Best Wishes for Best Practices

Every once in awhile, a message gets through. I mean really through. To the core of your soul through.  That happened to me while working on this issue.

I had the pleasure of sitting in a room with some of the world’s giants during the Champions For Kids (CFK) Global Leadership Conference. You’ll find a snippet of the day in the Biz2Biz feature story this month. My takeaway was on the reality of America’s (non-existent) “Best Practices” for children.  It’s impossible to condense an entire day into 1,000 words, but I hope you will take note that there is a lot of work to be done here at many levels, and that you will not be alone if you take up the gauntlet. In fact, you will be in great company.

Adelaide Schaeffer is CEO of CFK. David Gergen called her a “luminous woman” and I have to agree. She said, “We’re living in a world of transactions, whether as non-profits, businesses, or people. We may think we are going to relate with people based on transactions. But we don’t. People do not become part of the bigger team because of the price point, the glitz, the glamor or the shelf space. There they make a transaction. At the end of the day they buy the product or they don’t. But it doesn’t change their lives.”

Well, doggone, she’s right. As business leaders we can even be dedicated to a best practices approach and still just be making a transaction. Even our 140 characters on Twitter or Facebook is posting a transaction.  As consumers, it’s all about “me.”

No, I don’t have an answer to conclude this letter. I only have more questions. But I can see that as long as we’re asking questions, we’re looking for answers.  Open your eyes to the possibilities.

Best Wishes for Best Practices in 2011!

Doing 'The Work'

Are you an entrepreneur or business owner who feels there's never enough time in your day? Never enough skills in your skill set? Or tools in your toolbox? 

Are you one of those who constantly measures where you've been and where you are going and how much further you must travel to get there? 

Yes? I want to join your club. And I want to bring something to the table with me. 

It's called "The Work" and it's a simple process of inquiry developed by Bryon Katie.  It's a way of identifying and questioning the thoughts that cause our fears and inefficiencies.

I may be spilling some beans here, but I know that MY thinking can and does do damage. Which, of course, only piles up on MY plate to fix, undo, and get over.

In doing The Work, I have found that I project my own fears and doubts onto others and second guess my abilities long before they do. I am constantly assailing myself with the belief that I must be more, do more, achieve more. I must be smarter, faster, first. It's exhausting! Staying competitive in today's marketplace is exhausting!

The Work is a personal journey, and it's not necessarily for the workplace. But rest assured, everyone who is coming to work could use The Work to make them happier, healthier, more efficient employees, bosses, and leaders.

One might could say the marketing messages we communicate about ourselves to ourselves are the most prevalent in our lives.  If we can open just one door that lets in enough light to see we are indeed good, honest, capable, compassionate human beings, then we're all going to benefit from it. Imagine, then, if we could throw open all the doors. What a world!

Check out TheWork.org website and videos, and any number of Bryon Katie's books on the subject at Amazon.com, along with books co-authored with Eckhart Tolle.

Measuring the positives

As I approach my business and marketing planning retreat for 2011, I am reminded to look back at where I’ve been with as much enthusiasm as I look forward. I have to admit that I am more likely to have enthusiasm for what lies ahead and criticism for what’s been left behind. For me, it’s easier to have hope about something yet to come than to see the successes-not-the-failures passed.

Today I’m doing a turn around. Today, I’m looking back on the positives of 2010 and how I’m going to apply them to the future.

I learned a lot from the columnists who share the pages of Biz2Biz digital magazine. I gained a better insight on my role as CFO and how each decision I make can be tracked to the bottom line. I learned how little things can make a difference and how valuable perspective can be. 

I gained skills as a leader of my business, my time, and my passion. I learned how to better organize each of these roles, which individually could occupy all of my energy if I let them. As many of you know, I’m a single mom, too, so family and the responsibilities of home, hearth and happiness have to join the plate in heaping big amounts.

I learned about new media, sales cycles, social media and small business champions. I was inspired by others who jump out of bed everyday to climb the Mt. Everest of entrepreneurship. I mentored those with aspirations to start the trek. I shared a cup of solace with those whose dreams were dashed, and cheered for those who found their mark. And all the while I edited, edited, edited.

It’s been a good year.

B2B Bingo by Janie Clark: Who's minding the store?

B2B Bingo by Janie Clark: Who's minding the store?: "When business messaging isn't so haute. As a communications strategist, I am always looking at business messaging with a critical eye. I ..."

Who's minding the store?

When business messaging isn't so haute.

As a communications strategist, I am always looking at business messaging with a critical eye. I see typos and taboos like a hound dog sniffs out a rat. We all make mistakes, but when communicating with our potential customers -- whether in an advertisement, an email or a text message -- what you say or don't can make or break the bond. 

That goes for verbal messaging, too. How you greet a customer when they enter your store or telephone the office is just as important in this sequence of successful communications.

Yesterday I found two rats in the game that were so disturbing I have to blog it out. 

I made a call from the car about a piece of real estate. The path was confusing enough-- the sign in the front yard had four or five names and telephone numbers. I dialed one and was given another number -- verbally -- which is a difficult task when you're driving. From there I was transferred to another number and asked to hold, and while I was waiting my call dropped off. Now I'm back to square one. I looped through the pattern twice before I gave up. 

I still don't have the information I wanted. They don't have the sale. 

Later I was at a block party in an upscale shopping center in Rogers. I visited one store three times, even tried on something, and was never greeted by the owner or staff. Never. Nothing. And, we might have purchased the item we tried on if the situation had been different.

So, who's minding the store?

It's not fair ratting them out without being constructive in return. Here are three points to consider in your business messaging.  

1.  Establish a experience protocol. What you do want your customers to experience when they contact you?  Remember, they've taken the initiative to respond to your stimuli (whatever that is), which you've spent good money to acquire. What's in it for them? Write out the story you want to tell, the experience you what them to have, then make sure every step in your protocol supports it. Test it. Refine it. What will be their final message about your company?

2. Create an immediate bond.  Let's face it, there are some basic dos and don'ts. A company that doesn't greet people who walk in the door simply won't be in business long. Even the sub makers at Firehouse Subs look up from what they're doing to welcome you when you walk in their door. Every one. Every time. Make no mistake, that's no accident. 

3. Find a way to reconnect. Invite people to return to your business at another time. Whether it's a business card, a sample, or news about an upcoming sale, extend an invitation to return. Invite them to join your email list, your loyalty program, your taste of the month club.

If you are on the phone you might ask for their name and number if you must put them on hold. One of my favorite examples comes from my phone carrier's support protocol. Not only do they establish an immediate bond -- an exhange of first names -- but they get my telephone number so they can call me back if (read: when) we get disconnected. And they tell me that's what they are doing. 

So much of business is common sense, and yet it's the uncommon we gravitate to. Remember to be good to your customers... or they are likely to become someone else's!

Networking with Sir Richard Branson

If you've been working on the business start up idea of the century, you could win a day with Sir Richard Branson on his Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. Or you could pay your own way with a cool $40K.  

Either way, you'll be rubbing elbows, knees and toes with a cross section of the world's top business visionaries in internet marketing, manufacturing, investments and trading, fitness and wellness products, software and consulting. And, let's not forget the opportunity to brainstorm with rebel billionaire Sir Richard Branson about your winning business idea.

All business? Of course not. It's a private island for heaven's sake. Plan on a little adventure, camaraderie and fundraising in between. MBA founder Yanik Silver says the event is not on corporate team building or motivational development. It's an all-inclusive adventure outing that encourages high-level networking and powerful connections that "can only occur outside normal business settings."

The competition is the work of Maverick Business Adventures and Joe Polish's Centurion MasterMind Group. Joe Polish is the founder of Piranha Marketing and creator of the Genius Network Interview series. The trip is just one of the 50 prizes being awarded for the most promising start-up businesses with high-growth potential in the competition they call, Startup Open.

The competition coincides with Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010 (GEW) Nov. 15-21 staged internationally by universities, colleges and entrepreneurship-focused organizations who are looking at ways of conducting business that can improve lives, build economies and expand human welfare.

The inaugural event of GEW was held in 2008. Last year, more than 7.5 million people took part in some 32,000 events across 88 countries. This year 10 million people in 102 countries are expected to participate.

 

Better hurry. Registration for Startup Open closes Oct. 31. http://www.startupopen.com/ for complete details.

Leadership in Northwest Arkansas

Bill Rancic in NWA at Biz Expo

This month we look at leadership in small business. We were inspired by Bill Rancic at the NWA Business Expo and Conference in August and saw how creativity, perseverance and leadership can take you far. As you may recall, Rancic was the first winner of Donald Trump’s TV show, “The Apprentice.”  Admittedly, his experience with Trump has opened doors, but Rancic’s penchant for business started early in life.

Like many entrepreneurs, Rancic hopes to share his experience and business mindset with the leaders of tomorrow. His book, “Beyond the Lemonade Stand” is one effort to coach youth about how to succeed in business – especially by being smart, fair, and helping those who need it.

Here in Northwest Arkansas, Champions for Kids endeavors to do the same. Be sure to read about their upcoming Leadership Conference and what CFK’s CEO learned at Harvard that applies right here at home.

What makes a good leader? Biz2Biz NWA’s September issue is full of ideas, comments and suggestions from your peers and colleagues in Northwest Arkansas.  We can all benefit from the aggregate of  this knowledge and experience as we lead our businesses and our community to greatness.

B2B Bingo by Janie Clark: Back to School Basics

B2B Bingo by Janie Clark: Back to School Basics: "Freshmen and their parents fill the BHS gym. I went back to High School this week. And let me admit to you here and now, it's been 40 year..."

Back to School Basics

Freshmen and their parents fill the BHS gym

.

I went back to High School this week. And let me admit to you here and now, it's been 40 years since I was a freshman. Things have changed. And then again, they haven't.

Bentonville High School, home of the kick-butt Tigers, has 3500-plus students to its name. This year there are 1100 freshman converging in from two junior highs. It's a Blue Ribbon school with a good reputation and good grades, and it was easy to see why. Administrators were organized, efficient, armed and ready. Mandatory orientation was held for freshmen only on this particular day, and students were encouraged to bring their parents. Brilliant. Just brilliant.

So here we are, the over 40 and the under 20 all bumping into each other in the hallway as we hunted down our classrooms. Teachers introduced themselves, shared their backgrounds and a smattering of family life, served students and their parents the course expectations and, of course, the caveats of day.

What's changed in 40 years? Everybody chews gum. Everybody has a cell phone or iPod (which can't be on). Lunch includes fresh fruit and other items one can actually recognize as food.

What hasn't changed? Lockers are impossible to open. Textbooks are heavy. Teenagers are self absorbed and unfocused. Algebra is still a foreign language.

The biggest change, of course, was my attitude. If only I had known back then, what I know now.

Putting the Marketing Cart Before the Quality Horse

With so much focus on marketing, could businesses be putting their hype before the horse?

I read an interesting story by Jack Neff in Advertising Age magazine, who talked about big corporate botch ups. The "Big Three Transgressors Against Public Trust " -- BP, Toyota and Johnson & Johnson -- aren't the only ones who have had problems this year.

Kellogg recalled 28 million boxes of cereal; P&G has recalled 8 different branded items since November; Unilever recalled Breyers, Country Crock and Slim-Fast; and McDonald's took back its Shrek glasses.

All that investment in marketing to build brand and brand loyalty goes the way of the garbage truck when companies put their marketing message monies ahead of quality control. Cutting costs can destroy brand equity.

Since Northwest Arkansas is tied to the Walmart ship, this is news relevant to all of us. I can imagine what madness our colleagues at Walmart face when recalls of this caliber occur.

But, since I'm a small business champion, it strikes me that the message for our ears is about quality on a much more subtle level. Instead of recalling products, we're faced with recalling customers and clients. We all know the numbers -- acquiring new customers takes five to ten times more effort than keeping the ones you have. Are we following the math?

What do you do to make sure the quality control in your business is up to par? What is it that your business does to build brand equity in your neighborhood marketplace?

Top notch customer centric service?  Well trained, happy employees? Clean, up to date environments?

There's a lot to think about. As you look to grow your business and market share -- even if it is a small business -- it's worth putting your dollars on that horse called "Quality" to win.

Taking advice from Keith Hicks

As a solopreneur I'm always busy. I never finish all the job tasks on my plate for the day. Okay, I admit it, I rarely finish them all, ever. Something always gets shoved to the back burner to simmer until it evaporates or boils over.  There's some comfort that I am not alone in this.

Finding more time in my work week was a topic that caught my eye when the article came across my editor desk for the August issue of Biz2Biz NWA Digest.  The author was Keith Hicks, a local business coach, who writes an article each month on various business development topics.

This month's really hit home with me. Time. Finding more time. I don't want to spend more time. I don't want to hurry through my tasks. I don't want to skip or short circuit the time it takes to do a job right. So what is this concept of finding more time?

You'll have to read the article to get out of it what you will, but the tidbit that set my brain stirring was this concept of delegating.

I've always thought I was pretty good at delegating when I have someone to delegate to. I don't micro-manage, or restrict how someone comes to the desired end result. But when I read Keith's article I had one helluva ah ha! moment.

"Recognize everyone is not you," Keith Hicks wrote. "Don't get caught up in the 'only I can do this right' trap. If an employee can do it 80 percent as well as you, let that be sufficient. Let them do the work you hired them to do."

It dawned on me then that this is how companies of one become small businesses that grow into larger businesses. It dawned on me that this is the difference between being a person who works for herself and a business owner leading a product (or service) up the ladder of  success and profitability.

You may be laughing at me this very moment. Well, duh, you say. But if we're all taking a spoon of truth syrup, the reason we go into business for ourselves is so we can control our environment. So we can do it the way we want to. Because we believe only "I" can do it right.

And that's the trap. It takes a village.

Thanks, Keith.

You look good in a hat

I ran across a blog site today where the gentleman was celebrating his new business. He was so excited about branching out on his own; full of vigor and vision. He had gathered all the periphery associated with starting out on his own. He posted a clever little series of pictures of his new office (a corner with a crummy old desk), his new commute (from kitchen to living room), his new coffee maker (the Starbucks around the corner) and new dress code (which didn't include pajamas).

I felt his enthusiasm. I felt his glee. I felt like hiding the key to the closet that houses all the hats he will now need to wear. 

As a solopreneur, he will soon enough encounter the myriad of roles he will have to play to make his business succeed.  Like an actor on stage who must perform all the roles, including directing the stage and the orchestra, he will do well in some and suffer through others.  It is a quick costume change, from one hat to another, but it requires full compliance, none the less.

CEO, CFO, COO, CSO, HR, Marketing Director, Sales Director, Chief Engineer, Lawyer, Accountant, Bookeepper, IT, Clerk, Receptionist, Event Planner, Networker, Proofreader, Customer Service Rep, Buyer, PR Pro, Education and Training Coordinator, and Janitor ... all in one seamless segue!

"A hat is a flag, a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothes and wearing a costume; it's the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it's the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat." Martha Sliter

Summer Time is Fun Time Even for Business

I can remember counting down the days until school let out and summer began. The excitement grew every day we marked another day off the calendar with a big bold X. I was a Florida girl then.  Summer meant long days at the beach, swimming in every pool in the neighborhood like musical chairs, and movies every Saturday in the cool, dark of the downtown theatre. It was there I met the likes of Cornelius, ZIra, Dr. Zaius and the others from the Planet of the Apes.

I was raised on the tourism teat, nurtured by the master marketer, Walt Disney World. I watched Orlando burst from a cow-town of 100,000 to one of the top visited destinations in the world. I’m glad I live in Arkansas.

This year the U.S. Travel Association’s International Pow Wow was held in my old stomping grounds, Orlando, Florida. The event gathers travel pundits and travel journalists in a trade-show conference that’s considered the largest generator of “Visit USA” travel. The event drew close to 5,000 travel buyers from more than 70 countries.

Arkansas’ tribe was represented at the Pow Wow by Arkansas Parks and Tourism. One goal, of course, was to catch the eye and cast it toward The Natural State. According to the U.S. Travel Association, the business of tourism puts about $5.7 Billion in Arkansas’ pockets every year, creating nearly 63,000 jobs with a $1.1 billion payroll.  (Florida generates $70.5 billion!)

Suffice it to say, tourism is big business. But all I really want to do is count down the days to summer vacation.  In this month’s issue of Biz2Biz we premier our “Downtime Destinations” travel section.

Our launch explores the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, one of the top “must-see” destinations, and a truly one-of-a-kind wonder of the world.

Every quarter, we plan to give you an inside, up close look at a vacation destination, in the hopes of encouraging you to use all your vacation days.

Studies show that we are all better for the downtime we take from work. That includes small business owners who think time off is impossible. Studies show that vacations are just downright good for us. We return to work feeling more productive, rested and rejuvenated, closer to our families and filled with life-long memories.

It’s summer, kids. Get out and go! 

Janie Clark, Publisher, Biz2Biz NWA Digest

Better stock up on 1099s

A business peer read our articles on Health Care Reform in the May Biz2Biz and was prompted to share news she'd uncovered. What she shared blew me away. Here's the 411:

Hidden in the HCR Bill is a teeny weeny section that says that beginning in 2012 all companies will be required to issue 1099 tax forms to any individual or corporation from which they buy more than $600 in goods or services in a tax year.

So let's put this is perspective.  You buy an iMac from the Apple store for $1,000. Now you have to send Apple a 1099. Buy $650 worth of paper towels from a B2B distributor? You'll send them a 1099, too. Shop at Office Depot for your office supplies? You'll have to send them a 1099.  Spend more than $600 on your merchant services? Yep, put them on your list, too. All those B2B luncheons you attend, you'll be sending both the Chamber and the hotel 1099s.

The story was reported in CNNMoney.com and went on to say that one of the reasons this tax code revision landed in the HCR was government's way of recapturing unreported income -- and maybe that will offset the cost of the health bill.

We reported in the Money Issue of Biz2Biz in February about the IRS looking at "tax gaps." The Feds believe there is $345 billion in unreported income going untaxed.  They also surmise that if small business is going to get health care tax cuts, we're going to have to make it up for it somewhere else.

There are so many ways to peel this peach I don't know where to begin.  Aside from the sheer nightmare of adding reams of paperwork we, as small business owners, don't need this tops my list of the most ridiculous things people think of.  There's a TV show on True TV that this would fit right into-- "America's most stupid rules."

Is government securing its own destiny by giving itself more work? Will it cost more to administrate this code than they will gain in tax revenue? Is government in the throes of a black hole, about to collapse upon itself and suck everything with it?

OMG! What do we do about this?

Read the full article at CNN Money.

Health Care Reform and Small Business

Raise your hand if you have health insurance. Raise your other hand if your employer provides part of it. 

If your hands are still at your sides you are a member of some 45 million Americans without health insurance. Of those without insurance, an estimated 63 percent are either self-employed or work for a small business, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

If your hands are still in the air you are probably one of 177 million people who have employer-provided insurance.  However, as President Obama said, “all it takes is one stroke of bad luck – an accident or an illness, a divorce, a lost job – to become one of the nearly 46 million uninsured.”

It’s not all about budgeting. An estimated 17-plus million uninsured are making more than $75,000 a year, and are part of the fastest growing segment of the uninsured population.

In this issue we look at the health in the workplace. Many say the theory behind the healthcare reform is a move to national health care, which we wouldn’t be pioneering. England is trying to get out from under theirs.  Canada has states getting out from under theirs. Meanwhile Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Australia are thrilled with their health care systems comparable to the level of care in the U.S. at half the cost.

Will the health care reform bill help or hurt small businesses? Some say it will help. Others say not. Some say we need a national health care system. Some say we don’t need another inefficient government-run program.

Time will tell. In the meantime, stay tight with your insurance provider and eat at least one apple a day.

What kind of a shopper are you anyway?

Money. It’s on the minds of many of us. In business everything we do impacts our bottom line in some way. And so does our personal relationship with money, finances and budgets. What kind of relationship do you have with money? Brent Kessel, author of It’s Not About the Money and co-founder of Abacus, a sustainable investing and financial planning firm, says there are eight broad categories we fall into:

1. The Guardian is always alert and careful.
2. The Pleasure Seeker prioritizes pleasure and enjoyment in the here and now.
3. The Idealist places the greatest value on creativity, compassion, social justice or spiritual growth.
4. The Saver seeks security and abundance by accumulating more financial assets.
5. The Star spends, invests or gives away money to be recognized, feel hip or classy and increase self-esteem.
6. The Innocent avoids paying significant attention to money, believing (or hoping) that life will work out for the best.
7. The Caretaker gives and lends money to express compassion and generosity.
8. The Empire Builder thrives on power and innovation to create something of enduring value.
What type are you? We found two quizzes to help you rate your dollar sense and sensibilities. http://bit.ly/MoneyQuiz1 and http://bit.ly/MoneyQuiz2

Adding the Green Hat in Small Business

As a small business owner I wear a lot of hats. You, too, I suspect. So now along with our role as CEO, CFO, and COO – I say we need to add one more. That’s CSO – Chief Sustainability Officer.

CSO is a relatively new role for the business world and brand spanking new for small business. So new, in fact, that industry is struggling to define a job description and who would be best suited to fill it.

It’s been my opinion that the way to a greener, cleaner planet is through the consumer and her wallet. And for once I don’t think I’m standing alone. Evidence in every sector shows advances in energy-efficiency and sustainable practices. Big business is looking at sustainability initiatives to squeeze in more profit, and small business needs them to survive.

The World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainability back in 1987 as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  As you consider how to add CSO to your rack-stand of bowlers and ball caps, here are six steps to help get you started.

• Take a leadership role in sustainability and inspire your team to dial in on the job. Ask yourself to lead with higher standards.

• Find ways to tie in sustainability issues that already exist in your company. Look for ways to accelerate your own green innovations.

• Find the most supportive employees, customers and business allies, and engage them first. Encourage smart new policies that reward sustainability performance.

• Gather your team to brainstorm and create your company’s sustainability and business social responsibility policies. These can be tremendous assets in attracting new employees and customers.

• Create open-door policies that engage conversation and encourage transparency.

• Take advantage of partnerships. Look outside your company for experts, organizations and academics who can give you a fresh perspective and move your initiatives further, faster.

Biz2Biz NWA

The Sustainable Divide

I spent two days at the Walmart Sustainability Packaging Expo this week.  A client asked if I could help (wo)man his booth and so I did. I felt a bit like a fish out of water --  flopping around in a world I know nothing about:  Consumer packaging.  Little did I know there are thousands of companies that make something so another company can put something in it.

Yes, a fish on the flop. But, that doesn't mean I came away with a cold blank stare. I learned more about my role as a consumer than I thought I would. And I met some interesting folks doing fascinating things.

Here's my take on the event from my fish bowl.

I had no idea it took so many companies to put one item on the shelf in my home. That yogurt you're slurping down? The lid, the container, the printing on the container, the printing plate for that message,  the pull-back cover, the photo of your favorite fruit -- all shipped in to your favorite yogurt brand from another company that just makes that item. 

And we haven't yet mentioned the cow. 

They call it the supply chain. Wikipedia spells it out: "A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer."

How many companies are involved in getting product to your home? I've tried but lost count. Let's just say a bunch.


Here's my second takeaway:


There's a lot of sustainability going on behind the scenes.

Did you know your detergent bottle was probably recycled from your last one? Not directly, mind you, but all those bottles you've been putting to the curb are really coming full circle in post consumer waste recycling.

Did you know the Burt's Bee's "paper" soap wrapper was made from rock dust and marble chips?

Did you know there are paper cups and take out containers that can go in your garden compost bin? 

Did you know $40 billion is spent building cardboard boxes every year? And that all these items get shipped in and shipped out in one?


So, here's my final thought. Why aren't companies being more vocal in helping the consumer make better (read greener) choices? If I knew one milk jug had 15% less plastic than the other sitting beside it at the same price, you can bet I would choose it. If I knew McDonald's was buying compostable cups, wouldn't I be loving it a little more? If I knew a supply chain for a product was conscientiously sustainable wouldn't I want to be their friend on Facebook?

I hear Walmart's Sustainability Index will help us with our choices. In the meantime, get on your readers and peruse those labels, folks. The tiny print matters.



Read Biz2Biz NWA.

The Greening of Small Business

By Janie Pritchett-Clark

As a small business owner I wear a lot of hats. You, too, I suspect. So now along with our role as CEO, CFO, and COO – I say we need to add one more. That’s CSO – Chief Sustainability Officer.

CSO is a relatively new role for the business world and brand spanking new for small business. So new, in fact, the industry is struggling to define a job description and who would be best suited to fill it.

It’s been my opinion the way to a greener, cleaner planet is through the consumer and her wallet. Evidence in every sector shows advances in energy-efficiency and sustainable practices. Big business is looking at sustainability initiatives to squeeze in more profit. Small business needs it to survive.

The World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainability back in 1987 as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  As you consider how to add CSO to your hat rack of bowlers and ball caps, here are six steps to help get you started.

• Take a leadership role in sustainability and inspire your team to dial in on the job. Ask yourself to lead with higher standards.

• Find ways to tie in sustainability issues that already exist in your company. Look for ways to accelerate your own green innovations.

• Find the most supportive employees, customers, and business allies and engage them first. Encourage smart new policies that reward sustainability performance.

• Gather your team to brainstorm and create your company’s sustainability and business social responsibility policies. These can be tremendous assets in attracting new employees and customers.

• Create open-door policies that engage conversation and encourage transparency.

 • Take advantage of partnerships. Look outside your company for experts, organizations and academics who can give you a fresh perspective and move your initiatives further, faster.

Read the April Green Issue of Biz2Biz NWA!

Cycling for a Crisis

Some people watch the news and wring their hands. Some people watch the news and get involved. Keith Schuman, an investment banking analyst turned world traveler believes that getting involved is a must. 

With a riding partner he met in Lima, Peru, Pieter Schouwstra, the pair formed 4Legs4Haiti and are now in route on a 10,000 kilometer bicycle ride from Guayaquil, Ecuador to the Marina Green under the Golden Gate Bridge. Their goal is to raise money and awareness in every country, village and township they pass through, with 100% of the donations pledged going to Haiti. Their Web site (http:www.4Legs4Haiti.com) makes it easy via Pay-Pal to pledge your donations and keep up with their journey. 

Read the story in the GreenZine... 

Green is the new black

In this ADHD world of multi-tasking, multi-talking, multi-functional devices, it's encouraging when some ONE thing comes along to alter the way you see the world. That happened for me last May when I was involved in the birthing of the first NWA Green Expo with the 'green team' at the Bentonville Chamber.

Super hero Kyle Howell at Walmart and mother superior Nancy Desler at the Chamber moved mountains to make it happen. And I was happy tagging along with a keyboard -- as their scribe and official publication.

I learned more in that experience about the possibilities, the necessities, and the innovations of sustainable progress than I could have imagined. And I've been chomping at the bit since then to launch a green magazine for NWA.

This year Biz2Biz is again a proud sponsor of the Expo and we have something absolutely too cool for words up our sleeve. We're working with Ozark Film and Video to bring you the Welcome Wall. Don't worry we'll spill the (green) beans later.

The official publication for the Green Expo is now NWA GreenZine, an e-zine devoted to all things green and sustainable in Northwest Arkansas. Yes, yes, we are excited, proud, and deliberate. And we're doing it (also) for you. All we ask is that you read it, share it, advertise in it, and tell us what green-news is important to you.

We're on on this planet together. Let's leave it in better shape than we found it.

Taking it to the streets

Nearly every day I hear from a small business owner struggling with the concept of using social media to market their business. The questions come tumbling: how, when, why, what for?  Inevitably, they feel shy, silly, even stupid as they poke around in the social media "nonsense."

I've been in the advertising industry for nearly three decades, and I admit, I had the same confusion. My Aha! moment came when I realized that social media has changed the very concept of how we reach our customers and how we engage them.

Let me digress. Traditional advertising is an interruption media. "And now, a word from our sponsors..." It claims that, while we have you as a captive audience listening/watching/reading what you enjoy, we're going to interject something we think you also will enjoy buying/ordering/using. The concept worked for a long time.

Aha! Social media is an engagement media. It says: I'm doing this and if you are interested, why don't you join me and we'll experience it together, or at least,  you can tell me about it and I will listen.

I just read an article quoting Don Shultz, a professor of integrated marketing communications at Northwestern. His studies show that only 4-5 percent of our customers make up the bulk of our sales and profits. The other 95% actually cost us. With that kind of margin, why wouldn't you touch this elite group singularly and specifically or "pick them up in a car and deliver them to your door" as Schultz suggests.

I suggest that part of our confusion is trying to stuff the big round peg of social media into the square of traditional media. It won't fit. Shultz suggests we need an overhaul in our thinking. Instead of delivering a message via media to your segment, find the customers and engage them there. (Four rules for media planning coming in the Feburary issue of Biz2Biz) 

Clear as mud?  Here are five ways Biz2Biz will be using social media in 2010.

1. To listen to our peers and community. By staying tuned in to the social media network we can hear what's on their minds. What/who are they talking about? What are their concerns? What are their interests? Where do they spend their time? With our listening ears on, we'll be able to deliver even more relevant content.

2. To introduce our stories and tips to those involved in the business community in Northwest Arkansas. Biz2Biz covers many different topics of business. Not all of them interest everyone the same. If you are interested in the topic, we're just a click away.

3. To find the movers and shakers and shine the spotlight on them. Our business community is full of professionals whose futures are so bright they gotta wear shades. Biz2Biz will spotlight every day small business owners who make up the backbone of Northwest Arkansas.

4. To introduce business professionals to other companies who have a wealth of product and industry information to share. Education is the key to good purchase decisions. With blogs, forums and email we can ask, answer and connect.

5. To expand the role of local entrepreneurship. Google for anything and you'll get a link. It may be for someone on the other side of the world, but it's unlikely it will be someone around the corner.  If 90% of all commerce is local,  90% of our contacts should be, too. That is afterall, where we find our best customers.