“Miss Jessie’s: Creating a Successful Business from Scratch — Naturally” by Miko Branch with Titi Branch (Amistad, $24.99).
Starting by creating and making hair-care products at their kitchen table, the Branch sisters built Miss Jessie’s (missjessies.com) into a multi-million dollar business. They didn’t go to business school; they didn’t come from money; they didn’t have connections. What did they have? The sister act had ingenuity, street smarts, a dedication to making it happen — and family encouragement.
Here’s some of their “Kitchen Table Wisdom”: Your business isn’t just about your business. If you want to ensure its growth, think outside its box. Keep your eyes open for trends and ideas that may affect your business. Opportunities and obstacles require tweaking your plans.
Commitment and passion will only take you so far. Maintaining the status quo won’t grow your business. Take calculated risks. Learn from mistakes (i.e. finding out what not to do).
Develop a diverse network. Use it to obtain feedback, fill in your blanks, connect your dots and hone your skills.
“Moving too fast can cost too much.” Building on success requires research and planning. The resources required to expand the pipeline may not deliver the ROI expected.
Talk with, not to, your customers and stakeholders. Discover what they value with the understanding that one size does not fit all. Use their feedback to explore possibilities for you and them. When they know you’re listening, trust and loyalty develop.
“Be the best representative of your brand. The manner in which you present yourself speaks volumes…, and can have a direct impact on your business relationships.”
Don’t burn yourself out. Invest in a team and leverage their skills.
“Send out press releases and fliers to every media outlet.” If your story gets picked up, it’s free PR. If it’s not, alter the message and keep sending. Social media needs to be tapped, too.
Shortcuts inevitably lead to problems, which often lead to quality and service-delivery issues. Corollary: Make sure you have the resources to deliver on your promises.
Key takeaway for family businesses: “Keep work and personal feelings separate.” Mixing the needs of the business with the emotions of family creates friction on both fronts.
• • •
“Been There, Run That” edited and introduced by Kay Koplovitz (Rosetta Press, $30).
Koplovitz, founder of the USA cable network and now the head of a venture capital firm focused on women entrepreneurship, curated advice from alumnae of her springboard program. Here are some insights:
Denise Brosseau (CEO of Thought Leadership) — “Three ways to expand your future.” 1. Share knowledge with staff tackling other parts of the same challenge. 2. Use a peer network to discuss how to approach hurdles and identify alternatives. 3. Become active in industry/trade associations. The wider your scope of inquiry, the more doors you’ll open.
AlexAnndra Ontra (co-founder of Shufflr) — “Get more time to think.” Create a daily to-do list by considering your goals for the day. Quality work time involves managing interruptions with wait, and making sure colleagues know you’ve blocked out times for email and voicemail. Take a break to “refresh, recalibrate and focus.”
Sarah Endline (CEO of sweetriot) — “How to move your product to market.” You need a team that embraces and executes your vision, a cut-above product — and a comprehensive distribution strategy. Hire the best; invest in their development. Emphasize quality. Your target customers should provide the answer to the “Why these channels?” question. Distribution also involves post-sale support and product promotion, both of which help keep the reorder pipeline filled.
Key takeaway: Muriel Siebert (1928-2013; former CEO of Siebert Financial) — “Take Stands. Take Risks. Take Responsibility.”
Jim Pawlak is a nationally syndicated book reviewer.
