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SMARTY.

The human side of business

Archives for June 2015

Small Business

Nobody Likes The Squirrel.

June 25, 2015 · By Amy Swift Crosby

TheSquirrelWe were given a bird feeder last year that has added immeasurable fun to our lives. We now have a parade of birds and squirrels who appear as early as 4am, and from Chickdees to bright red Cardinal, they give us daily entertainment and joy – it resembles a sanctuary in Costa Rica.

But having observed this feeding system now for months, I’m noticing that no one likes the squirrels. As obvious as it is that they cannot get into this bird feeder, they still try – in the willeyiest, most creative ways, to get a single seed into their busy little rodent paws. The birds patiently wait as the squirrel hangs from the tree, jumps to the feeder ledge, loses his grip, crawls back up, hangs upside down, and repeats – until he gives up. And while I may be projecting, I really see them as the outcasts of the whole yard ecosystem. They remind me of companies and people who will. Not. Let. Up. Even when you say no or make it clear that what you do is NOT for them. They are the sneaky, guileless, lowest-rung player in a diaspora of legitimate interactions.

Sometimes our saturated marketplace starts to feel like an assault from these squirrels. From ads on Facebook to email spam to random (but incredibly consistent) calls from Google specialists – it can send a person into an existential tizzy. Is a sale, a customers attention, a click, so hard to get that our market has resorted to THIS?!

As small business owners and service providers we can make such a different choice. We don’t have to have it all, or even one percent of it all. We just need the right mix of great stores, clients or subscribers who ARE interested, and welcome our knock at their (virtual) door.

I’m amused by the squirrel, doing what he does. So are the birds, I think.

Long live the patient, tolerant, well intentioned bird, happy to take just what he needs to be happy – and no more.

Amy

Small Business

I Just Don’t Have Time For Friends.

June 16, 2015 · By Amy Swift Crosby

One thing I hear small business owners lament is — “I just don’t have time for my friends anymore.” I call B.S.

It may feel like that sometimes – especially in the early years, when you’re overwhelmed, and scheduling and to-do lists seem endless. But that statement isn’t really true, and even if it is, it shouldn’t be.

We all have cycles of production that are hyper-focused, meaning our heads are down and our brains are on-mission in a way that only realistically allows for work, family, a shower here and there, and more work. Everyone gets that — whether they have a 9 – 5 job or are also self-employed. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that people are only valuable if they add to your growth plan. I’ll admit that the less intimate ones may take a backseat – because prioritization takes over and maybe everyone doesn’t make the ‘cut’, as it were. But there’s another phenomenon that happens in this realm — when suddenly you’re “someone” in your field.

I think it’s safe to say we all hope to achieve a level of respect or fame in our respective disciplines – right? It’s not as though anyone expects to make headlines at the WSJ, but you hope to earn a name for yourself after decades of work. That’s reasonable.

But what happens when an old friend reaches out – maybe one who isn’t in the same arena, who doesn’t compare to your list of fans and followers, who hasn’t published a book, started a brand, taken a stage or been on the Today Show? I’ll give you a quiz – see what you answer.

A. Reach back with an opening for tea in the next month (or sincerely explain why schedules are tight).

B. Have an assistant reach back with events or class times you’ll be leading – because along with a few hundred other people – at least you’ll be in the same room!

C. Don’t reach back because you either don’t really feel like making time (or worse, you don’t see them as helpful in your ascent.)

The only good answer here is A, but unfortunately B and C happen all the time.

Let’s not be jerks just because we’ve become ‘very important people.’ It’s gross. Be the same kind of person you aim for as a business owner. Authentic. Sincere. Grounded.

There’s no point in having high ideals in entrepreneurship if they don’t apply to your soul.

Amy

Small Business

Got A Handle?

June 11, 2015 · By Amy Swift Crosby

Screen Shot 2015-10-24 at 10.42.26 PMI once visited a therapist who had two doors to her office – one that got you into the foyer, and the next that led to her inner private office. The first one had two handles and acted like a normal door. The second only had a handle on one side – her side. So you couldn’t open it from the outside (just in case you went insane from waiting while another client wiped away the tears/rage/frustration/radical truth of her session). I always saw this as an interesting metaphor.

So many times with our business we have that outer door with two handles locked down in the form of beautiful business cards, a well functioning website, great people skills, and clients who love us. But what’s missing is something really clear for our customers to buy.

If your services or offerings feel like a smorgasbord, it’s just too hard to get “in” to your business. There’s no handle. The door feels un-openable because it’s all too confusing, overwhelming, unclear, and ambiguous. So customers leave, and they’re never quite sure why. Yes it’s literal when it comes to a real door, but in a business, it just feels like something that seemed like a good idea – and then never happened.

Stand for something – it doesn’t have to be everything. Commit to highlighting it. You’ll feel a bit like “but what about this? And that? And I also do this!” Just calm down. They need to find a handle to get in and walk through the door – because if they don’t – they’ll never find the treasures of your company, services, or products in the first place.

Amy

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About Me

photo of Amy Swift Crosby

Amy Swift Crosby is a brand strategist and copywriter who has positioned or voiced messaging across the commercial spectrum, from icons like Ford, BVLGARI, Pottery Barn, Pantene and Virgin, to boutique brands like The Wild Unknown, fitness franchise Barre3 and the rebrand of legendary metaphysical bookstore, Bodhi Tree. She has leveraged this expertise to help entrepreneurial women and small businesses owners hone their skills, mission and message, while uncovering their own “voice.” This blog explores “the human side of business,” and universal themes like uncertainty, anxiety, the tension between engagement and disconnection, personal value and most importantly, of finding - and hearing - our own voices in our everyday life.

Photo - Andrew Stiles

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SMARTY began as a thriving community in Los Angeles and Boston with weekly panel discussions and events designed to better understand the mindset and growth strategies behind successful entrepreneurs. Today, SMARTY is a weekly blog written by Amy Swift Crosby who chronicles her life as a creative, parent, entrepreneur and spiritual seeker. As an urban refugee living in a New England seaside village, she unpacks topics ranging from uncertainty and doubt to the built environment and advertising. More on Amy.

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