Know Before You Launch
Lesson 1: Diligent Public Relations
by Christina Crawford - Entrepreneur in Residence
If you are considering going into business for yourself, there are many things to know ahead of time. Things that I wish someone had warned me…I mean told me before making the entrepreneurial plunge. One is that diligent public relations is the cornerstone of all businesses. As a business owner, you won't be able to avoid it - people are everywhere. I can think of only a few jobs out there where you do not have to work with and deal with people. Even at my quiet desk job as a tax accountant, I was on the phone with clients, financial brokers and IRS representatives and conducted business face to face with clients who still liked to walk into a brick and mortar establishment.
As a military spouse, I've taken jobs in several career fields as my family jetted around the globe. I was in retail, I was a Greyhound Bus Stewardess, I became a certified fitness instructor, I helped soldiers and their families with emergency relief and family budgeting, and I succeeded in a home-based business once my family grew. Maybe some military spouses can relate with this “Jackie of all Trades” style resume. In all, I have had to work with and deal with many types of people. The better you are at it, the better you are at job performance and client relations.
As a business owner, client relations take on a whole new dimension. The relationship between the owner and the customer is much more complicated because it directly effects company profit. Happy customers shop and return to shop again. They come back with friends. If the customer is not happy, then the owner is not. Not knowing how to appease customers correctly can be the downfall of a business.
Think of it this way: you go into a carnival funhouse and there are surprises around every corner. You laugh, you gasp, and you are mystified. You do not know how to get out and you might find yourself sick with the unexpected turns. Now what if you were briefed before going into the funhouse? You enter, sure, you will still see things for the first time, but you will expect them and know how to handle the obstacles, you will not be distracted by the mysterious illusions. You will trust that you will not get sick from the unexpected turns because you see them coming. You plan how to move across the moving floor with fast, giant steady steps. You make it through and think, “THAT was rewarding.” You went through it fast and perhaps broke all kinds of records. You believe you can do it again better next time.
Your own business will be like that funhouse. One of the challenges is relating with people. There are so many types of people. Some are nice, some are memorable, and some become friends. Some people are unremarkable, meaning they flow in and out of your day, they are easy and then they are gone. Some people arrive with heavy misanthropic attitudes that can ruin your day. They are unhappy before they deal with anyone. They feel it is their duty to drag a company down over the slightest incidental. They exist and they will find you! Unhappy people can take quite a toll on an owner's psyche. Even the strongest of humans can feel this penetrate deep within and cause a negative reaction. People are everywhere and we cannot avoid interactions…especially in business. Everyone likes to know the owner. Get out there and meet them. Deal with the tough customers with a smile. You do not have to like everyone, but you may find even find yourself developing solid relationships and friendships.
Lesson 1: Keep good customer relations paramount and you will benefit from it.
Military spouse, Christina Crawford graduated from The Kings College in New York. At the couple's first duty station in Ft. Lewis, she a year volunteering for Army Emergency Relief and Army Community Service. AER/ACS contracting ultimately employed her as a financial counselor, helping families figure out how to budget and pay their bills. She became a certified tax preparer and assisted soldiers with the taxes. At Ft. Benning, Christina worked retail for the six-month tour. Moving to Germany, Christina became certified as an aerobics instructor and took over an aerobics class on the base from another instructor who was moving away.
Christina was successful in finding paid work every time she moved, finding her tax preparation skills and her aerobics instructor certification were particularly marketable. Ultimately, she worked direct sales for Stampin' Up, selling craft supplies at home parties. She became one of their top producers, was elected to the company's Advisory Board and assisted the company with Compensation programs. She kept that position as she moved from base to base for 20 years, then retired. Recently, Christina was recruited to a new direct sales company, EVER, and has been promoted three times. Now that her husband's military service is over and she has settled in Northern Virginia, she owns and operates Chic Envy Consignment Boutique; a successful venture that also allows her to hire other military dependents, train them, and give back to the community.
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