Blog Author Mellissah Smith - Page 94

They say that it is lonely at the top, and although I am definately not at the top, I can definately relate to this feeling.

Having run a small business myself for 13 years, I can identify that at the end of the day, unless you have a business partner, it can be quite lonely.

Yesterday, was particularly stressful.

The business is going so well, and clients are literally running through our doors. Although we have mechanism in place for growth, there are always things to do, that when you add it to your own daily jobs, becomes overwhelming - if you let it.

On top of running a business, we have an issue with a client who is happy with the service, but owes us $80,000. And this is just for invoices raised in the month of February. After, continually asking about when the invoices will be paid as we have a strict 7 day policy, they keep replying that it is coming in the next few days. That started 6 weeks ago. I am sure they will pay, but the situation is stressful nevertheless because after years of dealing with business owners who spin stories, the trust factor on such things has somewhat diminished.

Blogging isn't for everyone. In fact, few people can pull it off and actually get a reasonable return on investment. While it can be fun to share your ideas, there is a whole world out there whose ideas differ from that of your own. And beware... sometimes they are even happy to tell you about it.

But it isn't all doom and gloom.

Blogging can be quite lucrative from a brand profile prospect and for some, financially. Successful bloggers don't just make their livings out of blogging, they quite often make their fortune. Think Mia Freedman (www.mamamia.com.au) and Seth Godin.

Your brand started off as a figment of your imagination. Then you put it out there for the whole world to see - except the whole world didn't see it like you thought it would.

So, you gave it a bit of a push. Here and there. Everywhere. Networking. Business cards. Advertising. Facebook. You name it - you've tried it.

And then what?

Yesterday, I wrote a blog on how women can help their man to be more successful. As promised, today I am focusing on how men can help their women be more successful (in business).

If you are a man and lucky enough to have a woman that is determined, ambitious, talented and intelligent - as well as owning their own business or having a high flying career - then count your lucky stars. You are in the minority.

This may surprise many who read my blogs, but I am a firm believer that women should support their men.

Coming from a European family, where men rule the roost and women play the pivotal role of supporting their man, I am an advocate of women doing what it takes to support their families and in particular the men in their lives.

When I grew up, my father was the provider. He took out the rubbish and mowed the lawn. He fixed anything that needed to be fixed.

Consumers are fickle. We all know it. Many of us has experienced it and all of us have been a fickle consumer at one time or another.

5 weeks ago, I embarked on taking a picture that I had painted in 2007 to be framed as a gift for my best girlfriend.

How often are you asked to do a speech or presentation?

If it is like me, I am always asked to do speeches, but as I have gotten older and more experienced, I am a lot better at picking and choosing where I should spend my time doing presentations.

Steve Jobs used to say that he spent 100 hours preparing for a presentation. Well, I don't have 100 hours! I am a small business owner.

Leadership and succession planning go hand in hand for most small businesses. If you are a founder of a small business, it's always  important to earmark who in your organisation is going to lead your company, reinvigorate your staff and your product or service, and create fresh blood that catapults your business to heights you never imagined possible.

I met with a friend of mine who is an absolute genius. You know the type, a kindof Bill Gates clone that has peculiar habits but is as smart as they come. What struck me as surprising is that he is an avid reader of cold reading books. Surprising because I would have thought that he would think body language books are a bit beneath his 'genius'. Obviously not.

Actually, he reads cold reading and body language books in the dozens. The other week, he bought a whole host of new body language books and has no doubt already read them from start to finish. Sitting with him for a chat is extraordinary because he is so bright, but also because he is absolutely fascinating with his passion for knowing more about why people do what they do. He likes the idea that he can read people which no doubt has made him a lot of money over time. Important if you are in the business of dealing with people and you need to know what they are thinking to make better decisions yourself.