Innovation at Work

INNOVATION has been a hot topic for a little over 2 years now, I believe. It appears in sales presentations, company values, all-hands meetings, etc. across industries. My thoughts on the subject are simple: Despite all the buzz, innovation at work really only happens by exposure to new ideas. But if management and employees are plodding along in their routines, how do new ideas happen? Sometimes routine does lend itself to imagination and then innovation--but only out of a necessity to escape! Is that really a productive way to build a culture of innovation? (That's rhetorical, people.) The best way to ensure innovation is to build in FLEXIBILITY and provide for new EXPERIENCES. While I think most large corporations have misgivings about giving employees flex time or covering the cost of training or activities peripheral to one's "job description," smaller companies can redefine what it means to work for them. More often than not, employers of all sizes are concerned with time. What's interesting is that most employees are salaried, not hourly, which sends the message that their results are more important than arriving on time, taking a 1-hour lunch, and leaving 8 or more hours later when work for the day is "completed." Yet these antiquated measures of success still dominate! Smart employers know the work never ends, and it doesn't begin when you show up to the office. Thankfully, engaged employees have active brains at all hours of the day and oftentimes the best ideas occur when they're doing something totally different from work. Point being: Want innovation? Lighten up on the clock and reward employees with experiences that will make them want to work for you! Sharon O'Neill's story and company,liveyourlife.com.au, for example, is a great example of experiential rewards. Too bad it's not available in the U.S., but for $48 you can go sailing for day. Also, too bad they're not my client.

(Note: If this post was a bit too fluffy for you, stay tuned . . . my next post will point to some experts on these subjects, such as John Kao, and respond to their key points.)

(Shameless plug: If you want help increasing innovation in your organization, please contact me to schedule a culture review. You'll get personalized recommendations and programs to implement to take your small business further.)

I'm Coining a Term Today: Frienomenon

Admittedly, I'm not much a social anything (just ask my mother, she will tell you). But I've been lurking in social media long enough to know one thing: Bloggers, bigwigs of subscription-based e-blasts, myspacers, virtual community leaders, message board/chat room moderators, citizen journalists and the like often put themselves--or their personas, who can say?--"out there," create a sense of familiarity with their audience, and are then surprised that people respond to them as colleagues or friends due to a sense of commonality, respect, or connectedness. I call this phenomemon appropriately enough "frienomenon." It's the inability to recognize the inviting and illiciting (soliciting?) of feedback, dialogue, and relationships with strangers via technology and to be accountable for or responsive to those exchanges. To make matters worse, we all have our own rules and expectations and oftentimes the "social contracts" are vague--or worse, unstated. This is a real shame because there's plenty of room on the web to publish your manifesto. "Why should this matter to me," you ask? Here's how "frienomenon" affects you as a small business owner interested in social/online marketing, word of mouth advertising, social networking, etc.: If you are engaging in this activity using technology and/or if other folks are on your behalf (or not), all that's available publicly is an extension of your brand and therefore needs attention. In this wired world, we all have a voice. So if upholding a brand image of I'm-an-industry-god-you're-a-nobody works for you, by all means act that way consistently online--and tell people what rights they'll be relinquishing upfront and how you'll make them pay if they break your rules. In other words, make it a point to act like a jerk publicly and thrill your readers with Schadenfreude. I can think of a design teacher who does this right now, and I applaud his efforts, although he scares me and I wouldn't necessarily advise that path outside the ivory tower. But at least there are no surprises with him! But if you project ponies and rainbows and pots of gold, be prepared to get and respond to requests for magic. Bottom line: truth and consistency in marketing across media and communications should always be the goal.

Think Your Company Is a Leader?

Well, don't tell the media. The New York Times had a recent article quoting Tom Gable (click for bio), past editor and head of his own PR firm, that when his company reviewed wire releases for a week, they found most who cited themselves as leaders were "empty, unsubstantiated and had no news value." Amen to that! I have been trying to tell both client and non-client (read: employer) companies that everyone's a leader. To say so is only to identify yourself as a neophyte and your material as hyperbole (read: untrustworthy). Relatedly, I was thrilled to find that someone besides me out there is also saying something I strongly believe; it's Dan Wool at Arizona Public Service (APS): "great product is the best PR." I usually say "find what you do well and market THAT" (as opposed to what you want to do well). Thanks, Dan, for saying it better and for emphasizing PRODUCT. Dan's a panelist at Arizona Technology Council’s July Council Connect so if you're a tech-head in charge of PR, check it out.

The Joy of Tax

Yes, you read it correctly! I am pleased to announce that, for those who feel tax law should be a foreign language offering in college, the Arizona Department of Revenue offers affordable workshops for those planning to start a business! I attended the workshops on Retail Business and TPT today and found them very useful. For more information on the workshops or to register, click here. Another useful site is aztaxes.gov.

Ready to Start?

I'm hoping to start at least some debate about how to start up a business. There are certainly many takes on it, many fortunes made bloviating about it, and some good advice succintly given. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I don't think you have to have all your ducks in a row before you start, but you should at least be aware of what you'll need to do from the outset through the first year:
1. Have expertise in your business type. This has been debated recently, as technical knowledge isn't the predictor of success per se. By the same token, I don't believe an entrepreneurial spirit can run any business. It's that unique combination of knowledge about not only your product or service but your placement* too, marketing in general, plus passion for what you're selling. If you're lacking any of these, read on.
2. Have some capital and be willing to spend it where it's needed. You can't do it all. You will have to bring in help, particularly if your marketing and placement knowledge are on the lower end of the scale. Plan for that financially by using savings or finding investors (aka friends and family who share your goals and can lend to you without interest). Remember, I'm talking to you microbusiness owners with a product or service to sell that you can produce yourself. If you're a SAAS or other kind of outfit, "investor" means something entirely different.
3. Have a team of people you can rely on in the areas you can't or don't want to cover. Line up these folks by asking around, searching the net, setting up meet-and-greets, networking, etc. Identify the people you connect with and trust and keep their contact information accessible. When an issue comes up in their area of expertise, you'll have a relationship already and won't have to find just anyone in a crisis.
4. Have a plan for what you need to do to be successful and to grow. This means a marketing plan, a business plan, a few diagrams on a napkin, but something that includes an achievable, measurable future based on some sound thinking of what is possible.

Well, that's all I have for today. I welcome your comments, you lurkers out there!

*By placement or place, I mean where you market and sell your goods/services and how they are distributed: via the web, channel sales, shelves at convenience stores, mail order, etc.

Phoenix ASBA Brings Gerber for 15th Annual Enterprise Business Conference

On Friday I was thrilled to hear that the Arizona Small Business Association is bringing Michael Gerber, author of the best-seller E-Myth Revisited and the creator of The Dreaming Room, to Phoenix for its 15th Annual Enterprise Business Conference on April 23. Although I suspect some content may be a repeat from the aforementioned Arizona Entrepreneurship Conference, I'd hear him again and I'd advise EVERYONE to attend. At $50 for non-members, it's money well spent.

This is also nice timing, as I've known that National Small Business Week sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration begins on April 21, with events in D.C. and New York, and I was beginning to feel sad that Phoenix and other cities weren't organizing events of their own. So I am very pleased with ASBA and Jobing.com's sponsorship and timing.

Prospecting and Patience in Economic Downturns

As a small business owner, you may be tempted to be conservative with your marketing and advertising in today’s economy. Joan Koerber-Walker, chief executive of the Arizona Small Business Association, seems to agree. In an East Valley Tribune article on Saturday, she states, “Cutting . . . advertising and marketing expenses are often what come to mind first, but that can make it difficult to find new customers and new markets precisely when they’re needed most.”

But, especially if you’re selling services, the best thing you can do is stay top of mind for prospects and trust that, when the need emerges, you’ll be the one they call. So most importantly, make sure you’re doing whatever you can to solidify your offerings and educate your target market about them. This might include networking events such as the Phoenix Business Journal’s BizMix, ASBA’s networking events, and any industry-specific events.

P.S. The next issue of my quarterly newsletter will feature a list of services. If you’re a small business in need of marketing assistance, please ask! If I can’t help you personally, I can identify someone in my network who can!