Biznik Blog

As many of you who are Biznik members probably remember, Laura Messerschmitt is the person at Intuit who contributed a lot of articles to this community back in April. We’re thrilled that Intuit is continuing it’s sponsorship of this community by sponsoring BizJam. Laura will be attending, and there’s a good reason to drop by her table and say hello: she’ll have a free copy of Learning Accounting Essentials for every BizJam attendee.

I interviewed Laura to learn a bit more about Intuit, and what small businesses like ours can learn from their success.

Q: Tell me briefly what you do at Intuit.

I am a Product Manager in our QuickBooks group. I regularly go out to visit small businesses and see how they are managing their finances. I then go back to the office and design QuickBooks features that I think will help them streamline their finances or make it easier for them to manage and control their finances.

Q: Tell me the short version of the Intuit story.

In 1982, Scott Cook noticed that his wife was struggling to balance her checkbook. He thought that there must be a better way. He developed the first version of a software called Quicken to help his wife and other consumers to manage their personal finances. Since then, the company has grown into business finance software (QuickBooks), tax software (TurboTax), payroll, website design, and other services.

Q: How does a large organization like Intuit connect with and understand the smallest of small businesses?

We started as a small business! And, from day one of building this company, Scott Cook talked to his customers to find out how he could help them. He would sit outside of a store and when he saw someone buying Quicken, he would ask if he could come with them and watch them install and use the software. Based on these visits, he would make improvements to the software. To this day, we have kept this tradition: Our employees regularly go out on what we call “Follow me home” visits where we watch our customers manage their business and learn what is keeping them up at night.

Q: Why is Intuit interested in sponsoring BizJam?

We started our relationship with Biznik back in April. We’ve been very impressed with how Biznik is so committed to the solo-entrepreneur and in making them successful. Intuit is also committed to helping solo-entrepreneurs, so it’s a good fit. I can’t wait to come to BizJam and meet everyone who I’ve been interacting with online.

Q: Intuit has been called “the most admired software company in America” for three years in a row by Fortune Magazine. Why do you think that is?

Personally, I think it’s because we are so focused on doing the right thing by helping small businesses be successful and by making sure that we are connected with our customers. I’ve always been amazed at how pervasive the culture is. Every product manager, marketing manager, and senior leader has gone out to visit a small business customer and has, often times, developed an ongoing relationship with the business owner to run ideas off of. As such, decisions at Intuit are informed by the desire to help small business owners achieve their business dreams by trying to solve their everyday problems.

Q: Is there any lesson that a small business can take from that?

Absolutely! My advice would be to conduct research with your customers to find out how to improve your products and services. Ask a subset of your customers: How did you find out about my business? What made you decide to buy something from me? What did I do well in serving you? What could I do better? As long as you are open to hearing their answers, it will help you go a long way towards improving your business.

There sure are a lot of events in the Seattle Biznik business networking events calendar, hey? And while most of the listed events are social in nature, I’m particularly impressed to see educational workshops like the one John Martin is teaching in Seattle on Thursday, Oct. 18: Pitch your Business in 60 Seconds. That’s because workshops of this kind offer valuable skills that can have a direct, positive influence on our ability to successfully grow our businesses. I interviewed John to learn a little more about him, and what members who attend his workshop can expect to learn.

Q: Why do you think it’s hard for people to talk about their business?

For many people, one of their biggest fears is speaking in public. And when it comes to speaking about their business, this intense fear is compounded. I believe the reason they fear speaking in public about anything is that they’ve had little or no training to speak in public. Few people have taken a public speaking class in high school or college. I find this lack of training or education interesting, since we spend over 55 percent of our communication time speaking and listening to others speak. Conversely, most people have had 12 or more years of education learning to write. However, writing is the communication skill that most people use the least.

Q: Where did you learn public speaking?

My first speech class was in high school. I had the coolest teacher ever. His name was Bill Lewis. He was tall and classy. He always wore suits. His favorite saying in speech class was, “Cool Your Jets!” He wanted all of us to slow down. This is so important when it comes to public speaking. Especially in the fast-paced communication era we now live in. I’m currently working on a book about delivering effective business presenentations in honor of Bill Lewis. The title is “Cool Your Jets!”

Q: How did you get into teaching, and how long have you been at this?

I was lucky enough to get a teaching assistanceship at Miami Ohio in 1985. So I was teaching 20 year olds when I was still in my 20′s.

4. What is the most common mistake people make when talking about
their business?

They don’t have a single presentation objective (SPO). An SPO is like a blurb in TV guide. Another way to think about it is a dust-jacket cover on a book. You must develop an SPO and practice it in public. I recently attended a backyard BBQ at a Biznik member’s home. This was a non-Biznik event. Many professionals were there networking. One gentleman stands out in my mind. He was an excellent speaker. He had maybe 6-7 people standing around him. The question came up, “So, Bill what are you up to these days?” Bill launched right into his SPO without hesitation. It was like the old commercial: “When EF Hutton speaks, people listen.” His pitch was smooth, clear, and best of all precise. Whe he was done, he just happened to have a stack of buisiness cards to hand out. It wasn’t a bit cheesy. Bill was very genuine and authentic about his offering. People appreciate this.

5. What can people who attend your upcoming workshop expect to learn?

To learn how to become comfortable speaking about themselves in public. Everyone will get a chance to develop there own SPO. What has always amazed me about the workshop mechanics is how the group bonds. Seeing the bonding is why I continue to teach this workhop. It’s very much like group therapy. The speaker only receives positive feedback from other group members. It’s amazing to see what happens when someone is bombarded with positive comments. Their fear of speaking slips away. As a facilitator, I do give constructive feedback as to what could be improved on. This is a very safe and supportive learning environment. It’s sacred ground.

John Martin is a Seattle-based presentation coach. To sign up for his workshop, visit http://biznik.com/events/2007/10/18/pitch-your-biz-in-60-seconds

We’re fortunate to have one of the world’s foremost authorities on business networking, Ron Sukenick, as a member of Biznik. And what’s better, he’s flying to Seattle this week to join us at BizJam on June 9, where he’ll hosting a session titled “9 networking strategies every entrepreneur should know.” I’ve never met Ron in person, but from many phone conversations I’ve learned that his passion for business relationship-building is infectious. And as the author of two books about how to network effectively, he’s got a lot of say on the subject. So here he is, in his own words…

Q: What interests you so much in business networking, and how have you come to make a career of it?

What has interested me the most from inception is the opportunity meet and be with people. In fact, in a world where owning and operating a business is no easy task, the power of building, developing and implementing networks of contacts has been a life saver. I began back in the late 70′s in Los Angeles really taking an interest in the process and by the late 1980′s I was smack in the beginning of the biggest movement for expanding what today is considered the largest and most successful business-to-business contact networking in the world. That happens to an organization called BNI.

With a passion for being with and bringing people together, the word just kept getting out there and the next thing you know, people are interested in the message and paying to attend speaking engagements, workshops, and then other consulting opportunities as well. In fact, one day an editor from a publishing company heard me speak and he stated the following – “If you would promise that you would keep speaking about your passion on networking, and you could write a book, we would be more then happy to publish it. With that being said, it was clearly the fuel that kept the fire burning. The rest is all history.

Q: Tell me about the books you’ve written, and how you came to write them.

“Networking Your Way to Success” was published in 1995. The first book was easy to get out because it was very clear to me why a large percentage of people were not achieving the results they desired. I figured that if people would just develop the passion and form some strategy behind the process, then people can be in control of their efforts. This first book is about 9 networking strategies that, if implemented, will work for most people, most of the time.

My second book – “The Power is in the Connection” is really about taking networking to the next level. In essence, it’s beyond networking.

It is very interesting how this book concept actually came to me. Just picture this – I was getting ready to speak at a Jiffy Lube National Convention in Palm Spring in September 1995, and the excitement was building because my first book was also being published at that time.

I was on stage speaking to 600 people and within a split second it hit me that there was clearly a next level for the thing called networking.

As I kept speaking I stated that networking is awkward for most people, hit and miss for most people, and in more instances always about individual success.

If you think about it, I really started to tell them that while networking has served us well, there was clearly a next level for the process.

You see, people tend to use this incredible marketing tool as a way to make sales, and if they would spend more time and effort developing a relationship focus, and look for ways to co-create and collaborate, the idea of networking could easily be moved into a new philosophy for building business with others.

I ended building the basis of the new book around the philosophy called NetBeing, a word I coined that captures the Essence of a relationship mindset.

“The Power is in the Connection” helps individuals build out a roadmap for transforming their networking contacts into meaningful connections.

I’ve put in place with my writing partner 15 relationship building strategies that lay the foundation for long lasting business partnerships with others.

Q: Biznik makes a big point of emphasizing relationships over referrals. Do you think that’s a good approach?

In my opinion, it’s the most effective approach. Let’s be straightforward. As people, we want affiliations. And as human beings, we want relationship. From a business standpoint, there’s no doubt that relationships open doors. The fact is that relationships don’t always make sales.

But with all things being equal, and even if there not equal, people in business will more times then not gravitate toward doing business with people they or someone they know has a relationship with.

In closing, relationships add to the quality of life, and easily is translatable into enhanced revenue for all involved

Q: Is business networking different today than it was a few years ago? What trends do you see that affect how business networking takes place?

Networking it not like what it used to be.

Handing out your business card at monthly Chamber of Commerce meetings no longer qualifies as networking. Today’s business leaders know that real, profit-generating networking requires more. More strategy, more connectedness, and more trust.

I’d suggest we’re moving into an era where the relationship-based NetBeing, a set of attitudes and actions that foster real meaningful business relationships and build mutual trust, will overtake networking as a business development strategy.

Adapting to this new strategy brings its share of challenges but it can also yield great rewards. Partnerships form more easily. Sales and retention increases. Profits grow faster. After all success in business is all about relationships.

Q: What can people who attend your workshop at BizJam on June 9th expect to learn?

That’s a great question. In fact, I can hardly wait to hear what I’ve got to say! All joking aside, attendees will experience my tremendous passion behind the process that I’ve been building since the 70′s. I will help those in attendance implement a proven system of taking their existing networking relationships to another level. In fact, I’ll also provide a step-by-step approach in going from contacts to a meaningful connection. And if that’s not enough, I’ll throw in what I call the “Magic of Six.” This is a proven method for people to increase their frequency of interactions with others thus leading to mutually rewarding business relationships. And if that’s not enough, I’ll introduce what I call the “Small World” Theory. A method for reducing anything that is taking place at the point of interaction that has the ability to create the biggest impact on others.

In closing, I’m thrilled to be coming to BizJam on June 9, and looking forward to many exchange opportunities. Can’t wait to meet the people in one of my most favorite places in the world: Seattle, Washington.

Ron Sukenick is the Chief Relationship Officer and founder of the Relationship Strategies Institute, a training and Relationship development company that provides innovative, effective and relevant programs and systems for corporations, organizations, and associations. To learn more about the value of Relationship Development, visit their Web site at www.RelationshipStrategiesInstitute.com or e-mail him at – RS [at] RelationshipStrategiesInstitute [dot] com.

One of the things I hate about a lot of businesses is how scrubbed clean they are of any hint of personality. In their effort to avoid scaring off any potential customers, they bury their individuality so deep that it’s almost impossible to tell whether they ever had one in the first place. But Sierra Faye, I’m happy to report, does not have this problem. She’s a massage therapist, and a self-described freak, so what better name for her business than, well, Massage Freek? Let’s find out how one of Biznik’s original members (who we’re thrilled to have as a principal sponsor of BizJam) turned her passion for massage and self-expression into a business.

How did you come up with the name of your business?

The name Massage Freek came to me like a bolt of lightning from the sky. I had just been fired and I was sick of being told what to do in work environments about how to dress and how to act and what things I could or could not say
I knew that I wanted to work with “my people.” and by that I mean people that are living lifestyles that are very much not normal (but awesome, in my opinion). Some examples are: swingers, polyamorous, kink/fetish lifestyles as well as people from the Burning Man community and essentially free-thinking and open-minded individuals. I figured a name like Massage Freek would be great for attracting people that would want to see someone who shares the same way of life. I also thought Massage Freek, as a name, would act as a natural filter for people that wouldn’t be comfortable with me, my lifestyle, my opinions and expressions… And thus be uncomfortable receiving massage from me. Why try to attract just anyone, right? Might as well attract and focus my marketing on people who would be more likely to come to me not for my excellent massage skills but my wonderful, charming and freaky personality.

How long have you been a massage therapist?

I have been doing this work since I graduated from the Brian Utting School of Massage in December of 2000. I wanted to be a massage therapist since I was eleven or so. Over six years in practice now.

There’s a lot of massage therapists in Seattle. How do you stand out?

I stand out … because I’m nuts! No … all massage therapists are nuts, in my humble opinion.
I think I stand out for a few pretty powerful reasons:
I have been practicing for longer than most of the therapists out there. I know there are many that have been around longer than me, but most LMP’s stop practicing after about 2-3 years.
I am very good at what I do… Lots of experience, lots of hours doing not much else but intense injury treatment and problem solving… Improving the quality of people’s lives thru the treatment of pain in their bodies,
I consistently have clients report significant improvement thru my massages. I have found that my massage has a tendency to be more effective and have longer-lasting effects than the therapists that most of my clients have used.

I think the way I stand out the most is being openly kinky, poly, swinger and burner. I think that most people, especially in my profession, are VERY hesitant to disclose much of any of their personal life, much less integrate it as a selling point and a quality that provides deeper healing.

I have found that in sharing my personal lifestyle and being open about being a rebel and a freak, people tend to relate to that because they have that in them. I think that me just being me and giving space to allow that sort of lifestyle and expression gives not only a safer place for freaks like me to get healed, but it also creates a new way of life at all. A bold and more open, accepting idea of what’s possible to experience in a work place. I think I stand out because I’m a rebel amongst my peers and most of them are actually pretty supportive of my uber-open behavior and presentation. I think showing full true self allows people to know that they can be their own true self as well.. And in that… I don’t even have to touch them or have them as a client… They are healed just by observing and having a different idea of what’s possible.

Has Biznik helped you build your business? How?

Of course! Biznik was god’s gift to me… I know that sounds funny but.. I think it’s just “too perfect” that you and Lara came up with Biznik at the exact same time I was starting to do Massage Freek promotion.
I remember just trying to figure how the heck I was going to get in front of people – in a larger scale way than one on one or at parties – that would grow my business with people that would be likely to hire me.
The cool thing was that you guys hit your friends first and they are a bunch of burners so HEY! Target market!
And because the energy of biznik is (duh) for business, it kept me focused on growing my business as you were growing the influence of Biznik. I wanted to be in the minds of the badass people that were not only open-minded and free thinking but also strong in their entrepreneurial mojo.

In short, it was your target audience that was also my target audience. As you have grown, so have I. I feel comfortable “getting more visible” with this crowd. Once I have this experience of rising to the top of a general pool of people, I figure it will give me the personal power and strength to strut my stuff in front of other groups of business networkers and entrepreneurs and not be afraid of what they think.

Any advice you’d give to anyone starting a business?

Advice for anyone starting a business… DO IT. Be free from your job because self-employment is way more secure than a job.
Don’t give up – it can get hard. Take care of yourself – don’t let yourself fall into patterns of overworking. Take advantage of your open schedule. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to spend money on consultation, self-care and the tools you need to get your work done. Do your work in an environment that you like and that feels good. Take yourself seriously but not too seriously. Keep your word, keep your appointments don’t be a flake. But if you flake, don’t waste your time trying to get someone to trust you again… The trust is broken. Just move on and try to just get more clients and don’t flake out on them. Do what you love. Take breaks so that you don’t get burned out. Know that you will hit walls, you will get sad, you will cry and you will feel that worry of “am I gonna make it or not.”

You will have to go through all sorts of self-healing and confrontation of worth issues, integrity issues and you’ll have to confront the places where you are not good at some of the aspects of running your business. Just keep going. Be clear that what you are selling, practicing or creating is truly an expression of your heart, mind and soul. These things have helped me. I don’t know if they apply to everyone but they might apply to several. I hope that something I said helps.

Sierra Faye’s website is www.massagefreek.com. Her office is located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Sterling Peake is one of Biznik’s newest supporting members, and already she’s posted two upcoming events in the calendar. One of the things that struck me immediately when reading her profile and looking at her business’s website, www.greenpawstudios.com, was this: Sterling is on a mission. She knows where she’s heading with her business, and she’s executing on what looks like … a plan. And in fact, when I interviewed her, I discovered that not only does she have a plan, but it’s an award-winning plan. So join me while we learn more from Sterling about her plans…

Q: I read a little about how you started Green Paws on your website, greenpawstudios.com (which is very impressive, by the way). Something that stood out right away was that you won a $10,000 award to start your company. Can you tell me about how that happened?

I’ve been competing in business plan competitions since I was a freshman in high school. It’s a great way to win money and also to understand the big picture of business. You’re forced to step out of your comfort zone whether that be designing, advertising, finance or operations to really understand how the entire business model works. If motivation is difficult, sign up for a local business plan competition. Not only will you get structure for deadlines and an opportunity to win money, you’ll also get excellent feedback from the venture capital judges.

Q: Which do you recommend locally in the greater Seattle area?

The NWEN puts on an event each year called Early Stage Investment Forum and although there’s no prize money, because of their mentoring program for four weeks, you will have a very polished plan and a strong idea of what investors are looking for. UW, WSU and U of O all offer competitions and there are more on this site: www.smallbusinessnotes.com.

Q: I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you have a passion for dogs. Do you think that it’s important for everyone starting a business to be passionate about it?

I do have a passion for dogs but more than that I have a passion for helping people and creating strong brand identities. I just finished a business plan about umbrellas that is an outstanding investment opportunity and I don’t even own an umbrella! Some people love business for the sake of loving business but having a passion and deep understanding of your product and service can get you a long way even if you don’t have a formal business background.

Q: Sounds like you’ve got a lot of interests. Something I’ve noticed about a lot of entrepreneurial types is that they are idea people – but not so good at executing on their ideas and doing the work required to bring them to life. How do you do things like building brand identities for other people while building running Green Paws?

I made a special exception and did consulting for some friends of mine on their project as long as they let me enter it in the Seattle University competition. I’m presenting tomorrow – eek! It is not something I do often as I don’t usually have the time. You are right though, there is often a huge disconnect between the ideas people and the ones who want to do the day-to-day work. There are ways you can overcome this by setting goals and boundaries as well as hiring someone who is good at the stuff you hate doing. It might be true that many well-intentioned “entrepreneurs” should be in consulting so they can come up with new ideas all the time without having to deal with the drudge of follow-through. The people ideal for starting their own companies are addicted to working. They have the ideas and put in the blood, sweat and tears to make it happen.

Q: You are very up-front about being a Triple Bottom Line business. Why? And I’m also curious why you decided to donate 10 percent of your profits to local organizations.

There is no way around it – business is built on the surrounding community and environment. You may be able to get by without acknowledging them in your financials but you will reach your goals much faster if you employ them in your operations. Throw local events, donate money to non-profits, give away your products and services. You will be amazed at what the planet and your neighbors can do to help you. For me, 10% of my profits and 10% of my time not only keeps me sane by giving me the opportunity to help people but it also builds my business with the kind of people I want involved.

Q: Do you think it’s important for everyone with an indie business to write a business plan?

I think it’s important for anyone with a business to write a business plan. Again it’s so you can understand all aspects of the business but also so you have a clear idea of what your goals are and what you need to do to get there. Joe Shirley, who often gives workshops for BizNikers, can help you set your personal and emotional life goals. This sometimes needs to happen before you can write an honest and effective business plan. Planning is always a good idea and asking for input refines your ideas into winning business models. I encourage everyone to sit down and pencil the next three years out.

Sterling Peake runs Green Paws Studios, a dog training and boarding facility in Seattle. Her website is www.greenpawstudios.com.

Karrie Kohlhaas and Andrea Driessen.

You never know what’s going to happen when you go to a happy hour. For Karrie Kohlhaas and Andrea Driessen, a Biznik happy hour led to mutual appreciation, more money, more joy, and a satisfying validation. In this post, Andrea and Karrie share their story and a few tips on how you can make great Biznik-2-Biznik connections too. Read on!

Why did you join Biznik?

Andrea: I joined to expand my circle of contacts and connections, though not my client base (most Biznik members are not my clientele, who are almost exclusively corporate meeting planners).

Karrie: I never thought a networking group could offer the community I craved: Until Biznik. My client Kat Morgan offered such a strong recommendation, I felt a fool not to at least try it. She was right.

How did you meet?

Karrie: At my second Biznik event, a Holiday Happy Hour, Andrea and I struck up a conversation. I was not looking to "drum up a new client" but rather, I genuinely wanted to get to know her. She’s interesting, she’s smart, and she’s run a successful business by herself for many years.

Andrea: (Hmmm. I believe the only Biznik events I’ve been to so far are happy hours…! Maybe that’s why I joined in the first place: to attend the events at pubs!

What’s special about your connection?

Andrea: The old saying is true: "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." What I most appreciate about Karrie is her capacity, which seems almost magical at times, to flex from one aspect of business (strategy, for example), to marketing, to an aspect of my personal life… It’s as if she has a built-in micro-macro lens that she can move at will, and on a dime. Being on the receiving end of that kind of keen observation, I found myself growing and learning in ways I’d not thought possible.

In fact, I experienced more internal focus and sustainable, external growth in eight short hours spent with Karrie than I did after scores of hours [and thousands of dollars’ worth] of meetings with the world’s largest CEO-membership organization. I’m working less, experiencing more true joy, making more money, and having more fun. I just had my biggest month ever. And I have a much deeper well of self-assurance down to my core. The law of attraction—a combination of confidence, energy, and belief—is really working for me now.

Karrie: Through her work, bringing wildly interesting and unusual talent into corporate meetings, Andrea is shaking up the system, giving them something different, unexpected and something new to talk about. Not everyone has that entrepreneurial spirit, so Andrea brings a taste of it to them! She is truly filling a need and doing it in such a clever way.

Working with Andrea has been inspiring and reminds me why I love my work. Andrea brought a level of willingness and motivation to the table that moved me and made me want to up my own ante. Witnessing Andrea transform one thing after another in and between our sessions, I too wanted to cause a new level of transformation in my own business.

I stopped consulting in the corporate sector because I thought I could make bigger differences helping small businesses grow. Working with Andrea was a wonderful reflection that I am doing the right thing, and that feels profoundly satisfying.

Based on your experience, if you were to offer one piece of advice to a new Biznik member about how to get the most out of their membership, what would you say?

Karrie: I don’t think enough people at Biznik do follow-ups. I find this to be one of the most important elements in building relationships and I encourage more people to do it. I follow up with people after having meaningful conversations at events by sending a short email and sometimes by calling. I mention something about them that struck me or I send them a resource I think might be helpful to them. Sometimes I just say hello and how glad I was to get acquainted with them. Basically I am real with people and I let them know that our meeting meant something to me.

It’s important to let go of thinking about what you are going to "get" out of the relationship. Follow up just because you liked someone or thought they have an interesting business. Or maybe you want to ask them another question or introduce them to someone who might be a good connection for them. Many times these follow-ups have led to unexpected referrals, new ideas, new friends and yes, new clients.

Andrea: Be grateful for and take advantage of the depth of Biznik’s resources. I started my business over 8 years ago, and had to do so much on my own. Looking back, I think that had something so readily available and affordable as Biznik been available then, I would have certainly fast-tracked my ramp-up time.

Thank you Karrie and Andrea for sharing your story! Do you have a Biznik-2-Biznik story to share? Contact Joe Shirley.