By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

Giving and receiving criticism is inevitable in the workplace. Remember that feedback is not an attack on your identity. When people criticize your work, they are not attacking you personally. For small businesspeople, feedback may come from employees, partners, clients, or any of the inhabitants of your business environment. 

Part of your business strategy should involve designing pathways for criticism that lead to a productive resolution, and don’t threaten the health of your workplace. For example, a starting point might be ongoing, routine one-on-one sessions. This strategy could nip developing problems in the bud

Inevitably, problems will move past this stage. In response, managers can strive to integrate healthy strategies into the company culture to ensure all parties have a realistic understanding of their performance and the requirements of their role. Prioritizing these behaviors may nurture the type of healthy environment that the productivity of the institution depends on.

1) The First Step When a Problem Arises May Involve an Apology. Handle Apologies Well

In cases where an apology is necessary, both employers and employees should handle the situation in a way that conveys an understanding of the issues. Apologies must be sincere. However, remember that a sincere apology may incorporate ownership of the person’s role in the situation, instead of the person taking on all the blame themselves. 

Of course, insincere apologies only throw kindling on the situation. Before considering what to say at the outset, all parties should ponder the complexity of the situation before digging in their heels and refusing to budge.

2) Maintain Professionalism

A manager should tread discretely with their criticism, even when tempers flare. Mistakes are inevitable. Additionally, from an employer’s perspective, accurate coaching means the difference between a successful business and a failure. From a worker’s perspective, keeping management happy advances their careers and keeps them out of the employment line. 

However, delivering criticism can be almost as painful as receiving it. No one likes awkwardness. Additionally, managers like to defend their hiring decisions. Hence, on both ends handling criticism can be a tightrope.

Mindfulness and introspection can ensure that all parties keep the wheels greased. For example, sometimes someone’s day has just not gone well. Some discussions can wait until cooler heads prevail. Managers can wait, and workers can often reschedule. Both handling conflict and delivering feedback require a good degree of emotional intelligence. 

3) Prepare a Course of Action

Remember that in some cases an employee has perfectly good reasons for their actions or behavior. In others, a manager may need to initiate a disciplinary process. Unfortunately, many times the course of action may result in the employee’s or colleague’s termination. However, often a new procedure or policy change can address the issue. Maybe even a change in the workplace environment can appease the unsatisfied parties. 

It is crucial to remember to contemplate healthy pathways before the environment becomes toxic. Everyone’s goal from feedback should be productive growth on all sides. Every institution needs to practice honest self-evaluation. The more Veteran Business Owners and their partners prioritize these strategies, the greater their success. 

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  

https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

In our last article, we emphasized the need to engrain an innovative mindset into the core values of any new company. Moving forward, Veteran Business Owners should apply certain strategies to create a more dynamic operation. Some of these strategies are the following:

1. Use creativity to define your objectives

In other words, Veteran Small Business Owners need to ask the right questions. Asking the right questions is necessary to get to know your client base. We need to understand our client base in order to develop effective marketing strategies. Perhaps the entrepreneurs’ own perspectives can inform initial marketing efforts.  However, subsequently, we need to diversify our lines of inquiry.

2. Take the Bull by the Horns. In other words, be proactive and involve yourself in all stages of your business process

In many cases, this involvement may include moving into the trenches so you can understand what is going on, even at the production and customer service levels. Small businesses give owners this advantage. A Vice President of Microsoft performing data entry to show he’s “part of the team” might come off as awkward or disingenuous, or even a poor use of resources. 

Small businesses can transcend this awkwardness since they tend to be more vertically integrated. In a smaller company in its growth phase, the boss likely understands processes from the floor to the C-Suite. Remember involvement in each level of operations can educate the higher-ups about the company’s everyday challenges.  

When plausible, business owners should take any opportunity to perform even the most menial tasks. Putting yourself on the front lines is the best way to engage with every challenge your company may face as well as earn the respect of employees.

3. Market yourself, and know your talents

You know yourself better than anyone else. Innovation requires self-knowledge and understanding your own capacities. Consider any untapped abilities you may have. Also, consider any directions you can take these secret wells of knowledge. Even better, the more you find your passion, the more you find yourself absorbed in the work you do. Once you find the tasks that put you in the “zone,” everyone can benefit when you develop your business in that direction.

4. Acknowledge and utilize talent in others as well

It takes a certain maturity to recognize talent in others. More to the point, any effective organization requires collaboration to succeed. Effective business leaders have an eye for recognizing effective partnerships. Whether in the hiring process or while networking, Veteran Business Owners should develop effective team-building skills, and know how to launch their endeavors with an eye toward finding teammates with contradictory styles and talents.

Focus, focus, focus!

5. Your business should engage you, your workers, and especially your customers. A good fit between an entrepreneur and their business venture can ensure maximum engagement. Consider those tasks where you excel and plan your schedule around them. More mundane, less interesting tasks “flow” more easily when you make your standout talents the centerpiece of your schedule.

These strategies can weave innovation into the fabric of your business. Innovation always requires collaboration and self-understanding, as well as good team-building and management skills. Veteran Business Owners should consider these factors while priming their organization to move forward.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  

https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/ 

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

The past few years have brought an intense transition in the face of new challenges, such as the Pandemic. These challenges have also brought opportunities for productivity in a wider range of contexts. The Pandemic didn’t create this new era of remote work. The events of the past few years simply hastened a trend that had been long in the making. 

We have seen new management challenges now that the physical workplace is no longer the default work setting. Trust has never mattered more. At the same time, individual responsibility has gained new importance. Countless shifts have occurred in a relatively brief period, which presents new challenges for business owners but may also provide management freedoms to direct their energies in new directions now that workers hold greater autonomy. 

Below are only a few ways to shift workplace culture to allow greater flexibility in these changing times.

1.Prepare for the New Era of Hybrid Workplaces

As we’ve discussed previously, remote work is here to stay. Employers should adapt their workplaces to accommodate those workers who, for whatever reason, might prefer to perform some of their tasks outside of the office. Fortunately, technology is now widespread, so the modern workplace should prepare for an online presence whenever possible.

2. Communicate With and Counsel Employees

One idea for improving communication may be the implementation of regular feedback sessions regardless of performance. Such a policy might ensure appropriate facetime while allowing both employees and management to raise any issues that need to be addressed. Managers should integrate these sessions into the workplace routine. A “call to the office” should not feel ominous for the worker. Regular, standardized feedback can do wonders for improving the channels of communication.

3. Find Appropriate Ways to Communicate for the Hybrid Era

The popularity of Zoom and similar forums provides boundless opportunities to expand the reach of new businesses. At this point, a business would be lax to ignore these innovations. These new forums afford flexibility that has become crucial for retaining good talent in many industries. 

4. Implement New Technologies

Remember, if you don’t keep up with the times, your competitors will. Small Veteran Owned Businesses should always stay in touch with any emerging trends. Recently, applications like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom have expanded at warp speed, but also stay in touch with the different technological offerings specific to your industry.

5. Maintain Flexibility

If there’s anything the past few years have taught us, it’s to expect the unexpected. A business’s bottom line should always account for the unknown. Whenever possible, businesses should prioritize in a fashion that minimizes the burdens on employees. Adjusting a company’s priorities helps employees stay motivated with the tasks at hand.

Remember, the Pandemic has permanently changed the business landscape, in many ways for the better. Businesses that don’t adapt may have a hard time competing in the new economy. The physical workplace is no longer by default the home base for a business’s operations. Hence, managers need to innovate to ensure the work gets done and gets done right. However, effective management does not preclude trust. In fact, trust is the basis for any solid business relationship.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  

https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/ 

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

The spark behind most small businesses transcends the profit motive. However, none of us can expect to make money while ignoring our clients. We all need to eat. At the same time, we also need fulfillment in our mission in life.

Let’s look at Elon Musk. He started his projects with the best intentions, then consistently found himself burned. Now, his projects have certainly amounted to a net positive for the good they’ve done in the world. At the same time, I think we could debate whether he’d do everything the same if given the chance for a do-over.

Few people go into a business enterprise with purely selfish motives. However, we rarely find companies with totally altruistic motives. We call those companies “nonprofits.”

A smaller company with a mission should find a community willing to share in its bounty. Perhaps this community may consist of “vegans.” Maybe “conservationists,” or maybe even “school board activists.” However, smaller companies should realistically balance their goals with their needs.

As one way to start, Veteran Small Business Owners should consider the causes they most care about. As a next step, consider your community, and what you may offer that community. Maybe you have gardening expertise. Maybe you can repair cars. You may have learned any number of trades during your time in the military. Never underestimate the power of your connections. Also never underestimate the power of your own convictions.

Involvement in the community can do wonders in expanding your business in the right direction. For example, the Danish firm Lego has teamed up with nonprofits to support Syrian and Burmese refugees. We all remember Legos not only from our own childhoods but also as we pick their detritus off the heels of our feet any time we walk around a child-centered household. Whoever came up with the idea for that toy was going somewhere.

Obviously, most of us are not Lego. However, smaller companies may use any of their own resources similarly. As the main point, smaller businesses, even home businesses, should use their offerings to reach out to their community. Brand loyalty itself can multiply your customer base. Maybe you have your own “Lego” idea that can engage your local community. 

Anything from your craftsmanship, your property, your trade skills, or even your good intentions may provide the seeds for a lucrative enterprise. One key word is “engagement.” Remember, your “goodwill” is marketable. Never underestimate the value of community connections. Also, never underestimate the value of time spent building these connections. Your own convictions and passions can launch your enterprise as much as any angel investor.

Smaller businesses often have products or services that may fit just right into the local economy. Rarely do small business owners reach the level of prominence of Elon Musk. However, good intentions do have value. In some cases, those good intentions may even propel a new business into prominence. New business owners should consider the resources they have and make the best use of anything they have to offer. 

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  

https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/

By James Pruitt, Senior Staff Writer

Businesses need to engage with customers in order to succeed. A good relationship requires demonstrated concern for the client’s well-being and satisfaction. 

1. Communicate with the customer in a manner they feel comfortable with.

Businesses should adapt to the communication preferences of their clientele. Many people find email time-saving because they can respond at their leisure. Others prefer texts because of the instant notification. Others prefer the familiarity of a phone call. Some who speak English as a second language feel more comfortable with a written message.

Additionally, not everyone uses Twitter, Ticktock, or Facebook, but assuming your clients do, why shouldn’t you? Proprietors and clients should sync with their clientele in the digital world as well as the real world.

2. When professional and practical, extend the relationship outside the business realm.

We’re talking about building friendships, or at least familiar customer relationships. Of course, we are excluding businesses that maintain professional boundaries, such as doctors and lawyers. However, owners of small shops, restaurants, and manufacturers have every reason to incorporate their personal relationships into their businesses. These kinds of relationships can help form a community of collegial, like-minded people who love your product or service. 

Here’s one funny strategy: Many companies recognize micro-holidays such as National Red-Apple Day, National Peanut Day, and World-Wide Volkswagen Beetle Day. Extra points if the holiday is relevant to your business!

Also, many companies make a small celebration out of the birthdays of customers and employees. A small card can go a long way in reminding your client of the importance of your practice. Even an internet celebration can soften hearts and create a familiar mood.

3. Product education can build a relationship

Especially with technical products, effective customer support can build rapport with the company. Different techy products may require different measures, depending on the industry. One example may be sponsorship of training classes for your product, if practical. As another option, a launching event for a new product may provide another option to build a community of loyal customers. Make it a party!

4. Find small ways to go above expectations

As we’ve said before on this blog, if you have extra inventory that you absolutely can’t get rid of, give it away for free. You may or may not want to give a birthday scene for the birthday boy or girl at a restaurant. But a more discrete strategy to make a connection may be a small birthday deal or gift. Polite, discrete ways to make customers feel special never hurt anyone and will increase your popularity with your customers.

Overall, whenever possible, always try to go above expectations when the opportunity arises. Maybe during a slow time, going the extra mile with a service or product just may keep the customer coming back. These measures are important not only to increase revenue but even to provide further online reviews.

5. Conclusion

Never forget the importance of a community of loyal customers to boost your brand. Only customer satisfaction can build your business to capacity. Even with the best conceivable product or service, only good marketing can build success for a veteran entrepreneur. Remember these maxims from this blog and those to follow.

VAMBOA, the Veterans and Military Business Owners Association hope that this article has not only been valuable but provided some unique perspective.  We work hard to bring you important, positive, helpful, and timely information and are the “go-to” online venue for Veteran and Military Business Owners.  VAMBOA is a non-profit trade association.   We do not charge members any dues or fees and members can also use our seal on their collateral and website.   If you are not yet a member, you can register here:  https://vamboa.org/member-registration/

We also invite you to check us out on social media too.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/vamboa

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VAMBOA

Do not forget that VAMBOA members receive significant discounts on technology needs.   Check them out here: https://vamboa.org/dell-technologies/