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The Goal Line
One of the biggest issues we see when we deal with a client is that they often are overwhelmed by all of the outside distractions that naturally go with running a small business. Many of these owners are driven, talented people who love what they do and turned that passion into a business. But they quickly find out that running a small business means less time doing what they love and more time handling paperwork, staffing, finances and the myriad of other issues that need to be dealt with on a daily basis. Soon they find themselves trying to catch up on the paperwork and spending less and less time focusing on the work that will actually drive revenue and help their business grow.
Perhaps the biggest trap new small business owners fall into is the idea that they have to do everything by themselves. It’s not that they don’t trust their employees or others, it’s just that they tend to have a hands-on approach and feel a need to be involved in every aspect of their business. This isn’t a bad thing, a good owner SHOULD be involved as much as possible, but, as we’ve shown in this blog before, an owners time is valuable and if it’s spent on details that don’t generate revenue, then the owners’ time is being wasted.
Have a Plan:
One of the easiest ways to limit time wasting is to set goals. Of course, most small business owners have goals, but we’re talking about setting realistic, long term and short term goals that are specific to generating sales, leads and profit. Setting a goal is more than just saying, “This month we need to increase sales by 50%”. That sounds great, but without specifics, those are just words. In order to make goals achievable, small business owners need to also lay out specifics on HOW those goals will be reached. In other words, don’t just say you’ll increase sales, tell your team HOW they can increase sales, and then jump in alongside them to help execute the plan.
Here’s a quick look at effective goal-setting and how it can help your business grow:
1. Make your goals realistic
2. Have both long and short-term goals
3. Be specific as to HOW you and your team can reach the established goals
4. Work with the team/employees to understand the goals, the processes needed to reach the goals and get feedback
5. Work just as hard as the rest of the team to help the business achieve the established goals.
Setting goals and creating a plan as to how to reach those goals does a few things for the small business owner. First, it helps with buy-in as the employees now have a clear understanding of how to go about reaching the goals. Second, it gives the owner a sense of direction that may have been lost amid the pile of paperwork. That sense of direction can also revive the joy the business owner felt when they first started their business. Suddenly it’s not just a blur of tax records, financial reports and paperwork, it’s about their passion again.
It’s also important to keep in mind that the successful business owner doesn’t just set goals for his employees and then walks away. The successful business owner sets goals for the entire company and rolls up his or her sleeves and pitches in to help reach the established goals. The successful business owner also listens to his or her employees, works with them closely, rewards them when they perform well and is transparent when it comes to business issues. The more the employees fell as if they are part of the growth of the company and the goals that have been set, the more they will work towards the success of the business.
Finding the Time:
Obviously, this means the small business owner needs time. They need time to work on the revenue generating processes. They need time to talk with the employees and customers to get feedback on the business. They need time to set the goals, figure out a plan and direction and then do the work required to meet those goals. But if the business owner is swamped with paperwork every day, they won’t have the time they need to do all of that.
This is where delegation comes in. Delegating some of the processes to the employees is a good start, but other items such as finances and taxes need to be handled by professionals familiar with accounting and finances. Grow, LLC can help a small business owner by stepping in and handling much of the back-office paperwork that takes up so much of the owner’s time. Once that pile of work is taken off the owner’s plate, they are suddenly free to actually focus on the things that really matter to the success of a small business.
Goals work. Goals are effective. Goals are good. But goals only work when the business owner is involved and focused and not distracted by everything else that goes with running a business. Let Grow, LLC help you remove those distractions and help you create goals that will help your business be successful. We’re here to help YOU…and that’s OUR #1 goal!
‘Tis the Season…
It’s that time of year again. The time of year when smiles often turn to frown, when the midnight oil burns a bit longer, when greetings of good tidings and joy don’t roll as easily off the lips. In other words, it’s pretty much the exact opposite of Christmas. It’s “Tax Season” and for many small business owners, that can only mean anxiety, sleepless nights and countless headaches.
Let’s be honest for a moment here. As we reach the end of February, many small businesses have already completed at least a portion of their taxes knowing that W2′s for employees have to be mailed out by the end of January. This aspect of tax season alone is enough to send some small business owners over the edge. Depending on the number of employees, sending out Tax documents, can eat up a significant amount of time.
We haven’t even discussed the issue of filing the taxes for the business, which can also take hours upon hours depending on the number of deductions. Searching for receipts, making sure your books are balanced and meticulously entering all of the information with accompanying documentation isn’t something you just do one evening over a bowl of soup while watching “American Idol”. It takes time, a lot of time, to do it right and avoid any potential audits.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be this way. You could spend the tax season focusing on those aspects of your business that will actually improve your bottom line instead of buried up to your neck in paperwork. Certainly, many small businesses already have a tax consultant or accountant on hand this time of year to help with the process, but what about the rest of the year? If you’re like most small business owners, you start the year paying close attention to your books and receipts and working the system you have in place. But as the year goes on and business picks up, things tend to fall through the cracks. This means time spent searching for receipts and other documents you need this time of year. And if those receipts or documents can’t be found, you might miss out on potential deductions that could save your business money.
Now consider if you outsourced your book-keeping and financial department. Not only would you not have to worry about missing receipts or balanced books at the end of the year, your deductions would be complete. Think of it as one of those signs you pass by on the road for apartment complexes; only this time the sign would say, “If you outsourced your book-keeping, your taxes would be done by now.”
Now consider the savings to your bottom line. As we’ve mentioned before, your time as the owner of the small business is very valuable. And paying one or two individuals to devote their time to keeping your books, filing your paperwork and doing your taxes can be very expensive, even if these individuals are only working part time. Let’s face it, the business of running a business is often a full time job. Most small business owners attempt to handle that business on a part time basis, splitting their time between the revenue-generating tasks, and the operations tasks. Hiring a full time person to handle the bookkeeping and other financial tasks could run you $2,000 to $3,000 a month, minimum. However, a company like Grow, LLC can handle these tasks for less than half of that. Plus, with Grow, LLC, you don’t have to deal with sick days, vacations or time lost to other unforseen factors. You get an individual representative who will work with your company, help you establish systems to help your business run smoothly and when you have a question or problem, you get to speak to an actual human being, not a computer.
And in the end, you save money. Instead of paying for a full time employee, you get a full team at half or one-third the cost. Of course this isn’t even mentioning the peace of mind during tax season, the full schedule of deductions on your tax returns, plus the time you’ll spend on helping your business grow, rather than worrying about paperwork, tax documents, receipts or other paperwork.
Just something to think about.
Some Tips:
Of course, Grow, LLC is here for you, the small business owner. So as always we are here with some tips to help you get through this most difficult and frustrating of seasons. Hopefully this will help make your tax filing more of a pleasure than a pain:
1. Get organized!
Getting home office deductions organized is also important around this time of year. Home office space that’s used strictly for business (no personal use allowed) can allow entrepreneurs to deduct rent, utilities, improvements to the home, and more for this designated area – but there are strict requirements. It’s important to know the exact square footage of the space used as a home office, as well as the total square footage of a home. A tax official can help determine the tax deductible amount of expenses based on these facts. For more information on what can and can’t be deducted, use the Home Office Deduction Tool.
2. Make sure you’re filling out the right forms.
3. Stay Updated.
4. Increase contributions when possible.
5. Use a pro.
The Secret of Customer Service
We’ve all had moments dealing with businesses, large or small, when we have a horrible customer service experience. Sometimes its something as simple as poor service at a restaurant, other times it can become a battle of wills between you and a manager or employee in a struggle to determine who is right. And yet, customer service, GOOD customer service is one of those few business pillars that not only is easy to define, but is the foundation on which your business is built. The problem is that this is also one area where the old idion, “you can’t please all the people all the time” really is true.
THIS is what you always want to see!
As small business owners you know there are times when you have done your best to help a customer or solve a problem and simply ran into roadblocks or someone simply being angry to be angry. These instances can’t be helped. No matter what you do, no matter how careful you are, there will always be some individuals who won’t be happy with your service. This is NOT a blog post about those times.
Instead, this is about providing good customer service at all times and pleasing the majority of your customers with time, determination and desire. Determination and desire is a given when it comes to providing quality customer service. As a small business owner you have to really want to make sure your customers receive the best service possible. You also have to be willing to bend over backwards sometimes to ensure their satisfaction. But when it comes to time, small business owners often fall short, focusing instead on all of the other aspects of their business rather than the needs of the customer.
This.Is.Vital!
As we’ve discussed in this forum before, small business owner really have two areas of work; revenue-generating and NON-revenue-generating. Spending time on paperwork, scheduling, taxes, finances, book-keeping and all the other administrative tasks is non-revenue-generating work. Customer service, THAT is a revenue-generating activity.
One of the biggest customer service complaints heard by most small business owners isn’t about lack of product quality or even rude behavior. It’s about a lack of communication. In many cases complaints and concerns can be quelled with a simple phone call or email. When concerns aren’t addressed, a small thing can quickly turn into a major problem and cause rifts between the business owner and customer.
The problem arises when a small business owner is so overworked or overwhelmed by the various tasks he or she is doing, that the simple phone call or email is either dismissed, put off until later or forgotten completely. Sometimes these can simple mistakes, but even simple mistakes have solutions and the first step to providing quality customer service is to make time to deal with any and all problems or complaints.
This means spending less time than you might normally spend on your administrative tasks. Once again, the small business owner is faced with a decision between handling the important tasks of running a business or focusing on tasks that can actually help your company grow. Both are important. Both matter. Both are necessary to keep your business afloat. But there is one major difference. You.
Personal Service:
Think about those times when you’ve had poor customer service. Each time it’s likely that you ended up dealing with a manager or, in special cases, the business owner. Now remember how satisfying it was to be able to relay your complaint or concerns to the person at the top. Chances are, your complaint was handled and you left feeling as if you’d been heard by someone who matters. You weren’t just yelling into the darkness. And chances are, after that experience, you were more likely to go back to that business BECAUSE of the treatment and attention you were given by the business owner.
What if that business owner had felt his book-keeping was more important than your complaint? Would you have left feeling the same way? Even if the result was the same, there is something very positive about dealing with a business owner directly. It shows they care, it shows they are willing to take the time and do what it takes to ensure the happiness of their customers. When you take the time, even if it’s just five minutes, to personally respond to a complaint, it makes a difference. You can’t do that if you are fully engulfed with the day to day tasks of shuffling paperwork or dealing with finances.
This is another area where delegating your administrative tasks can produce truly positive results. One of the many areas where Grow, LLC has been so successful is allowing small business owners the time to focus on those areas that will ultimately help their business grow and flourish. Our clients no longer have to be distracted by the little details that keep them from doing what they do best. Because Grow, LLC steps in and handles the administrative tasks, our clients have more time to spend on dealing with customers and making sure they are happy and well taken care of.
Instead of sitting behind a desk, frustratedly pouring over numbers and schedules, our clients have time to spend on returning phone calls and emails, and spending actual face time with customers. These activities have helped our clients grow not only in revenue, but in reputation as well. And as important as money is, nothing is more important than a business’ reputation, for it’s that reputation that will carry a company further than any product or service ever could. Reputation helps define a business image and brand, influences potential customers, retains current customers and adds weight to the all-important word-of-mouth that so many small business depend on to survive. It’s that important, and it’s why small business owners NEED that time to devote to the revenue-generating tasks of their company.
Five Tips:
As always, we at Grow, LLC have some tips for all small business when it comes to providing quality customer service. We’ve already listed determination and desire, and of course the importance of devoting time to this issue. But here are five more tips you can use to make sure your customers always leave with a smile on their face.
1. Never take it personal – This can also be rephrased as “always be courteous”. When dealing with angry customers, it’s easy to get defensive and take their comments or complaints personally. The customer is attacking your business, something you built from the ground up. It can often feel as if they are attacking you. Remember the customer is frustrated and most likely just venting. Let them vent, then calmly respond and let them know you understand and that you will personally take care of the problem. Getting angry yourself will only escalate a bad situation.
2. Be honest – This may seem like a no-brainer, but never lie to a customer.
3. Don’t make promises you can’t keep – You’re the business owner. Don’t tell the customer you will do something if you can’t, or won’t, do it. If you say you’ll replace their broken piece, or that you can provide a service, then do it. Otherwise, you’re starting off on the wrong foot to begin with.
4. Listen – Don’t just hear the words and nod your head, really LISTEN to what the customer needs. Good customer service doesn’t begin when there’s a complaint, it starts from day one and hopefully alleviates any future complaints. If you listen to what your client or customer needs to begin with, you’ll understand how best to take care of them. A family lawyer would never take on a criminal case, a realtor wouldn’t sell a mansion to someone just looking for a two-bedroom ranch. You can avoid major issues, problems and complaints down the road if you simply listen to your customer’s needs from the get-go.
5. Communicate – In nearly every instance of poor customer service, miscommunication is at its heart. It doesn’t matter if it’s a missed phone call, bad wording on a flier, or a misspoken phrase, poor communication almost always leads to poor customer service. Communicate clearly what you promise to do for your customers in the beginning so there is no misunderstanding later. Follow up on promises made and on phone calls and emails. If you have a staff, make sure you communicate to them, clearly, what your goals and rules are. If they misunderstand, they will pass that along to the customer and then you have an issue to deal with.
Communication is so very important to good customer service it can’t be overstated. From the minute you say hello to the customer to the minute you say goodbye, you have to communicate clearly and with good-intention every step of the way. While all five of these tips are basic common sense, many small business owners don’t think about customer service until there is a problem. Good customer service is ongoing and if done correctly, you will have fewer complaints to deal with. The trick is, taking the time to devote to good customer service at all times.
Something you can’t do if you’re stuck behind your desk dealing with paperwork.
When Websites Attack!
Recently, Grow, LLC was the victim of a malicious attack. It didn’t involve a takeover attempt, a nasty letter to the editor or a break-in. But something was stolen from us nonetheless. Our time was taken from us. Time that could have been spent promoting the business and generating leads was instead spent trying to fix the serious nature of an attack on our website. We weren’t the only ones targeted, we just happened to get caught up in a massive hack that infected thousands of websites.
This is something you NEVER want to see on your site!
We tell you this not to elicit sympathy, but to illustrate a point. Your website is one of the most important tools your small business has when it comes to promotion and getting your information out to the public. But your website is vulnerable. No matter how secure you think your passwords are, no matter how many precautions you take, chances are that at some point, your site will be hacked. Again, this isn’t meant to scare anyone, it’s meant to help you prepare for that day when you log onto your site and you find that Google has issued a warning about your website.
What To Do:
Chances are, you’re not a webmaster. You probably don’t even play one on TV. Just the mere mention of HTML code and SQL Links is enough to make most small business owners go pale in the face and curl up into a fetal position. Most servers and host sites such has GoDaddy or Register.com provide easy templates and click-and-drag processes for creating easy to read and navigate websites. They’ve made website design accessible to even the most novice small business owner. But hidden behind the curtain of plug-n-play design is a ton of code that impacts your website and when it comes time to fix any problems that arise, it’s that code you’re going to have to dive into.
Fortunately, most host sites also provide technical support to help you wind your way through the miles of HTML required to delete any malware that may have been added to your pages. The problem is, even with the quality help of a tech support desk, the time required to go through the code, isolate the problem and get rid of it can be excessive. Let’s take a look at how much time you’ll likely spend on fixing an attack on your websie.
If you catch the problem before Google slaps a warning label on your page, you’re already ahead of the game. In this case, you may only lose a day trying to fix the problem. Assuming you have a virus scanner on your site that warns you of any problems, you can get into the code before Google takes action. The first thing you’ll need to do is contact your host server, let them know what the problem is and then walk through the HTML with the tech-support person. In our case, this took two separate phone calls and hours of time on the phone attempting to find the issues and delete them. Generally, there are a couple of solutions to these website issues, the trick is finding the one that fully eliminates the problem.
Once you’ve gone through the code and believe you have deleted the malware, you’ll then need to go through your website and change your passwords, all of them, to make them more secure. This may sound easy, but there are passwords within your website that will need to be changed, and you’ll likely need the desk help to find them.
Estimate 3-6 hours at a minimum to solve any kind of malware hack to your site if you catch it before Google does. If (which is usually the case) you don’t catch it before Google and they slap a warning on your site, you can estimate at least 48 hours before your site will be active again. You first need to go through the steps to clean up your site and remove the offending code. Once that is done, you’ll then need to go into Google’s Webmster Tools site, verify your site and then send a request into Google to have them review your site. Once the site has been verified and a request has been sent, it’s out of your hands. You’re at the mercy of Google to scan your site. In a best case scenario, it takes 24 hours. Typically, it takes longer. And until that warning is removed, your site is essentially dead in the water. In other words, your site could inaccessible for a week and there’s nothing you can do about it. This is taking away opportunities to reach new customers, communicate with current customers and enhance your online presence. This isn’t even mentioning the hit your reputation will take as people believe your site is infected.
The Impact:
As a small business owner you have to ask yourself if you have the time to spend 3 hours, 6 hours or more to deal with a website problem. Not only would you be losing the time your website is inactive, but you’ll be spending your time on an issue that, albeit is important, is pulling you away from tasks such as working with customers or generating sales. We’re not saying you aren’t able to solve your website problems, just that the time you’ll take doing it will be time you could better spend growing your business.
Even if you do take the hours it takes to go through your code, fix the problem, verify your site through Google Webmaster tools, make a request for a new Google scan, there’s no guarantee you won’t fall victim to another attack. That could mean more hours spent fixing future problems. Plus there’s always the chance that you missed some of the offending code, meaning Google wouldn’t remove the warning tag right away. On top of all of that, we haven’t even mentioned the time you spend updating your site in order to provide value to your visitors.
Dealing with a website when it’s NOT hacked can take up time you could be spending on generating sales. When you add fixing problems on top of that necessary maintenance, you could end up devoting hours of valuable time to your site.
This is where a company like Grow, LLC can help. When it comes to your accounting, bookkeeping, website and other adminstrative aspects that help your business run smoothly, it just makes sense to outsource some of that work to an individual or group that not only has the expertise to help you get the job done right, but has the time to do it without interfering with your ability to generate sales. It’s not that you can’t do the job, but imagine how much more you can accomplish if you don’t have to worry about making sure your taxes are done right, your books are in order or your website is up and doing what it’s supposed to do? All those hours spent on administrative tasks can suddenly be spent on more productive aspects of your business, helping it grow the way you want it to.
Some Tips:
Of course, we wouldn’t be doing our job for you if we didn’t pass along a few tips to help you make sure your website is safe and secure from the kind of hack that impacted us. Here are a few things you can do (or have someone do for you) that should help you avoid major problems in the future:
1. Make sure your login passwords are secure – This may sound like a no-brainer, but most small business owners keep their passwords simple so they don’t forget them later. This is great, but it also means your site is vulnerable. Make your passwords complicated, write them down and save them in case you forget.
2. Remember the internal passwords – Your website has passwords that will give you access to internal HTML code and other important management pages. Make sure these passwords are also secure. Like login passwords, most host sites have a strength indicator to tell you whether or not your password is strong.
3. Avoid external links – Your website may seem fully self-contained with no links to other pages that you know of, but that doesn’t mean the links aren’t there. Whenever you insert a plug-in, a photo from another page, a link to a payment system, map or website, that’s a link that could be used by a hacker to enter your site. Keep these links to a minimum when possible.
4. Avoid too many plug-ins – As you build your site, you’ll be tempted by the many bells and whistles of the plug-ins available to your pages. Some of these may make your site more visually enticing, but they also can make your site more vulnerable. In the case of GoDaddy, many of their plug-ins are designed by third-party developers and could have bugs in them that may negatively impact your site. Try to limit your plug-in or widget use to those designed specifically by the host server.
5. Have a security scan – Most server sites offer security scans that run regularly to catch any issues before they become serious problems. These scans often warn you of potential problems so you can put in firewalls or code that will prevent anyone from exploiting these weaknesses. These fixes generally are easy and the host servers can walk you through the solutions.
Ultimately, your website is just as important to the success of your business as your accounting or customer service is. It’s how you reach out to customers and build an online presence which is so vital to every small business. But website only are effective when they’re working. Make sure you’re taking the time to keep your site clean of malware and updated for customer convenience. Just remember that it takes time to do it right, so whether you do it yourself, or work with a person or group to do it for you, it’s worth it to make sure your website is safe and secure. Trust us…been there, done that.
A Short Story
We at Grow, LLC like nothing better than a story with a happy ending. So, we thought we’d take a moment to tell you one of our own. Just click the video below to see how one small business owner refocused her efforts on her passion and on the all-important task of generating sales for her company.
The fact is, most small businesses fail not because the idea is bad or because the owner didn’t work hard. They fail because many small business owners become overwhelmed by the massive amount of work involved in running a small business that doesn’t involve sales. Let’s face it, sales is one of the most important aspects of a successful small business. But when your time is taken up by administrative issues and paperwork, you have less time to actually help your business grow.
Grow, LLC can help you manage all the tasks that don’t directly generate revenue for your business. Just give drop us a line and let us help your business grow. You can find us on Facebook here, on Twitter at @growllc and of course on our website, www.growllc.com. Or you can just call us at 303.407.8200. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
The Facts About SOPA
If you tried to use Wikipedia recently, you probably noticed there was something different with the site. The same goes for a number of other pages who voluntarily “blacked out” their pages in protest to legislation called the “Stop Online Piracy Act” or SOPA as it’s affectionately known around most parts.
Just so you know, this is not a post in favor or, or against, this controversial Act. It’s an opportunity to take a close look at what this Act could mean to small businesses and how it might impact online business moving forward.
Online commerce has been, is, and will continue to be a murky area for many small businesses and lawmakers alike. While small businesses continue to struggle at times with the internet, social media and online business in an effort to reach more customers and grow their sales, lawmakers are struggling to decipher the gray areas of the law as they pertain to the virutal world. As a result, many Bills have been proposed to try and curtial internet porn, deal with sales of certain items across state lines and handle the confusing tax laws that differ from state to state, even city to city. This isn’t even mentioning the concerted effort to promote transparency and truth online.
The fact is, though, most people who use the internet to conduct business aren’t even aware of some of the guidelines. For instance, if you write a blog that deals specifically with a business, you are required by law to state in that blog your affiliation with that business. For instance, if you write a personal blog that mentions the neighborhood restaurant and you’re paid by the restaurant to mention them, you have to tell your readers that you’re being paid to do so. The question is, if you don’t reveal that fact, what law enforcement agency is going to make you? Who handles the online lawbreakers in this gray area?
So once again, we have a piece of proposed legislation that may only add to confusion for small businesses. For those of you already familiar with SOPA probably have questions about how it may impact your small business online activity. For those who are just now hearing about SOPA, this is a chance to gain some insight on this Act that is turning into a major bruhaha.
What Is SOPA?
SOPA is officially titled the “Stop Online Piracy Act” and is labeled as House Bill 3261. It was proposed by Representative Lamar Smith from Texas in October, 2011. In the Bill, the purpose of SOPA is described as such:
“To promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by combating the theft of U.S. property, and for other purposes.”
Essentially, Smith says his Bill is designed to fight online trafficking of copyrighted intellectual property. The Bill would ban advertisers and advertising networks from conducting business with sites that are suspected of infringing on copyrighted materials. It would also bar search engines from linking to those sites, and require internet service providers to block access to those sites. The Bill would also criminalize the unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content.
On the surface, the Bill sounds reasonable and even necessary given the amount of copyright infringement that takes place every day. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a letter to the New York Times
“Rogue websites that steal America’s innovative and creative products attract more than 53-billion visits a year and threaten more than 19-million American jobs.”
Those are huge numbers and, indeed, nearly everyone involved in this argument agrees that something needs to be done about online piracy. But many who oppose SOPA fear that the language in the Bill is so vague that it opens up legitimate online businesses to fines and even criminal action.
Why Propose SOPA?
The biggest reason for proposing SOPA has to do with what are called, “Rogue Sites”. Most of the sites labeled as rogue are located outside the U.S., usually in a country that couldn’t care less about copyright infringement laws. The majority of these sites, according to the National Association of Attorney’s General, deal with Hollywood movies and music.
Again, the amount of money lost to copyright infringement is staggering. The impact of these financial losses trickle down to every level of the movie and music industries. However there are other business entities impacted by copyright violations. Anything that a company considers “intellectual property” would be covered under this Bill. Certain promotions and characters created by a company or organization to promote the business can be considered itellectual property. Flo, the caveman, the lizard, even our modern image of Santa Clause (created by Coke in 1931) could all be considered intellectual property. That means that if a small business tried to use a caveman or a lizard to promote their business, their site could be shut down for good.
Currently, under the “Safe Harbor” Act passed in 1998, if a company feels that a website is violating their copyright, they must ask the website to remove the offending material within a specific amount of time. Under SOPA, the hosting site would be responsible for detecting and removing any infringing material. If it doesn’t catch the material in time or chooses not to remove the material, a judge can simply order the site to be shut down.
Who Is Impacted Most by SOPA?
The biggest impact will be on user-generated sites such as YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo and Etsy. Because they are sites that allow anyone to post material, they would likely be the first sites to be shut down as some users post previously copyrighted material. Currently, the holder of the copyright has to find the materials and request that it be removed. Under SOPA, these sites could be shut down immediately if they don’t catch all the violating materials. Given that thousands upon thousands of videos, pictures and music are uploaded to these sites every day, that is almost an impossible task. For user-generated sites, they argue that an entire community should not be punished for the act of one or a few irresponsible individuals.
While the Bill is aimed at the aforementioned “rogue sites”, the fact is that the biggest impact, at least intially will be U.S. sites that either illegally or unknowingly post previously copyrighted material. In most of these cases, these will be small businesses that use previously created materials to help keep costs low in an effort to promote their business. This could mean using a song under a self-made promotional video, using a popular character in their online promotions, or using a copyrighted photo as part of their website or online promotions. Of course steps can be taken to get permission to use such materials, but many small businesses either don’t know how to get that permission, can’t afford the cost or simply choose to ignore the copyright.
For and Against:
Hollywood is one of the biggest supporters of SOPA, and for good reason. They lose millions every year due to copyright infringement. Lobbyists for companies that rely heavily on revenue generated from intellectual property copyrights claim that SOPA protects the market and corresponding industry jobs and revenue. However, the opposition to SOPA is also far-reaching. Another major supporter of SOPA is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The National Fraternal Order of Police, the AFL-CIO and the National Association of Firefighters are some of the more high-profile organizations among the 400 businesses and organizations that have sent letters in support of SOPA.
The biggest outcry against SOPA comes from much of the internet industry as well as a large percentage of internet users. That’s to be expected, but there is also opposition from those in power both in the U.S. and abroad. One of the biggest complaints is that SOPA willb e used to censor the internet.
Jerry Brito, of TIME’S Techland blog wrote:
“Imagine if the U.K. created a blacklist of American newspapers that its courts found violated celebrities’ privacy? Or what if France blocked American sites it believed contained hate speech?”
The European Parliament recently adopted a resolution stressing the “need to protect the intergrity of the global internet and freedom of communication by refraining from unilateral measures to revoke IP addresses or domain names.”
Even some U.S. lawmakers are opposed to SOPA. A letter signed by Representatives Zoe Lofgren and Anna Eshoo, both California Democrats predicts that SOPA will incite “an explosion of innovation-killing lawsuits and litigation.” Even Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul has come out against SOPA.
Those against SOPA claim the Bill is a violation of free speech rights. A recent New York Times Op-Ed piece called SOPA the “Great Firewall of America” in reference to the “Great China Firewall” that is used by the Chinese government to censore material and websites. Opponents claim the language of SOPA is too vague and could be used to censor websites, charging that SOPA could be used to blacklist YouTube, Wikipedia and WikiLeaks. Some law professors have even gone so far as to claim that SOPA is unconstitutional.
How Would SOPA Work?
SOPA would allow the U.S. Attorney General to seek a court order against targeted offshore websites. This court order would then be served to ISP’s in an effort to make the offending site disappear. If an offending site can’t get a service provider and can’t do business with other websites, it will essentially cease to exist. Here is the wording from the Bill itself:
“A service provider shall take technically feasible and reasonable measures designed to prevent access by its subscribers located within the United States to the foreign infringing site (or portion thereof) that is subject to the order…Such actions shall be taken as expeditiously as possible, but in any case within five days after being served with a copy of the order, or within such time as the court may order.”
What Next?
SOPA was most recently debated in the House Judiciary Committee in mid-December, 2011. It’s expected that the committee will approve the Bill when Congress returns in 2012. After that, it’s uncertain what will happen as it will need to be debated on the House Floor, who’s schedule is under the control of House Speaker John Boehner.
There could also be more House hearings on SOPA, particularly focusing on the security-related questions surrounding the Bill. Even if the House debates SOPA and it actually gets to a vote, it would still have to pass Senate scrutiny and then wait for Presidential approval. Given the number of free-speech questions, security-related issues and a similar Senate Bill called PIPA (Protect IP Act) it’s unlikely SOPA will be made law anytime soon. Even if it does gain approval and become law, it will probably look vastly different than it does now, with changes and amendments being made every step of the way.
What This Means For You:
As a small business owner you don’t have to worry too much about SOPA, at least not right now. Chances are, you don’t host a user-generated site. Most, if not all of the material on your site is yours and is posted by yourself or a trusted employee or contractor. If and when it becomes law, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure you don’t fall under the auspices of SOPA.
1. Make are aware of everything that is being posted to your site.
2. If you are posting pictures or video, use photos you took yourself, or make sure the photo is not previously copyrighted. The simple solution is, “if you don’t know, don’t go”. In other words, if you aren’t sure if material is previously copyrighted, don’t use it.
3. Take the time to do a little research online to see if your new promotional character is copyrighted or if any materials you’re using online is previously copyrighted. It takes only a few minutes to do a Google search to make sure.
4. Make sure you’re aware of what the final version of SOPA says. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, so if and when it becomes law, take a moment to review the wording to make sure you’re not in violation. Companies like Grow, LLC, can help, as well as a qualified copyright attorney.
Ultimately, SOPA will have little impact on most small businesses that take the time to ensure they are not violating any copyrights. SOPA is primarily focused on the “rogue sites” located outside the U.S. Yes, there may be some trickle down that small businesses need to be aware of, and there will probably be some unintended consequenes that will impact some small businesses. The fact is, SOPA is a long way off from becoming law and, as stated before, the final version will likely look vastly different from it’s current form. This is something to keep an eye on, to be certain. But as a small business, if you’re above board, honest and not knowingly violating copyrights, you simply don’t have anything to worry about.
Lessons Learned
Greetings fellow small business professionals! Hopefully you’ve taken the time to read our last post and consider the New Year’s resolutions we laid out for all small businesses to make in 2012. As with every new year, changes are made, things are added and goals are set. This blog is no different. Starting this week, we’ll be rolling out some new features to the blog that hopefully will help you as you move forward with your own small business.
Obviously, we’ll be adding to our “Grow Smart” pledge, plus we’ll be looking for more of your questions. Let your fellow small business owners know about this blog and encourage them to send us their questions. We’ll have one of our excellent staff members here at Grow, LLC answer your questions. It could be about taxes (you know that time is coming up, right?) bookeeping, personnel, staffing, insurance, anything that has to do with the administrative aspect of running a small business. We’ll quickly answer your question either here in this forum, or privately, if you don’t want your question made public. Simply email us at growllc@gmail.com and we’ll respond right away.
In the meantime, another new feature to this blog is one we call “Lessons Learned”. Once a month (maybe more if the opportunity arises), we’ll use an example from the business world to examine what that business did right or wrong. In other words, we can all learn from other people’s mistakes or successes. So, without further ado, let’s get to it!
Lessons Learned:
Or, “What small businesses can learn from ‘America’s Team’
We thought, since it’s NFL Playoff time, it would be appropriate to take a look at one of the most popular, and most polarizing teams in the league; the Dallas Cowboys. A quick disclaimer here, I am a Bronco fan, always have been, and I still cringe a bit when I think about Denver’s first Superbowl in 1977, a loss to the hated ‘Boys. But in this instance, I promise to be completely unbiased.
You might ask what the Dallas Cowboys has to do with a small business. What we’re examining here isn’t so much the size of the organization, but the business decisions made. Many of these decisions are the same decisions that small businesses make, only on a larger scale. There is a correlation that small business owners can learn from.
The Issue:
The Dallas Cowboys have an owner, Jerry Jones, who is intimately involved with nearly every aspect of how that organization runs. From the front office, to player-personnel decisions, nothing happens without Jones having significant input. Most NFL teams have owners who hire individuals to make major decisions on both football matters as well as certain business matters. Unlike other teams, the Cowboys do NOT have a recognized “football man” in the position of General Manager. Jones currently holds that title and said recently that he has no plans to relinquish that role with the Cowboys. Oh, and by the way, since he built the new Cowboys’ stadium, he’s also a landlord, so, that’s another item on his plate.
The Problem:
Outside of some initial and amazing success early in his tenure as owner of the Cowboys, Dallas has suffered through nearly 16 years of football frustration. Since winning their last Superbowl, the Cowboys have one two, playoff games (one came in 96, following their last Superbowl win). They are currently on a 15 year run of six playoff appearances and one playoff game win. Critics point to poor decisions by Jones regarding hiring coaches, player acquisition, and underachieving. There is no doubt that Jones runs that organization from top to bottom, but given some of the decisions he’s made in his role as Dallas General Manager, is that really such a good thing?
Analysis:
I’ve spent some time around NFL organizations during my stint in radio covering the Denver Broncos. I have a pretty good idea of all the different moving parts that are involved with an NFL franchise. It’s tough enough to be a head coach, managing players, schedules, a game plan, strategy, adjustments, injuries, trades, the draft and player personalities. This is why head coaches have assistants. You’ll never find a head coach who tries to handle everything by himself. They may have input into the game plan and they may even call plays from time to time, but ultimately, the head coach has so much to deal with during practice and on game day, that the best of coaches need help, and a lot of it.
Now let’s take a look at the general manager position. While the responsibilities of a GM may vary slightly from team to team, essentially the GM is in charge of the product on the field. The GM often has ultimate responsibility over players, coaches, scouts, trainers, and anyone else who impacts the product on the field. The GM consults closely with the head coach, and others to assemble a team that will, hopefully, compete for a Superbowl championship. Most teams do NOT give their GM power over financial and commercial (business) matters.
For decades, the Denver Broncos operated without a true GM. That all changed after the firing of Mike Shanahan, who held the role of head coach AND default GM. Other head coaches have had similar responsibilities, see Mike Holmgren in Seattle. While both coaches did win Superbowls, they did it with significant help from others in the front office. Both men faltered seriously when they tried to take on too much power and oversight.
In the case of the Cowboys, it’s not the coach that has too much power, it’s the team owner, Jones. It’s his team, and he has influence over every aspect of how that teams runs. There’s nothing wrong with that, unless success starts to falter or the results begin to fall well below expectations, which they have in Dallas in recent years.
What This Means To You:
As a small business owner, YOU are Jerry Jones. Let’s face it, you have a dream, you own a business, you make all of the major decisions involved with your business. While you’re not evaluating quarterbacks, receivers and linemen, you ARE evaluating talent that could help your business grow or stagnate. While you may not be deciding on which sponsor logo to feature on your uniforms, you ARE deciding on which vendors to use, how much to spend on advertising and which partnerships could possibly help your business over the long term.
As a small business owner, you wear many hats. You have staffing, financials, business decisions, advertising and marketing, PR, dealing with janitors, building maintenance, rent or mortgage issues, insurance issues as well as the pile of paperwork that comes with the every day details of running a small business. And we haven’t even gotten to the reason why you got into business in the first place. If you’re a chef, you want to cook, if you’re a lawyer, you want to practice law, if you own a bar, you want to entertain customers. What you DON’T want to do is spend all of your time dealing with the various issues that keep a business running.
If you’re the Jerry Jones type, that is exactly what you do. One minute you’re in your office doing your bookkeeping, the next you’re talking to your landlord about a leaky roof, and the next moment you’re putting out fires because a vendor messed up a delivery. But like Jerry Jones, it can become a bit too much for any one person to handle.
No one is saying that Jones, or you, for that matter, aren’t capable of dealing with all of these issues competently one at a time. The problem is, these issues never come up one at a time. Everything is happening simultaneously and you have to be on top of it at all times. The law of averages say that at some point, something is going to fall through the cracks. You’re only human, after all.
HIstory in the NFL has proven out that the more successful teams delegate responsibility. They bring in individuals uniquely skilled to handle a particular job, trust them to do the job well, and move forward as a team with a unified vision and goal. Right now, that is NOT how “America’s Team” operates. One man makes all the calls and, in recent history, that one man hasn’t been able to do the job well enough to reach the goal of a Superbowl win.
Think about your goals as a small business. Where do you want to be in six months, a year, five years, ten years? Now ask yourself is can you achieve these goals without any help. Chances are, if you’re being honest, the answer is no. Like Jerry Jones, you will likely have a better chance to reach your goals if you bring on qualified people to help you run the day to day operations of your business.
Take some time and really evaluate where your business is strong, and where it is weak. Then make the moves to support those areas that are suffering. We’ve all heard the cliches, “No man is an island,” “Mistakes Happen,” “It takes a village,” et. al. The point is that these are cliches because there is an element of truth to them. Success rarely comes to those who can’t work with others. Jerry Jones hasn’t quite learned that lesson. Have you?
This Year I promise to….
So it’s the new year. You survived family flying in from out of town. You managed to get past the holiday parties without gaining too much weight or embarrassing anyone. You had fun, reflected, you’re rested and ready to take on a whole new year. Like most Americans, you probably made a few New Year’s resolutions for yourself. Maybe it was to lose weight, or to spend more time with the family, stop smoking, go on that fantasy trip or take down your Christmas lights before June. Whatever your resolutions are, we at Grow, LLC wish you the best of luck in reaching those goals.
Personal resolutions are common and whether you keep them or break them on January 2nd, it’s always fun to set goals and challenges for yourself every year. But if you are a small business owner, those goals and challenges shouldn’t pertain only to you. Why not set some New Year’s resolutions for your business? Chances are, you already have short-term and long-term goals established for your business, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enter 2012 with a few resolutions to help you reach those specific goals.
These aren’t the kind of resolutions like, “I resolve that my business will make more money in 2012″. That’s more of a long term business goal. These are the kind of resolutions that will HELP you reach some of those pre-established goals. So with that said, here are five resolutions that every small business should make as they venture into 2012.
In 2012 I resolve to:
1. Use social media effectively – Gnash your teeth all you want, but social networking is here and it’s not going away. You probably already have a Facebook page, maybe you have a Twitter account, perhaps you’re blogging or signed up on LinkedIn. Most small businesses have all of these tools, but sadly, they aren’t using them effectively. You don’t have to be a social media whiz kid to use Facebook or Twitter successfully. It only takes a little time and some consistent messaging to see some results. Social media matters in the 21st Century, so even if it means hiring someone to handle your online sites, do it.
2. Build Media Relationships – As any small business owner will tell you, getting the local news stations to pay attention to you can be beyond difficult. The truth is, as newsrooms continue to cut back and lower budgets, it’s just going to get harder. That is, unless you begin to build relationships with reporters, editors and producers. Like social media, building media relationships takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. It involves more than just sending out press releases, it involves getting into newsrooms and meeting the folks who make day to day news decisions. Again, this is where you will want to consider hiring someone to help you gain access to your local news stations.
3. Delegate More – It’s pretty common for small business owners to focus on every little aspect of their business. After all, it’s their life, it’s their baby. But trying to do too much can be just as damaging as doing too little. You’re just one person, and you can’t do everything by yourself. At some point you have to realize you need help. Find or hire individuals you trust to help you handle some of the day to day operations of your business. You might find your stress level reduced and you could even keep that personal resolution of spending more time with your family.
4. Focus On What I Do Best – As we’ve discussed in this blog for a while now, you know your business better than anyone. You are at your best when you are doing what you love, whether that’s being a chef, designing website, practicing law or pressing shirts. Whatever it is you do as a small business owner, your chances of success improve when you spend more time doing what you’re good at. Unfortunately, business essentials such as billing, finances, taxes, staffing, insurance, etc., often get in the way of your passion. Consider outsourcing your administrative needs in order to free up your time to focus on the essence of your business.
5. Build Partnerships – Any successful businessperson will tell you that the key to growth and success is good networking and solid partnerships. Again, it all comes down to the hazards of trying to do everything on your own. As a small business owner you can make better decisions and spend more time on what you do best if you work with others to help you handle the tasks you either aren’t good at, or simply don’t have time for. A business is no different. There are many small businesses in your community that you can work with to help your business grow. It could be joining forces for a community event, a fundraiser, for cross-promotion, even for advertising, marketing and PR opportunities. The point is, no man, and no business is an island. You can raise the profile and visibility of your business simply by playing well with others.
Grow Smart!
We all know how hard it can be sometimes to keep your resolutions. But it’s a lot easier when you have support. So to that end, Grow, LLC is offering to be the support system for small businesses. We’re launching our “GROW SMART” campaign this month in order to help all small businesses find success. We were created specifically to reduce the failure rate of small businesses. We do this by helping small business owners focus on their passion and not getting distracted by the day to day administrative operations.
Take the “GROW SMART” pledge and let others know about it. We’ll be posting the “GROW SMART” pledge for you to send to others. You don’t have to sign up, or subscribe or pay any money. The pledge is simply a list of things that every small business should do in order to grow successfully in today’s economy. It’s that simple.
Check back here or at the GROW, LLC Facebook and Twitter pages to see the “GROW SMART” pledge and help us lower the small business failure rate in the U.S. Together, we can all Grow smart!
And Now, the Video!
Okay, now that you’ve had a chance to read about the first ever, “Grow Community Day” sponsored by Grow, LLC and hosted by Denver Metro Habitat for Humanity, take a moment to watch the video!
Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who participated and made this such a success. Please share this video with other small business owners you may know and encourage them to get involved in their communities.
‘Twas Five Day Before Christmas…
At a time of the year when most small businesses are either swamped with holiday shopping or quietly winding down, taking care of year-end odds and ends, Grow, LLC spent a day giving back to the community. The inaugural “Grow Community Day” took place on Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 at the Denver Metro Habitat for Humanity warehouse in Denver.
The idea was a simple one; encourage the clients of Grow, LLC to participate in a day of giving. It was the brainchild of Grow, LLC Co-Founder Jarred Brown and, well, let’s let him explain it in his own words.
“Small businesses depend on the community to thrive, but so many of us are too busy to take the time we’d like to volunteer and give back the way we want to. So we thought we’d set aside a day where small businesses could devote some time to volunteer and make a real difference in our community.”
So the staff at Grow, LLC, Sarah, Ron, TJ, Jarred, Jim and several others gathered at the Denver Metro Habitat for Humanity warehouse on a frosty December Tuesday morning. After a short orientation, they all rolled up their sleeves and got to work. And there was a ton of work to be done. Melissa, the volunteer coordinator had jobs arranged for all involved. In groups of two and three, everyone was assigned tasks all over the warehouse.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Denver Metro Habitat for Humanity warehouse, here’s a little background. Most of you probably are aware of the homes built by Habitat for Humanity, but few know about the warehouse, which offers all kinds of home furnishings, appliances and other home repair supplies at a price well below retail. The public can go in and buy anything from floor tile, washers and dryers, microwaves, lights, cabinets, sinks, tubs…anything a home needs. But unlike a retail store, the Habitat for Humanity warehouse thrives on donations and volunteers, which is one way they keep their prices so low.
At 9am, the warehouse was already bustling with volunteers and a few shoppers. By 9:30 everyone on the Grow, LLC volunteer team was in their place and working hard. Jim and TJ were stacking cabinets, making sure they were in good shape and displayed properly. Debbie Rakestraw, of Buick Insulated Glass was measuring windows and also assisting in the cabinet project.
Ron, Sarah and Jarred joined forces to repair…no…make that rebuild large shelves designed to hold doors. This was like a day in high school shop class with buzz-saws buzzing, hammers hammering and drills drilling. Lumber and sawdust littered the floor as the three shuffled doors around, destroyed existing structures and started rebuilding from scratch.
Meanwhile over near the dock, yours truly and Audrianna Ivy of “Your Story” moved washers and dryers onto the display floor and cut up boxes. That is until one generous donor pulled into the dock with a truckload of paint and stain. Suddenly pallets were flying and over 200 boxes and buckets were stacked and wrapped, all ready to be inventoried and displayed.
The Grow, LLC team worked the morning shift at the warehouse and after three hours emerged, dusty, a little tired, but energized from the experience. “I think this makes a difference to us at least as much as it does to the community. Giving is its own reward,” said Jim Casart, Founder of Grow, LLC, who also found time to show off his musical talent by plinking out a couple of Elton John tunes on an old piano missing more than a few keys.
In the end, The Grow, LLC team of vounteers, which numbered 11 strong, helped Denver Metro Habitat for Humanity inventory, measure, stack, organize, repair and build in areas all over the warehouse. It was time well spent and not just because a wonderful non-profit organization received a much needed helping hand. That’s only part of the story. The first ever “Growing Community Day” was a success because it proved that even hard working, busy small business people can take a few hours out of their hectic schedule to give back to those who need it most. It also was time that the Grow, LLC staff could spend together and appreciate the value of teamwork, spend time with their clients outside of the office and collectively give back to the community.
It was just one day in December, but afterwards the smiles on the faces of the volunteers spoke volumes about the success of the first “Growing Community Day”. And while it may have been the first, you can rest assured that it won’t be the last.
