Who Are You?

One of the projects I am trying to work on is a booklet that teaches my existing and new employees about our company and what makes it stand out. I think it's important that I am not the only one who knows this, because if the people who work for me understand it, they can be more productive and have better ideas that reflect what it is we are trying to do.

I started my company with a very unique look at how this business worked. High end customer service, with high quality people working for me. It has positioned us as "The Premium Service" in our field but when I ask my employees how we are different, they can't really tell me... and that's a problem.

Brand Identity is important no matter what your industry is. It is important that managers AND employees know so that thy can act accordingly which in turn is communicated to your clients. 

Here is a perfect example.

A theme park that has rides, popular characters, shows and live shows. Which one is it?

Exactly, that's any park anywhere. Canada's Wonderland features all of these things. It has no specific identity and, while it manages to stay open, it's parent company (Cedar Fair Parks) has spent more than a few years, trying to break even. It's currently posting some modest profits but let's look at another park that has it's Brand Identity down to a science.

Walt Disney World is the number one tourist destination in the world. It's rides often are not as thrilling, but it's identity is spot on. Disney knows exactly who it is and how to communicate that to it's clients. Each new employee, from churro sales person to CEO attends a class on the history of the company and it's brand identity. Because of this, Disney is one of the biggest media juggernauts in the industry.

When you look at that comparison, it isn't hard to see why being in touch with your brand puts you in touch with clients.

Shane Goodfellow
Squeak E Cleaners
www.SqueakECleaners.com
(519) 402-3401

The 80% Rule

My friends often come to me asking advice on how to start a company. Many of them have great ideas but they are having difficulty pulling the trigger on their venture. There are many details to finally having your business at 100% readiness which is why I invented the 80% rule.

You need to figure out what you absolutely need to start your company. For example, I have an office with a desk, fax machine, a couple of computers, etc. I don't NEED any of that. I have a couch and a laptop. That's all I NEED as far as office needs go.

I routinely tell my friends to learn from my mistakes and once they get 80% there... Hang up the Open sign. Nothing makes you take care of those last few details faster than knowing you are open for business and you better get moving. Also you may find that many of those things you don't even want. I JUST bought a Fax machine, a piece of equipment I was sure I needed. I only bought the machine because it was a dollar at an auction. I've used it a little, but I was just fine sending my one fax every few months from the corner store.

The trick to starting your own venture is to just start it. You'll figure out the details as you go, and sometimes you'll find a niche that isn't being served, that would have been impossible to occupy if you were at 100% from the start.

Shane Goodfellow
Squeak E Cleaners
www.SqueakECleaners.com
(519) 402-3401

A Tale Of Two Employees

Today we present a tale of two employees. Both are fictional but loosely based on employees I have encountered and both were terminated from their places of business.

The first employee, let’s call him Alphred, was always fearful of his job. He always worried about his job security and whenever someone was hired, he talked about how he was sure that he was about to be replaced. This naturally started his thinking in a downward spiral, where he constantly compared himself and his work to the others around him. Alphred always seemed to be the best in his mind, so how could they be replacing him? He routinely mentioned this fact to coworkers and clients.

What Alphred didn’t know was that there had been no plan to replace him. The company liked it when people felt secure in their jobs so they would work hard to grow in a company where they felt their future was. However, after several months, Alphred’s worry and paranoia created an acidic environment and his worst worry was fulfilled.

Our second employee we shall call Betrice. Betrice worked hard and was always trying to be the best at whatever task she was assigned. She had a thirst for knowledge that made her functional in many roles. She was confident in herself and did what she could to teach those around her. The company leaned heavily on Betrice until she uttered the words most hated by the boss “I think I am pretty safe in my job” then she was dismissed within a week. The boss hated people feeling safe and liked everyone to be fearful so they would work hard to keep their positions.

These are two actual people I know. Those are the two actual outcomes. When you motivate your employees, how do you do it? Through comfort or through fear? Which company do you feel had the better outcome, and which employee do you feel was more of a loss?

Shane Goodfellow
Squeak E Cleaners
www.SqueakECleaners.com
(519) 402-3401

Being the Right Face

So we’ve discussed how I and many companies use facebook to weed out employees from our resume piles (if you missed it, here's the link), but if you were reading carefully, you got some tips on what to do if you are applying for a job. Have a public facebook profile.

I give extra attention to applicants with facebook profiles that make the person look stable, fun and likable. Now that you know my trick, you can use it against me and other employers to make yourself more desirable. Why not have your facebook profile website right on your resume? I want to know as much as I can about you, so give me some place to go after the resume.

If you decide to do this, you have to be careful about what you decide to post to your profile. Stay positive, watch the things you “like” and ask yourself “What impression does this post leave to a prospective employer.”

Social media is an excellent way to advertise your business, so why not advertise yourself? 

Shane Goodfellow
Squeak E Cleaners
www.SqueakECleaners.com
(519) 402-3401

3 Books You Need To Read (Part 1)

I was about half way through my Dale Carnegie course in 2004 when I really began to see the value in his books. I started to see how the course and the books were helping shape my personality. It was easier to deal with people and a lot of personal conflicts were avoided. My work and personal relationships were easier to handle , people seemed to get along with me. The book I would suggest you read is How To Win Friends and Influence People, and here’s why.

It was about this time that I started to think about my Grandfather. He had passed away a few years before and a lot of what I was learning in the course reminded me of him. In the books and the course you will be told that complaining does not really do anything positive. That really hit home to me because i was always amazed at how, although my Grand Father lay almost completely parallelized , fighting a slow death from ALS, he never complained. 

I remembered waking up at 7:30 am to go to work, at the time I lived in my Grandfathers basement , I would come up the stairs and he would be sitting in his chair by the window. He would tell me what the weather would be like today , he would tell me about a bird he saw for the first time , but he would never complain and he would always be positive. 

An even earlier memory was working for my Grandfathers company when I was a teenager. Before he got sick he ran a large electrical company. During his busiest times he had up to 300 employees. I remember he had a sore wrist from signing so many pay checks. He didn't complain. He told me it was a good problem to have and that it came with success, not failure. He was the first into the office everyday. He took the time to meet with his guys every morning before they went off to see clients. A few years after that, he retired and a few years after that, he was diagnosed with ALS. It was a long and painful ordeal, and he handled it with grace. 

Soon the course I was taking was coming to an end and I was preparing my final speech. I had decided to talk about my Grandfather, what he had taught me, and how it meshed with what I was learning from Dale Carnegie. I had decided to go through my Grandpas office closet and maybe bring a picture of him or maybe a news paper article about him. What I found instead was a Diploma from the 1960's , it was my Grandfathers and it read " Robert Ferns has successfully completed the Dale Carnegie Course."

I hope you get a chance to read any of Dale Carnegie books , they have made a lasting impression in my life.

Aaron Weir
Leadwave Technologies Inc.
www.leadwave.ca 
(519)704-1463

Hiring The Right Face

        Hiring people is really difficult. I’ve been sifting through resumes for a couple of weeks now trying to find that perfect applicant. Someone with skill, know-how and ambition. Unfortunately, all that resumes can tell me is weather or not somebody knows how to use a word processor. I can make assumptions about their work history and education but what I really need to do is meet them.

Queue the interview, except you don’t get to meet the person. You get to meet the person when they want to get hired. Fresh haircut, big smile, lots of “Yes sir, No sir” language. Sometimes you get someone who can really talk… then you have to wonder how many times they have done this, and how many times they can sweet talk their way out of work.

When I get resumes, the first thing I do is head over to Facebook to see who they REALLY are. Some people have blocked profiles and some people don’t have profiles at all, but for those that do, you either make or break the job by what you’ve chosen to post.

I’ll be honest, I’m looking for family pictures, friends and just evidence that people like this person. I am also trying to make sure there are not too many pictures that would make Cheech and Chong blush, or evidence that they are going to be a handful.

Many of the BIG companies use this tactic as well, and while it’s not always perfect, it does give you an edge when you are looking to hire a person who can work harmoniously in your environment.

Shane Goodfellow
Squeak E Cleaners
www.SqueakECleaners.com
(519) 402-3401

Gingerbread Fingers?

Vision is important in any company. You can tell because it’s written on motivational posters in many offices here in Sarnia-Lambton. While I think it makes sense that you need to understand your company, where it’s going and what you hope to achieve, it is important to understand that the right business vision can shape lives and change the world.

I was watching Mary Poppins last week, one of my favourite Disney movies of all time, and the idea of Vision really presented itself. Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins was based on a book by P.L. Travers about a mysterious, cold nanny in the 1930s. Walt tried as early as 1938 to acquire movie rights for the book but was turned down over and over again for over 20 years until 1961. Travers was sure that Disney would ruin her characters, so she insisted on script approval rights when she finally agreed.

Walt and Travers fought for several more years over the movie. Finally, Disney was frustrated and made the movie the way he wanted to. Walt hired the timeless Sherman Brothers to write songs for the movie and to everyones delight, they suggested the same places in the book for songs. Songs that are still ready available to whistle in most peoples minds.

The film was made and Travers never stopped complaining about what a horrible movie Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins turned out to be. Her lack of vision would have tied the movie up until the end of time, but Walt knew exactly what he wanted and, to his credit, the film received 13 Academy Award nominations and 5 wins.

Mary Poppins is an enduring classic that is probably in most of your homes. I think we can all agree that Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins was enchanting, where as a the Travers Mary Poppins, who breaks off her fingers and turns them to gingerbread to feed the children, would probably have been a little too… what’s the word…supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

The point is, that it is important to know what you want to accomplish and how you want to go about doing it. There is no use in buying a road map, if you don’t know where you want to end up.

Shane Goodfellow
Squeak E Cleaners
www.SqueakECleaners.com
(519) 402-3401