Kim's BizBlog

My primary responsibility is to act as liaison between my clients and my vendors.  My success hinges on my ability to properly assess what a client needs and wants in one discussion.  

After I am certain that I know what the client wants, I then contact all my vendors for products/services & pricing.  Instead of my client having dozens of conversations with  numerous vendors, they have one conversation with me.

This leaves me talking to many business owners with different talents.  As I act as client on behalf of my clients, I've noticed a common habit among many professionals:  Treating the client as the professional.

Here's what I mean.  Let's say you want your family room painted.  A painter comes over to see the room and take measurements.  He then asks, "What kind of paint do you want me to use?" 

Perhaps you know a little about paint and know how to answer that question, but 95% of those calling a painter to paint for them, do not.  That's why they called the painter in the first place.  This response leaves the client overwhelmed because they suddenly have to learn about paint. 

A better response from the painter might be, "Since this is a family room, I would suggest a low VOC eggshell or satin that's easier to clean." 

This response puts a period on the project alleviating stress on not only the client, but the painter so that they both have a better experience.

That's a pretty straight forward example, but there are dozens that I hear every day that aren't so clear cut.  There's a definite trick to knowing exactly what questions you need answered from the client and what you can infer based on their needs and your experience.

I've found the client doesn't care about the minute details.  They just see the overall picture and want the professional to figure out the logistics.  It may take work on the part of the professional to perfect the way they get information from a client, but in the long run, it will save everyone a lot of headache!

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment.

Think you want to work at home?  I used to think that.  The commute is quick, the overhead is low and no one can complain about me wearing yoga pants to work.   

When I first started it was great.  The boundaries between work life and home life were easily established.  I would get up, maybe exercise, feed our dogs, have some breakfast and make sure I was locked in our home office by 8am. 

Then something happened.  I became busy.  Our upstairs turned into a staging/inventory area.  My dining room table turned into a conference table.  And, my kitchen table turned into a remote station for my laptop as I ate lunch and cooked dinner, as did our couch since I work on my laptop while watching TV. 

Suddenly the lines between home and work are blurred.

My father, one of the wisest men I know, has had an accounting firm for over 30 years.  Having had the same struggle when he first got started, he recognized this and offered up one of his empty offices to me in return for some marketing work.   

I figure if I have a different place to go according to the work I'm doing, I'll be more focused.  Day two and I've been incredibly productive.  Yesterday, I had an appointment in the morning, came to the office to work on paperwork, billing and return a few phone calls, and then went shopping for a client in the afternoon.   I didn't get a chance to work last night due to the Frog game, but maybe it's working. 

A friend told me once, "The key to working from home is to shower and get dressed every morning."  That's true.  And, sound advice just in general.  I think I would also add to that, build boundaries.  Tall boundaries.  With locks. 

You may not have a familiy member or friend with an office sitting empty, but you can still create a remote office space.  I used to go to coffee shops.  Actually, Panera is the best place that I've found to plug in and work.  They have outlets at almost every table and the wireless is free and easy to access.

Oh!  And, I figured out yet another way that you can get away with wearing yoga pants to work (short of being a yoga instructor)...being the boss' daughter. 

Please note the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are based on the experiences of the author.  The information contained in this blog is in no way meant to take the place of professional advice.  It is only meant as insight into the world of a small business owner.   As always, thank you for visiting and feel free to share your own experiences or conerns by leaving a comment.