Steal an Education: Tip for Young Entrepreneurs
Looking for an alternative to college? Steal an education by shadowing others who are experienced in the industry you are interested in pursuing. It can be done!
Quick Tour of my Office
I’m moving into the neighboring office by next month, but for now I thought you’d all enjoy a little tour of my current space. 
Customer Service
Do you want more or fewer customers?
Go through any checkout line at your favorite retail store and you’ll find that each employee is different. Some cashiers say “Hi, how are you?” and others hardly say a word. Over the past week, I decided to observe each store employee at several different businesses as I shopped. After noting several negatives and only few positives, I assembled a list that offers crucial tips to maintaining good customer service.
1) Greet your customer.
I hate being ignored when I walk into a place of business. Whenever I walk into a store and the employees stare at me blankly, I am tempted to do something just to prompt some sort of reaction to my presence. This doesn’t mean I’m seeking attention wherever I go, it merely means that if I’m going to spend money at your store, you’d better darn well acknowledge me just out of common courtesy!
2) Offer assistance and ask if you can help with anything.
Some employers require that you offer assistance to every customer you see. I think this is a great rule of thumb. Even if the customer doesn’t need something at the moment you ask, they are more likely to come looking for you later if they need a hand rather than leave the store in a frustrated manner. When I am lost in a store and cannot find an employee to help me, what do I do? Leave and spend my money elsewhere. Don’t let your customers walk out of the store like this…they might not come back!
3) Make eye contact and speak clearly.
At one of my stops last week, I needed help finding a new computer keyboard. I found the first employee wandering about the store, and asked him where I could find the item. He hardly looked at me when he pointed me in the right direction. Ideally, the guy should have looked me square in the eye with a smile, and escorted me to the product. Granted, I found the item just fine with the point of a finger however, I consider it to be excellent service when an employee takes me directly to the product and finds out what my needs are. I have gotten lost and confused during past shopping trips simply because an employee didn’t want to show me where something was.
4) Don’t yell at your customer even if they make you mad.
Oddly enough, at the very same store where the employee wouldn’t make eye contact, I had seen another employee yelling at a customer just weeks earlier. A man had walked in to make a return and wasn’t understanding a certain store policy, and the hot-headed girl behind the counter lost her patience. The employee assisting me glanced at another co-worker nervously and whispered something about bad behavior not being allowed. I was shocked and ready to walk out of the store, even though it had not happened to me personally.
5) Have integrity and don’t be the “class clown” at work.
Everyone likes to laugh and have a good time, but there are limits. I remember when I worked as a cell phone sales rep and my co-workers and I would get bored. There was no professionalism about our goofy behavior, and I often times think back and recall how passers-by would glance at us with eyebrows raised. I learned my lesson. Don’t get overly loud and obnoxious, it just makes a bad impression and can harm your sales.
6) Appreciate your customer. Say hi and thank you, and mean it.
Yet again, at the store mentioned above
(with the yelling and shy employees) I found that I was not really appreciated. When I went through the checkout with my item, the bag was tossed in my direction as soon as I paid. Here’s a tip: hand the bag directly to the customer. It’s good etiquette and saves the customer having to gather everything in a rush. I also like it when a cashier asks if I want the receipt in the bag. Instead, I was tossed the receipt, which I wanted IN the bag. (I had to put it in myself while still at the checkout.)
7) Make it a happy environment.
I understand that not everyone loves their job. Even though I love it when folks pursue their dream job, I know it doesn’t always work out that way. So if you don’t love what you do, at least act like it for the sake of the customer! I can’t stand it when employees are miserable and mean, because their bad attitude can be contagious to anyone that crosses their path. If you want a customer to spend money you have to be HAPPY!
These are just a few ways you can increase sales and step your game up in 2010. I personally learned a lot of these tips when I was employed by Bed, Bath & Beyond where I was trained in excellent customer service. Raise the bar high and watch your customers keep coming back for more.
Measurable Goals
Yesterday, I posed this question to my Facebook and Twitter friends:
“What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?”
My personal answer varies day to day, and because of that, sometimes my schedule is not exactly what it ought to be. (I’m working on it.) More than anything, I asked this question because I was curious to see if someone could offer me some of the early-morning motivation I was looking for. Here are a few answers I received:
“Wretched alarm clock!” -Cati Gerwitz
“COFFEE” -Amy Parker
“Do I HAVE to get up?” -Alli Gerwitz
“If I don’t move, maybe the dog will let me sleep ten more minutes.” -@CindyABerg
“How much snow is in the driveway?” -Mary Sawyer
Not quite what I was hoping for, but certainly what I expected. They all sounded like me! Then I received a great response on Twitter that made my day:
“How to impact society in a good way and make a difference.” -@LuayRahil
Well, isn’t that what life is all about? When I wake up most days, my thought process usually goes something like this: “How long do I have to get ready for work?” or “Did I oversleep again?” or “It’s too cold. I’m staying right here where it’s warm.” Most days I can be such a whiner! Judging by some of the responses, I’m not the only one who doesn’t feel like getting out of bed right away. It’s normal, don’t feel guilty. Okay…maybe feel just a liiiiiiiiiiittle guilty… 
I want to propose a challenge to not only those of you reading this post, but also to myself. When you and I wake up, think about something positive. Not going back to sleep, not how much you hate your alarm clock (Cati, sometimes I just want to beat my alarm clock to a pulp!) and not about the negative things that your day might bring. We all have things we don’t want to deal with, but the more we dwell on them, the bigger those things seem. Discipline comes in handy here. It can be as simple as thanking God for yet another day, as one response said:
“Thank you God I woke UP!!” -Star Roberts
If you’re having trouble making goals for yourself and planning your day ahead, I would recommend taking some time to watch the January 4th episode of The Dave Ramsey Show on Hulu. Dave talks about the importance of putting your goals into writing, and making them not only specific but also measurable. For example, do you want to start a new business by March? Lose ten pounds in 30 days? Make the goal, set a time limit and then follow through. Waking up in the morning and saying, “I don’t really know what I want to do today,” simply isn’t good enough. It’s never worked for me or for anyone else I’ve ever met. If you want to be successful and maintain a healthy state of mind, setting measurable goals is the key.
Christmas Gift Woes
Now that the holidays have come and gone, I’ve officially started making my usual after-Christmas returns. Very few returns are for gifts received…let me just say that my momma did a wonderful job shopping this year and picked out some amazing gifts that I will not only make good use of, but I absolutely love as well, which makes it even better.
So, why do I have Christmas gift woes? Mostly because I was so busy this year that I decided to randomly shop for family members without putting much thought into what I was purchasing. My thought process went something like this: Oh that looks cool. They might like it. I hope they like it, because I’m buyin’ it. Okay, that’s one person I can check off the list…
Bad idea. In fact, I have absolutely no intention of ever shopping that way again. Due to that mindset, I ended up shopping a second time to replace all of those “on a whim” gifts. (Pitiful, I know, but at least the items bought during Shopping Trip #2 were all a success…)
So, back to the woes. I still had the gifts leftover from Shopping Trip #1. No problem, I can return everything because I saved the receipt and the packages were all unopened. Even the price stickers were still on. Not bad, eh? Hmph.
I made one of my main purchases at a gift shop (that will remain unnamed – for now) in the local mall. I had this gut feeling while I was looking around at all of their unique little products that it was one of THOSE shops. You know. The shop where the owner just wants you to make up your mind, hand over your money and get the heck out of their space. I should’ve went with my gut feeling and just walked out of the store with nothing when that thought first entered my mind. But, in their favor, their woodsy gifts were just too awesome to resist and I couldn’t help myself. After browsing for a good half hour or so, I ended up spending about $30.00. At the checkout, I almost asked about their return policy but I was in a hurry. Once again, should’ve gone with my gut feeling there too. SIGH
When I got home, I reconsidered the gifts and decided they just weren’t practical. No matter though. I saved my receipt, left them in the bag, hardly even removing the fragile items from the tissue paper. I’d take them back after Christmas.
As I revisited the shop again just two days after the holiday to get that much-needed $30.00 back, I was completely bewildered to notice a sign on the checkout that I hadn’t seen there just days before. “NO RETURNS. EXCHANGES ONLY.” Are you KIDDING me?, I thought! Sure enough. The gal came up to the checkout to assist me and explained the policy. I
couldn’t believe it – I mean, I had the receipt, the gifts were unopened and I even had left them in the same bag! Seeing my distress over the situation, the girl offered to check with the owner to see if she could make an exception. Ha. That was a laugh. She made the phone call and the owner hardly let her get two words out before cutting her off. I knew it wasn’t gonna happen when I heard, “Just an exchange? Okay, I’ll let her know.”
Alright, so it wasn’t a HUGE amount of money. But I rarely waste money these days since an entrepreneur’s income isn’t all too substantial in the beginning and most of it goes back into the business anyway. For me, I was planning on that refund to put gas in my car to last me for a week. When I found out I had to swap the gifts back out for some other trinket, I was not too happy. I made my sheer disappointment known and walked out, yet again, with the same items I’d originally bought still in my hand.
Let me assure you, next Christmas I am going to make a list of the gifts I intend to buy. No more shopping last minute without a plan. It is so much more meaningful to give gifts when careful thought and time has been invested into the process, and as a reward get to see that delight across the recipients face when they tear away the gift wrap. That wonderful delight alone could have a whole blog post devoted to it.
And as a final thought tonight, I ought to note that I won’t be going back to that particular gift shop either.
The Importance of Preparation
If I could share one random piece of wisdom with you that I’ve learned by being an entrepreneur, I would urge you to always prepare to the best of your abilities. When I first decided to write this post, I asked myself, What would be a worthy example of preparation that I could use as guidance for my readers? I’ve chosen to share with you a brief story of my experience with horses as a young teenager, or rather, the lack thereof. (Sorry if my writings always end up leaning towards something or other equine…deal with it. )
At 13 years old, I was a horse-crazed kid who thought I could do anything. Our first horse, a bay mare named Gracie, was as much of a spitfire as I. In a nutshell, Mandee + Gracie = Disaster. I specifically recall the day I chose to ride her without professional supervision. I hadn’t learned enough about riding yet and I didn’t really know what I was doing. But, of course, THAT couldn’t stop me! I saddled her up that morning, jumped on, and proceeded to walk forward. What I didn’t realize was that the saddle was not girthed properly, and it wasn’t long before it proceeded to tip to the left. Before I knew what was happening – BUCK! BUCK! BUCK! WHOOSH! Ker-thunk. (The whoosh and ker-thunk part was me flying through the air then hitting the ground.)
The horse bucked me off that day because I hadn’t taken the time to properly prepare and learn in advance. If I’d learned how to saddle up correctly I may have avoided a painful landing on my right wrist.
Other tasks such as writing a research paper, public speaking, job interviews, event planning or business meetings are all things that also require careful thought and effort ahead of time. I’ve tried doing all of those things without preparation and it just doesn’t go off too well. Maybe you’ve even heard me say before, “Oh it’s fine, I’ll just wing it.” Ha. That can work once in a while, but most times it’s just me not wanting the extra work.
I looked up the definition of “wing it” on Google, just out of curiosity. This is what I found:
To wing it is an idiom that means to improvise, to do something without proper preparation or time to research. People often talk about winging it when they have to do something difficult that they didn’t have time to prepare — like a make speech or give a presentation. They might say something like "Sorry if I seem a bit disorganized, I’m totally winging it." You tell people that you’re winging it, that you’re improvising, so that they won’t expect too much from you, or so that they will be more forgiving if you make a mistake.
(Source: http://www.betteratenglish.com/english-idioms-to-wing-it-to-improvise/)
I think that winging it is okay on occasion if you’re truly stuck in a situation where it’s absolutely necessary. Everyone has to be able to do that when needed. However, if you constantly have to improvise then you will never do your very best! That’s what I’ve found in my own personal endeavors. When you prepare, you are more likely to handle yourself more professionally and achieve higher success.
That’s not to say that you can’t do something that you’ve never tried before. There’s a first time for everything. Give it a whirl, see what happens, and then do everything in your power to learn more about the task at hand. It’s a great way to learn new things. :)
Product Review: Stowe Boot from BEARPAW
If you like your toes comfortable and cozy during the cold season, you will want to check out the new Stowe boot from Bearpaw™.
Bearpaw™ has gone above and beyond to ensure great quality and comfort in their products and their new Stowe, a durable winter boot with water resistancy, is no exception. As horse owners, many of us like something easy to slip on so we can hurry out to see our four-legged friends, but we also want our feet to feel good at the same time. Trading comfort for ease should not have to be an option when it comes to shoes of any sort, and the Stowe certainly will not disappoint! This great boot is quick to lace up and is much warmer than the cheaper brands that you might typically wear to the barn. It features water resistant properties so your feet will stay dry in the wet snow, and the sheepskin lining inside the boot is so relaxing that you may even find yourself wishing you didn’t have to take them off at the end of the day!
Check out these features:
- Pre-treated suede & leather uppers for water resistancy
- Rugged, rubber outsole
- Waterproof inner membrane
- Wool & sheepskin lining
- Genuine sheepskin collar & footbed
- Available in 6 colors in men’s & boy’s sizes
While the Stowe is currently only available in men’s and boy’s sizes, Bearpaw™ offers a convenient conversion chart so women can also enjoy the wonderful comfort and simplicity of this great boot!
To purchase online or find a list of retailers near you, please visit the Bearpaw™ website at www.bearpawshoes.com.
Reviewed by Mandee Widrick, photos by Megan Jackson.
A Minute with Mandee 12/3/09 “Do Hard Things”
Tip for today: do character building things even if they make you uncomfortable!
A Minute with Mandee 11/30/09
This is yesterday’s “A Minute with Mandee”! I talked about how we had absolutely NO snow yet this year. However, I woke up this morning to white fluffy stuff on the ground! I guess the joke is on me.
30 Day Holiday Health Challenge
I have taken the initiative to accept the challenge from @loswhit and jump on the bandwagon for the 30 Day Holiday Health Challenge!
Why I decided to do this - Things have been a bit up in the air lately and I have been procrastinating in certain areas of my life. There’s nothing better than some good ‘ol discipline!
So, for the next 30 days, I have committed to meeting these 3 goals:
- Physically - Keep your yap shut, I hide my extra weight well, but I know it’s there even if you don’t. I’m going to commit to dropping 10 pounds over the next month. This should be interesting, since I have a love affair with Christmas cookies…
- Spiritually – I’m going to commit to spending time with God every day (reading the Bible, worship and prayer). It’s something I put off way too quickly, because I’m always so busy…or so I claim.
- Relationally - I’m going to do my part to be patient and more understanding with my family. This means taking time to do things with them when I would normally be working or relaxing on my own.
Keep an eye out, because I’m also going to be sharing updates twice a week. If you don’t see updates here, you can follow me on Twitter, because I’ll certainly be tweeting about it. I’ll even post some videos along the way!
Would YOU like to take part in this challenge? Click here to sign up!
