What is it like to live in Vermont?
Recently I was asked to comment on “What is it like to live in Vermont?” My answer could take on several tacks, so I touched on those that seemed most relevant.
Vermont has a very human scale – it was something that I noticed when I moved here from New Jersey nearly 25 years ago. It was that scale that held the greatest appeal to me.
Towns and our (small) cities have very distinct identities. People tend to be connected to their neighbors and communities and actively seek out ways in which to sustain and improve their place of habitation.
There seems to be a little of something for everyone, though very little in excess. The mountains are large but approachable, the cities are diverse but not complex, the people are friendly yet still reserved like most Yankees.
Culturally Vermont still seems to be evolving to me. Burlington has a growing immigrant population of Somali and Bosnians, migrant farm workers are on the rise throughout the state, and people from other states in the Union continue to find the Vermont way of life very appealing to their lifestyle. It’s an interesting mix of Yankee, New York & New Jersey personalities.
The seasons are distinct here, though winter is the most dominant. We even include a 5th season – mud season! For an idea of what I mean by mud-season look here:
The spring is marked by Sugar-on-Snow parties (http://www.vtliving.com/maple/su…). It’s not easy explaining to a flat-lander the significance of Sugar-On-Snow, nor the ritual involved with it. It’s the end of a typically long and bleak winterand the celebration of spring and the renewal of life, not to mention indulging in one of our State’s most notable exports. I’m not really sure about the Dill pickle part, but damn it tastes good.
Vermont has it’s quirks too. We are welcoming to new people, yet not to new development. We claim to be green, but few people wish to crowd our views with solar panels or wind mills. We romanticize our agrarian past (and future?) provided we do not have to live downwind of a farm or know where/how animals get slaughtered. We want economic development provided the businesses do not bring too many people or infrastructure needs.
Politically we are liberal, perhaps too much at times for a healthy balance and genuine debate, although we had a Republican Governor for 8 years. And regardless of your political affiliation, you can meet the Governor and it’s not really a big deal. Vermont in population would not even register as a small town in most states. Often people from out of state will ask me, “Do you know so and so..” and quite often I do. We are all neighbors.
We are Ben & Jerry’s, we are Phish, we are same-sex marriage, we are “Quiet” Calvin Coolidge, we are “Freedom and Unity” (think about the contradiction of that for a moment). We are Vermonters.
I love Vermont.
8 tips for great business relationships
Our April Vermont Family Business forum speaker is Jane Applegate. Jane is the author of four books on small business success, including 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business, published by Bloomberg/Wiley in all formats. She’s also the producer and host of Tech Essentials with Jane Applegate, an online talk show sponsored by Microsoft. Check it out at: www.myfirstserver.com, Applegate’s new website - www.theapplegatenetwork.com, – features video profiles, interviews and advice from national experts. Below is a recent post she shared with Cox Small Business Network.
During one of my first interviews as a young business reporter, a veteran executive remarked, “Being in business is great, except for the people.” I remember being a bit puzzled, but more than 20 years later, I realize how right he was.
Managing any sort of business – big or small – is tough, but most people admit their biggest challenge is dealing with customers, clients, vendors and employees. Since we can’t avoid dealing with people, whether it be in person, online or on the phone, here are some strategies that work well for me.
They are based on the thousands of interviews I’ve conducted with successful business owners, as well as my own experience as the founder of several small companies.
1. Never work with anyone who gives you a headache or a stomach ache. This is rule one in my book. Life is too short to work with toxic people. Busy entrepreneurs should not spend their time wrangling with negative customers or employees. You can replace all the problem people in your life with great people.
2. There are no bad people, just bad fits. If you have a problem employee, they are most likely not assigned to the right job. Sit down and discuss why they have a negative attitude. Are they overwhelmed by too many tasks? Do they need more training to do a better job? Consider job swapping or creating a new position if you want them to stick around. If not, give them the option to resign. Consider offering them severance or offer to pay for a semester’s tuition at a community college.
3. Honest communication solves most people problems. Asking people directly what is bothering them and then offering to do whatever you can to improve the situation, often defuses the anger. Just listen and let them vent. If you can figure out a way to solve the problem, do it quickly. If you can’t, tell them it’s not possible and suggest they move on.
4. Provide your employees with the best tools and technology is actually more appreciated than a modest raise, according to HR experts. Employees hate working on a clunky computer or a sluggish internet connection. Invest in new tools and technology and watch both morale and productivity soar.
5. If communication and counseling are not working, consult a local labor attorney about how to fire someone without being sued. Laws vary from state to state. In most cases, you have to document behavior and performance problems in writing and counsel employees about how to improve. Put problem employees on probation and set deadlines for improvement. Don’t be afraid to let someone go. There are millions of great people looking for work.
6. Cast a wide net when looking for new employees. First, ask your current team to recommend good candidates. They have a vested interest in bringing in good people because they have to work with them every day. Tell you vendors, suppliers and even competitors that you are looking for help. I’ve hired some great people that my competitors couldn’t hire. Be open-minded about hiring younger and older people. Although it’s against the law to discriminate based on age or ethnicity, many business owners subconsciously limit their hiring to people just like them. Back in the days when people wrote me letters to submit story ideas, my grandparents helped me sort and answer the mail.
7. Rely on gut instinct when hiring. In addition to checking references and verifying credentials, ask yourself how you feel when you are interacting with a job candidate. We spend more time at work than at home, so don’t hire anyone you don’t like.
8. Fire your worst customers. Busy entrepreneurs don’t have the time or energy to deal with crabby people. Let them go and I promise that you will soon replace them with people who you truly enjoy doing business with.
You are invited to a party, a big party. Who do you go towards, who do you stay away from?
You are invited to a party, a big party, with an eclectic mix of people. You know it’s good for you professionally to be there, even though you feel a little bit awkward because you do not think you will know anyone there. You enter the room, the energy is engaging, you know you should stay. Movie stars, musicians, professional athletes, business people, thought leaders, community champions & seemingly average folk all crowd the scene. Who do you go towards, who do you stay away from?
I was recently approached by a colleague who began with an admission – he considers me the “guru of social media.” This is a relative label coming from someone who still does not have a Facebook account, for which I admire him greatly. Regardless, he came seeking help and I was compelled to assist him. My friend has a book and wishes to increase the visibility of this as well as secure more business as a result. We all wish to further promote our work to reap greater benefits, be they financial or not.
Here is what I shared, far from social guru enlightenment and much of it is rote for anyone that has dabbled with any awareness in social media. Yet I still see an alarming amount of bad Twitter pages and self-promoters on LinkedIn to realize some people just do not get it.
Twitter:
- Twitter is a communication tool – communication is two ways. No one will talk with you if you are not first talking WITH them, not at them. Pull, not push.
- Twitter is also great for scanning – it’s daily headlines and “who’s talking about what?”
- Using Twitter to only promote the book/product/service/event is akin to those annoying coupons in the Sunday paper – very little value and typically straight to the recycle bin.
- Have a voice and be consistent – what are you passionate about and how will you share that?
- Follow those you want to follow you. I use the list function to keep certain groups together and check in on them to interact from time to time. Check out these family business related lists – it’s how I find certain pages in a hurry, as well as keep them all in one spot:
- Interact – pay attention to what others say and publicly reply to them. First thing I do when looking at a Twitter feed is see how much they interact. If they do not, I’m quick to ignore them.
- Reply when people mention you – you always answer the phone or reply to important emails don’t you? Example tweet.
- Share pearls of wisdom – a quote, a fact, an observation. And be consistent; no need to Tweet all day long, but 5-25 Tweets a week is healthy activity.
- Use hashtags – these help others find you if you are talking about what they want to know about #nextgen #familybusiness #leadership etc. Example tweet.
- Retweet others posts and add insights if appropriate Example tweet.
- Dress up your page a little more – it should be in alignment with your webpage.
- Be human Example tweet
Linked In
- Becoming more similar to Twitter with their news feed and ability to like or comment on others’ posts. But I check it daily.
- I only post one thing a week in LinkedIn. It will also cross-link with Twitter (if you choose), so be aware of redundancy.
- I’ve not found much value in the groups on LinkedIn other than one private group of peers from other institutions. The trouble I’ve seen with groups, everyone is promoting themselves and not listening to anyone else. A good group will have a moderator as well as stated rules of what is permissible to discuss (no promotions, solicitations, etc.).
- Shorten your personal url – on your profile next to it, just click edit and get rid of all the numbers and letters.
- Consider sharing an excerpt of your book in .pdf form or slides form a recent presentation. Box.net or Slideshare.com are both good sharing tools that will also link with LinkedIn.
- Get endorsements! Just ask your customers for them. And endorse others!
- I believe LinkedIn is the most appropriate place to share press and related postings. Linked In more and more is becoming a great source of business information.
Engage – that’s what will work in social media. And do not expect instant results, nor even a huge payoff. However, even with some minimum investment, what will happen is simply more opportunities for others to intersect with you. Think of it as being at that party I described in the opening paragraph – who do you go towards, who do you stay away from?
- The self-proclaimed know-it-all who never stops talking
- Dude sitting alone in the corner and picking his nose – sorry, but you get the picture
- Movie star who just wants to sign autographs, sell more tickets and walk the carpet
- Sloppy drunk clinging to the bar – ok well maybe him
- The person talking and listening and adding value to each conversation
You choose.
He said it best…
“Being involved in the peer groups offered by the FBI@UVM has made me a better business person. Our regular monthly meetings allow me the opportunity to discuss issues I face as they come up rather than waiting for semi-annual board meetings. The advice and direction given by my peers and by our moderator is always good advice and helps guide me in important decisions. I regularly encourage others to consider coming to FBI@UVM forums and to consider joining a peer group.”
This was shared with me from James Mount of Westaff, Vermont in regards to the Next Gen / CEO group he has been a member of since 2005. James is the COO and a 2nd generation member of the Mount Family Group which owns and operates 13 branches in Vermont New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Thanks James!
“Key Person” group launching on February 15
Non-family employees play a critical role in any family business. Non-family managers tend to hold a very positive view of their respective firms, while at the same time possess a very different set of perspectives regarding the efficacy of management and the capacity of the firm for innovation and change. A recent survey of 200+ year old businesses found the following 3 reasons owners cited success across so many generations:
- Quality of product/service.
- Strong sense of family history.
- Willingness to employ non-family executives with unique skill sets.
The Key Person Group is for member non-family managers and executives form member companies in the FBI@UVM to come together in a confidential forum to learn more about the unique dynamics of a family business, improve dialog with the family and more clearly define their role in the growth and succession of the business.
To this extent, we are gathering together interested “Key Persons” and non-family employees to offer them their own forum for hearing from their peers and working to understand the issues critical for success in a family owned business.
This first meeting will simply be a time to meet others and garner support moving forward.
Date: February 15, 2013
Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Facilitator: Dann Van Der Vliet
Location: Burlington Hilton
R.S.V.P.: daniel.vdv@uvm.edu
Congress Passes Deal To Avoid Fiscal Cliff
Congress Passes Deal To Avoid Fiscal Cliff
Last night Congress passed a tax bill which will significantly change Federal individual & business income taxes and estate taxes for 2012 and subsequent years. The President is expected to quickly sign this into law.
Please find a tax alert which summarizes the new law as shared by Gallagher, Flynn & Co.
