Twenty-five years! I can’t believe it myself, but there it is: I started my first business, Corporate Habitat, June 1, 1999. What I have learned in all this time would fill a book, maybe a series of books, but here are a few nuggets that have served me well.
MoJo Pro-Tip #1: “You don’t need any of that, all you need is–.”
When I started my first business, I was of course very excited and I called my dad, who was self-employed most of his life. I told him, “I’m going to need a new computer, an email address, a designated phone line, plus one for faxes and internet (it was 1999), and business cards, probably letterhead—”
Daddy stopped me. “Wait, wait. You don’t need any of that. What you need is a client. Until you have a client, you don’t have a business.”
Ohhhh.
Daddy conceded that I probably needed business cards (again, it was 1999), but I could go down to Kwik Kopy (remember?) and get those pretty cheap.
I’ve never forgotten that little nugget. You can put all the window dressing on your business that you want, but until you have a client, ya ain’t got nothin’!
MoJo Pro-Tip #2: WFH Basics
Starting my first business out of my home in 1999, I was fresh out of corporate, and my clients were corporations, so I set some ground rules for myself based on my corporate experience. Even though many things about business, and my business in particular, have changed, I still stick to these for the most part.
- Set a schedule and stick to it. (Overtime notwithstanding.) Back in the day, I had school-aged children, so I got up about the same time I did when I had a job-job, got them off to school, and then went to my office. I usually knocked off about the time they came home from school, then headed back for a couple of hours after they went to bed at 8:00.
- Dress like you would if you were meeting people in person. Working in your pj’s is fun and comfy, but in the same way that a smile can be heard over the phone (I learned that in all that sales training I went through!), the way you feel about your appearance, as well as your competence, worthiness, and more, will come through in your voice, in your emails, and in your marketing copy.
- Don’t watch TV (movies, video games) during the work day.
- Designated a separate space, no matter how small, for your office. Don’t try to work at your kids’ homework table, the breakfast table, or where you pay the bills. You need a corner or a closet or some space to call your own, preferably with a door. (I have not had a door for almost my entire career as an entrepreneur, but I am about to get one and I could not be more thrilled.)
- And speaking of being alone while you work, get out of the house at least once a day. When I first started, part of my service was to visit job sites for my clients, so I had to get out. Later, when most of my clients met with me over the phone, I still made sure to get out and about, because stir-crazy is a thing.
- Find a way to socialize at least a little. During some of my slower times, the free networking group I attended (and led for two of the seven years I was there) every week was like church without the religion. The group became like family, and during both prosperous times and leaner times, that group was where I got the majority of my business.
- Give yourself comp time. In my first business, among other tasks, I managed large corporate moves. For the days of the move, we started Friday evening, worked all weekend, and then met the client’s employees at the new offices early Monday morning. It didn’t take me long to figure out that working a full week after that did not work! And I was still young! So if you have to work a late night or a weekend, if you run seminars or retreats, if you sell your wares at fairs, be sure you get some time off to recuperate.
- Don’t forage for food all day. This may not be an issue for you, and it wasn’t for me, as I don’t eat when I am not hungry, but if you tend to wander into the kitchen to graze if you are at home, set a plan for yourself to keep from overeating or eating too much junk food.
MoJo Pro-Tip #3: My Secret Shame
I hate to admit it: I have never been very good at “sales.” With my first business, I didn’t have to sell at all, because I was filling a niche that architects loved me for, and I was good at it, so architects (and many of my contractors) sent new business my way without my even have to ask.
But the truth is, from my first sale of a box of cookies as a Brownie Girl Scout, through leasing apartments, to selling office furniture… I confess, I’m not much good at it. (But I was really excited to sell that box of cookies!)
No, you can’t “fix” it for me. I have attended countless sales workshops and trainings and gobbled up a bunch of books on selling.
I understand all the concepts. I know the right words to say and all the types of “closes.” I know about “they don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” I know how to create a call to action.
But it doesn’t matter. People have never bought from me when I use those old-school, bro-biz methods.
So yeah, I’m not so proud of those long-ago jobs that made me feel like a failure. But I can set that aside, because I am proud of the way I talk to people, connecting with them like I like them—because I do.
You may have heard me say that my favorite thing in the whole tired world [sic] is sittin’ around and vistin’.
Well, when people sit and visit with me, they want to buy from me. Or they don’t. I make a client-friend or I make a friend-friend. I win either way–and so do my clients.
If you’re not great at sales, try this “relationship marketing” thing. And that brings us to
MoJo Pro-Tip #4: Networking
For some, it’s bliss, for others a necessary evil. But, as I mentioned in the “Secret Shame” section, it can be very effective for growing your biz. I happen to be an extrovert, which makes it easy for me to network, and I became really good at it when I was leading a large networking group in the early 2000s. I even taught a networking workshop! However, even introverts can become effective networkers.
The reason networking works is that we have entered into an era of marketing with divine feminine values. In other words, this ain’t your grandpa’s Rotary Club.
Networking now is about connection and community, business owners supporting one another through their personal relationships. If you can be a friend, you can use networking to build your business.
Now, some of the old “rules” still apply:
- Don’t come on strong, handing out metaphorical business cards before someone asks, expecting to receive referrals of perfect clients immediately.
- Yes, give referrals to get referrals, but at the same time, keep in mind that the people you give referrals to will probably not be the ones who give you referrals.
- The old 30-second elevator speech is still good to have in your pocket:
- Name
- Business name, if any
- What you do
- Who you serve
- And asking for referrals should be as specific as possible. We had a chiropractor show up one day who said, “I’m looking for anyone with a spine.” He got some chuckles but no referrals. Now, if he had said, “I have openings in my practice for women who have new babies three months old or less, and had a c-section,” people would have come up with someone. Because that kind of request will make you go, “Oh, my neighbor…!” or “Yes, my daughter-in-law!” True story.
MoJo Pro-Tip #5: Contractors
Note: Be sure to check your state’s hiring laws about the difference between a contractor and an employee. Many states have strict laws about what makes an employee, and you can get into big trouble for violating them.
VA’s (Virtual Assistants, ICYDK) to coaches, bringing a contractor onto your team can be priceless. You don’t have to “manage” a contractor at all. Depending on your relationship with them, they will likely do what they do with little input from you (after onboarding, of course), and/or tell you what you need to do.
For example, I hired business manager/coach/emotional support human Lindsey Lopez (https://VirtuallyLindsey.com) a while back to help me get organized and find focus for moving my business forward. It turned out that she knew everything about business that I didn’t know, and then some. Keep in mind, I have been self-employed now for 25 years and somehow, Lindsey knows much more, so that is saying a lot. She also knows the latest trends in business of all kinds, but it seems to me like she is a specialist in exactly what I do. She has become indispensable to me, so I keep her on retainer!
Now, every business owner comes to the point of “I can’t get bigger until I can hire help, but I can’t hire help until I get bigger.” But that’s why contractors are so helpful. You can hire someone for a project or a launch, to write content for you, or to teach you how to do things for yourself instead of adding an employee before you are ready.
Comment below: Which of these tips did you find helpful? If you have been in business awhile, what other good basics would you add to this list?