs by 9%? Or, your wages by an even greater percentage … without cutting anyone?

Perhaps the first idea in your new human resource plan should be a reminder from Confucius of your goal: ‘Choose a job that you like and you will never have to work a day in your life!’

Enjoy the first ‘Small Business Success’ of 2012!

your neighbour,

Jim

Well in a way… you are right…

But here in Huron County we spend CASH instead.  (Dancing&Singing  is optional) There are 1 to 3 businesses starting up every month in Huron County…..why not be good neighbours?  THE HURON CASH MOB welcomes them to the neighbourhood by spending CASH, celebrating their new establishment with community BUY IN instead of song and dance. (Well maybe a little a song…)

We keep it secret from the targeted entrepreneur for a dramatic, social and festive atmosphere.. Think of it like a group of Act-Local-Bandits spending time getting to know their neighbours and celebrating the recent venture/investment in their community.

When and how do they happen?

On the last Saturday of every month, in  any one of our Huron County communities…. We usually  mill about outside the store until the exact, pre-planned,  moment…. When the Music starts, instead of singing or dancing we mob the retail store or service provider  with our presence and our CASH. We leave with smiles, a good or service, and an ACTING LOCAL story to tell.

Who is the Cash Mob?
21 Huron County Citizens and growing.

How do I join the Mob?
Show up and bring at  $10 in cash. We are an INCLUSIVE bunch of CASH-LADEN-LOCALS having a good time.

You can follow the intrepid adventures of the HURON CASH MOB  here  at Shopinhuron or on Twitter @huroncashmob, @shopinhuron, @ontarioswestcoast for locations and times.  Ask you your local BIA or Chamber representative about where the next one is they will know all about it.

Sneak Post: February 25th 11:04 am, Clinton ON. Exact Location will be released soon.

see you then…

Your Neighhbour
Douglas

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Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have found that counties with more small, locally owned businesses have stronger economic growth than communities with larger businesses owned by outsiders. “Local ownership matters in important ways,” said economist Stephan Goetz of his research with co-author David Fleming. “Smaller, locally owned businesses, it turns out, provide higher, long-term economic growth.”

Goetz and Fleming looked to see if per capita income growth in the benchmark counties were affected by the size and ownership of local businesses. (The pair studied different U.S. counties from 2000 to 2007) The effect of having locally-owned, small firms (with between 10 and 99 employees) on a county’s economy was significant. There was a strong, positive relationship between the presence of smaller, locally-owned firms and faster growth in incomes.

It should be noted as well that larger firms  owned by people outside a county depresses growth, the researchers found——-Why? The presence of larger firms owned by those outside the county had the opposite impact. Those counties had slower growth in incomes. Goetz and Fleming found that this impact extended to big box retail stores, such as Walmart and Home Depot. ”Although these types of (larger, non-local) firms may offer opportunities for subsistence jobs, as well as job growth over time, they do so at the cost of reduced local economic growth, as measured by income,” Goetz and Fleming wrote. “Small-sized firms owned by residents are optimal if the policy objective is to maximize income growth rates.” Last time I checked  all of us would  like some income growth. Right?

One of the reasons locally owned firms are better for county economies than big box stores and larger, out-of-town corporations is that these larger firms outsource many services that the smaller companies buy within the community. MEANING: More business to business (B2B) relationships are formed. Or as we say in Huron County “neighbours acting neighbourly”….They use local accountants, wholesalers and contractors to get the job done while big firms do this work in centralized locations elsewhere.

Furthermore, Small businesses and local start-ups not only buy locally, but they tend to spur innovation and productivity within the county. Local problems are always identified by locals, most of the time the get solved by them too..the same is true in Business.

This is really a post about start-ups and the income of  you and your neighbours. Many communities try to bring in outside firms and large factories, but the lesson here  is that while there may be short-term employment gains with recruiting larger businesses, they don’t trigger long-term economic growth like start-ups do. “We can’t look outside of the community for our economic salvation.” Goetz said. “The best strategy is to help people start new businesses and firms locally and help them grow and be successful.”

I could not have said it better myself..

2012 is going to be a good year…

Your Neighbour,

Douglas

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I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s the Christmas season. Maybe it’s the first signs of snow. Although admittedly, I’ve been feeling this way for weeks now! Certainly, the challenges here at the Huron Business Development Corporation are probably greater right now than at any time in our nearly 20 year history. Nonetheless, I still find reasons to stay positive and upbeat. I cannot deny that I have days when Murphy’s Law reaches infinitely new heights. However, in every situation, it seems there is reason to be hopeful and happy.

I like to think that maybe, I’m practicing what I preach. That is, while accepting that the day-to-day rigours that accompany life are always going to be there and easy to spot, I try to look for the hidden joys that subsist more or less below the radar. Yes. Snow must be shovelled, but you can also see imprints of snow angels in it! You can catch a snowflake on your tongue! You can take your kids or nieces and nephews outside to build a snowman – just for fun! You can take you dog out for a walk and let her off the leash to bound around in the white stuff like they’re a puppy again!  Chase them around and enjoy some exercise and the crisp, fresh air!

And that’s just snow! I’m using it as an illustration because there seems to be a lot of it today. But what’s the point here? Well, I’ve been noticing how everyone (and I don’t exclude myself here) seems to be talking about how bad things are. How it’s going to get worse. How everybody is struggling. Obviously, there is always going to be some truth to these things. There are going to be hardships. But, this message goes directly to my business clients, if you want people (eg. your customers) to stop talking about how bad things are, and then using this as an excuse to haggle with you on price, or a reason why they bought from the competition instead of you, or aren’t prepared to buy at all, STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW BAD THINGS ARE!! Give them a reason to be happy! Give them a reason to be optimistic! You don’t have to solve all their problems – just ONE! Let them ENJOY doing business with you rather than giving them cause to think, ‘Why does it matter if I buy something here? Life sucks anyway!’

Be their oasis from hardship! Be that one small thing that puts a smile on their face today! Quite simply, let their life be a little better for having spent some time with you. And maybe, just maybe, sooner than you expect, things at your business might not be quite as bad as they were!

Enjoy November’s Small Business Success Newsletter (I know! It’s already December but as Bob Cratchit said, ‘I’m a little behind my time’) and instead of being all stressed out by Christmas and the Christmas season, try to think about all the good things it brings: the act of giving, family and friends, a sense of community, renewal, and…..the oh so many TREATS!

Joyeux Noel and Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Jim
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It’s also the perfect opportunity to do considerable damage to your reputation, business or employment prospects and reputation if you’re unaware of the ethos surrounding ‘Online Marketing’.

2000 ‘Facebook Friends’, another 1500 on MySpace, maybe a few hundred on LinkedIn…. that is a pretty big audience.  If you had that many people walking through your store you’d be keen to display your talents in the best possible way.  Remember – just because they’re called ‘Facebook Friends’ doesn’t actually mean that they ARE.  They might be friendly, polite and approachable, even supportive.  But that’s as far as it goes…..  They’re an AUDIENCE, same as in any place of entertainment.  Critical, choosy, and with the same tastes and demands as any gathering in  a pub, theatre or Mall.

Keep that in mind when you think about posting displays of your store, new products or services. How will that audience perceive you, and what you’re doing with that mobile phone video.  Will they see it as a genuine indication of your talents?  Will they be drawn to you as a online neighbour and fulfill the expectations you had when you posted it?

Chances are you didn’t consider the DAMAGE you’ve done to yourself.  Out of your audience of 2000, six clicked ‘Like’, five ‘chat buddies’ commented ‘Great!’ – but none of them ‘Shared’ it.  Generally your ‘audience’ was at best ambivalent, and you certainly hoped for more response that you got from your predictable sources.

Look at what you actually posted.  A shaky video feed,   a soundtrack full of pops hum, machine and wind noise…. You have posted an amateur representation of something you want people to believe you do professionally.  Nobody is going to praise you for providing something that most of  your neigbours think they can do better themselves.

Is a customer or future client going to seize upon that  poorly done demonstration of your talents and besiege you with revenue?  Have you suddenly got a lot more Twitter followers than you expected as a result?  Have you HELPED your reputation as a reputation in any way?

THINK PROFESSIONALLY – and more importantly realize  that Facebook – ANY social network – is a place to do yourself as much harm as good if you make a half-hearted stab at marketing yourself.  Make SURE that what you show is professionally made, makes you look and sound your best and cannot be challenged critically as ‘amateur’.

Your neighbour,

Douglas

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April Boersma, of Exeter

My Act Local Story?

Every year my husbands family meets at the Selah Christian Bookstore in Exeter owned by my mother in law. My husband comes from a family of eight children and with all of them being married and most having children that family number climbs to twenty-nine. We meet at the store and fill up the sidewalk infront to watch the Santa Claus Parade. Everyone bundled up waiting and watching as every float and person walks by. After the parade is over we head to our house to warm up with hot chocolate and warm apple cider along with some tasty treats!

2nd Prize winner ,  Shop In Huron Gift bags filled with $250 worth of prizes

James Gibson, of Seaforth

My Act Local Story?

I am a student at CHSS and am presently doing a 4 credit co-op placement at Delta Power in Seaforth.  If it were not for community support and willingness such as this business has shown to have me part of their team for 4 months, I would not have the chance to experience the real workplace.  I hope to stay in my community after I finish my schooling and hopefully help out other students who want to get experience and be a part of their community.  Thanks Delta Power.

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Mass….When you, the instigator of a business comes up with a business idea and put it in motion,  you are the trimmest, lightest and most maneuverable you will ever be.  You have very little Mass. It will take only a very little energy to change your direction….. Think Pebble or Boulder? Even if it is, in fact, a “nice” boulder, I’d  rather push a pebble. Wouldn’t you? I know that Sisyphus would agree with me. Cherish this moment.

Whether you have a new product or service that you can provide  the pebble  stage is a time that you can really change direction and be ready for almost anything without using too much energy. If you increase your mass by taking on staff, long term contracts and inventory,  it will take a great deal of energy  (money) to change direction. You do not need to be a boulder yet.   You cannot defy physics. It is a force of nature… a constant. But  do you know what isn’t ? Entrepreneurship. We start it…. therefore we get to determine its mass and its energy. We are the ones who will use  Force to  Accelerate it as we go along.     F=MA

What is the business advantage?

Less mass will enable you  to change a marketing message, change your business model, and more importantly make mistakes and quickly correct them. You do not need to be a boulder to start.

Get started, instigators,  and remember those physics classes you took, it will never be easier than right now.

Your Neighbour

Douglas

 
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Business Listing are being updated through a partnership with the County Of Huron, the Town of Goderich, Goderich BIA and Chamber of Commerce. All organizations encourage people to support our local  business in their efforts to rebuild while keeping their doors open.

If you are a Goderich business and require updates to the status of your business information, you are encouraged to contact the Huron County Planning and Development Department, the Goderich BIA or the  Chamber Of Commerce.

Click here for Goderich Listings