At the beginning of the year, I was faced with the beautiful question - " what type of business owner would I like to be". I am pretty sure a lot of my fellow #freelancers out there have faced this too. When I was self-searching I decided that I didn't just want it to be about my clients, but that my fellow colleagues, competitors and suppliers would also receive the best side of me. I am an avid believer of how I am at home is how I should live all the time (well try, I am human after all), but that's another post for another day.
My working life history you ask? Well, I studied Public Relations and worked for a PR firm for eight months and I felt that it was not for me! Then I spent the next 5 years of my life in business development with 3 different companies. We sat down, we envisioned what the company could be like, with all their values, dreams and desires etc, and I was there for all of it. I have been in quality control, sales, bookkeeping, events coordination, rebranding and a personal assistant. I was there when we had R 00,000.00 and when we have R 0.00 in the bank. With all that, I realised that companies are similar even if they are selling something completely different. They all had procedures and they all just trying to do what they love and provide for their families. One of the biggest differences that stood out to me was how you treat others and how this impacted the rest of your company.
It can be easy to hide behind your phone or computer and rely on emails to do all the hard stuff and I do not want to be that person, because I have seen it fail miserably. I have seen that face to face and honouring each other to be someone's greatest success. It is harder and yes, it takes more time out your day and it calls for character but you are left with long-lasting clients/suppliers and people will sell you naturally.
With all this said, these are my #values:
1. BE KIND ALWAYS
Always remember you are speaking to a person, who has feelings and has a life outside of work. A person will willingly do more for someone because of #kindness than when they receive harshness.
2. DO IT WITH LOVE, IT WILL TASTE BETTER
Take pride in what you do, not for money or because you have watched someone else do it but because you believe in what you do and back yourself. I am not speaking about perfection, (perfection rarely breeds kindness) I am speaking about good old trying your best. My husband's gran always says, "She makes food with love" and that's why my hubby says she is such a good cook. So do the same in your company. Do it with love.
3. CONTRACT OVER FEELINGS
I was recently so disappointed by a supplier who consistently lied to me, lost my product and after finding it again took a month to deliver a sample I had already paid for. This was after signing a contract saying it will take 7 working days. The sample came out terribly and my heart broke. Instead of getting emotional about the situations, I looked at the contract I signed, went to have a face to face conversation about what just happened and pulled my work from them with kindness but they know I won't go back to them unless I have to. I still have a good relationship with them as I chose the contract over my feelings. With a sprinkle of kindness and honesty, all ended up being fine. I could have chosen my feelings (feelings are only sometimes the reality) and made a mess out of the situation but I am so glad I didn't. Ain’t nobody got time for a mess.
4. COMMUNITY OVER COMPETITION
Be inclusive and invite others to the party. Yes, there's a time and place for everything, but let the heart be inclusive, sometimes you are not the best person for the job and giving it to someone you know would be better is okay. Again, give people work, you will receive work from them too. I actively live this out, if I cannot fake it till I make it and I know some else who will be great at the job, I respect my client and hand the job over.
5. HONESTY OVER SELLING
I am a salesperson, I love it and can do it naturally (however, I still have a way to go but you get the point). Don't sell to get the client and promise something you cannot deliver. Don't promise on behalf of someone else either, this sales technique is not something to be proud of.
If someone is overselling and not showing me who they are and why I should buy from them, I am rarely interested. Undershoot and over-deliver but, in the same breath, have grace for the person who is starting out. I know I need it.
So there we have it. Some more information about me, I would love the people that follow me to know what type of person I try to be - this is also accountability, you know this about me and keep me to it. We need others to help out from time to time, okay who are we kidding, I need help from others all of the time ;)