Connections Small Business Journal - Special Insert The Courier Eco Latino

CONNECTIONS SMALL

bUSInESS

JOURNAL

The Problem Could Be You.

The Problem Could Be You.

FEBRUARY 2017 - ISSUE3 - THE COURIER INSERT WHAT CLOSED DOORS?

Welcome to the third issue of Connections Small Business Journal (CSBJ) in The Courier Eco Latino!

If you’ve ever used or viewed a sledgehammer being used, then you know that it’s a tool that can be used to break things up. A sledgehammer can be used to break up concrete slabs, demolish walls, drive heavy stakes and break down doors. It’s a tool that can be used when other less-effective means fail.

In life, we are all faced with doors.

Some doors open for us and, in many cases, we may welcome those doors that open up for us.

We gravitate to those because they are easier to navigate and simply walk through them. But what happens when doors are closed? What happens when, of no fault of your own, doors are closed in your face?

What happens when either your background, your ethnicity, your education, or simply “the way you are”, leads to doors being closed?

Do you give up? Do you walk away? Do you stop dreaming? Do you stop trying? Do you throw in the towel?

I’m convinced that when those times occur (and they will), you grab a tool that fits the situation and either break down the door or create your own (figuratively, of course)! With this mindset,

PUBLISHER the closed doors are no longer relevant. With this mindset, the number of times that you hear the word “no” do not detour you.

With this mindset, you grow even more determined to be successful in whatever endeavor you choose to be involved in. You absolutely refuse to be stopped by a closed door.

We live during a time where, if by chance, certain doors are in-deed closed, using the proper tool can lead to that door being opened.

If the door, for whatever reason, refuses to open, change tools or tactics.........even if that means creating your own door!

Greg A. Wilson Publisher

facebook.com/connectmybizz twitter.com/connectmybizz instagram.com/connectmybizz www.connectmybusiness.me

FEBRUARY 2017 - ISSUE3 - THE COURIER INSERT It is no secret that being a small business owner can be quite challenging. In the midst of being concerning about an influx of customers, redeveloping an existing marketing strategy, and managing the companies social media presence, one of the greatest challenges to small business owners is finding and retaining quality help. In many cases, the candidate pool is a far cry from being perfect. A lack of education, work ethic, and in some cases a flat out horrible attitude is what makes up the candidate pool. Small business owners find themselves essentially painted into a corner. They are forced to choose the lesser of the two evils when it comes down to making a hiring decision. In a perfect world, the decision made to hire certain candidates would not be the candidate of choice if the pool selection pool was full of individuals who were sharp, intelligent and genuinely cared and treated their business as if it was their own.

So what happens when employees leave a small business in droves.

We all either worked jobs or have heard of individuals not being happy on a particular job and leaving. According to a 2015 Gallup poll, 50% of those hired, end up leaving the job to simply get away from the owner, boss,

or manager. With small business and entrepreneurship being as tumultuous as it is, small business owners can not afford or take the chance on being that owner, boss, or manager that employees are attempting to get away from.

One huge step in preventing this from taking place is for the business owner to take an inward look at themselves and see if perhaps the reason employees are leaving is because of them. Are the decisions made, conducive to the work-flow of the office? Are the day-to-day operations of the small business directly impacting the employees? Does the owner of the small business have a clear vision themselves, of the path ahead? Are contracts or wages questionable?

Are customers present? Has trust or confidence been broken? Does the owner of the small business follow through with what they have stated that they were going to do?

Are employees made to feel as if they are valued and an important part of the team? Has the owner displayed a willingness to listen and take into consideration the ideas of employees? Do employees feel that they have an opportunity to grow working for the small business? Each of these, are important questions to pose if the small business is experiencing a high turnover rate.

COVER ARTICLE

In many cases when someone starts a small business, they become so engrossed with the creation and birthing of a dream, that they forget that as an owner, or manager they are also just as responsible for leading a group of people. The best business owners are leaders and are able to teach, motivate and even inspire their workforce. If they are unable to exude this type of behavior, they hire a manager or supervisor that can capture the vision of the owner and motivate the employees of the company. If this is effectively done, retaining the majority of good employees is possible. Implementing a communication platform is critical to the small business. Use this platform to make everyone aware of what is going on within the small business.

Many times, small business owners are fearful of being transparent.

Transparency is necessary if employees are to be part of the team and vision. Provide feedback and couple the feedback with praise.

Are employees leaving your small business? Have they not bought into your dream and your vision? Look internally, because the problem just could be you.

- Connections Small Business Journal

Staff Writer

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