by
Peri on August 21st, 2010
I just read a post at The New York Times City Room Blog titled “Smartphones and Dumb Parents” which, as the title suggests, is a long-ish complaint about parents whose attention is on their smartphones instead of their kids. The author complains:
With a so-called smartphone seemingly at every adult’s fingertips, many parents are finding playtime to be the ideal time for answering e-mails, firing off text messages and browsing the Web — leaving their children to cavort about virtually unattended at playgrounds, pools and kiddie gyms.
I get it, and have thought about this quite a bit myself as an iPhone wielding parent and observer of other parents’ behavior “in the wild”: playgrounds, public pools, etc. My current feeling is that technology and communication devices aren’t the main problem, just a new manifestation of an age-old issue: parents sometimes just don’t watch their kids. Or, more generously, sometimes parents just need to check out for a bit. Here’s my response to the Times blog post: Read more…
by
Peri on August 5th, 2010
I recently finished teaching another 3-week session of Start Smart, a class offered by WESST on business start-up basics. In class #2 we look at cost-effective ways to market a business (hint: advertising is nowhere near the top of the list), and networking is a major part of this discussion. As I share with every class, I consider networking to be a self-employed lifestyle more than an activity. Every entrepreneur needs to create and nurture relationships with others in order to maximize opportunities and stay in touch with trends that could positively or negatively affect your business.
Inevitably, there are several in the class — if not the majority — who express anxiety and insecurity about networking. My response usually helps calm them down: Networking is not sales. For some reason this distinction is often lost on people, who think that networking means relentlessly pushing your product or service on potential customers. Not so! Folks that do this (and there always seems to be at least one at every networking event) are big turn-offs. Instead, think of networking as sharing with others the key details about what your business does (and listening to them share similar information), to open the possibility of some sort of interaction in the future. Making a sale to your new contact is only one possibility that might materialize, and not necessarily the most valuable one! If your new contact turns out to be a key supplier or strategic partner for your business, it could be the key factor in your business’s success. Viewing networking as a sales-driven activity is far too limiting.
In the book Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust, Chris Brogan and Julien Smith outline the qualities and behaviors of those who earn and are able to leverage credibility online; they call these people trust agents. This description (and much of the rest of the book) could easily apply to offline networking: Read more…
by
Peri on August 2nd, 2010
If you’re at all like me, you probably feel like a broken record when catching up with friends and family. It pains me to hear myself saying for what seems like the millionth time, “Oh, we’re super busy as usual” or “Life has been nuts for the last couple months” or “The insanity never ends!” It can be particularly disheartening for small business owners to feel life spinning out of control, since so many entrepreneurs chose self-employment because they wanted a better life for themselves, on their own terms.
As a business consultant and author who advises students and clients on this issue, I am certainly not immune! I may even be a case study. Despite the efficient work habits and systems that I’ve developed over the decades, I now find myself struggling and sweating to keep all the balls in the air due to a major life development: having a baby eight months ago. With a bouncing baby in addition to my supercharged 4-year-old, I suddenly find myself pulling all-nighters again like a college student.
The fact is, many small business owners struggle to keep a balance in their lives. The good news is that there are simple ways to help tame a crazy, over-busy life. I’ve learned the following tips from years of personal experience, and from working with scores of business owners doing similar juggling acts. Remember, these tips help bring things back into balance, but there’s no such thing as “achieving” balance with any finality. It’s all about the cycle and learning how to control it.
Read the rest at Monster.com.
by
Peri on July 6th, 2010
I’ve been thinking lately about the typical learning curve and development arc of new entrepreneurs, and the tendency for those new to small business to hold their cards really close to their chest. More than a few are driven by fear of having their ideas stolen (a common and usually misguided fear) or have overblown ideas about gamesmanship with their competition; others are insecure and afraid to share their problems and challenges with others lest they be viewed as weak or incompetent.
But as with most things that are driven by fear, this tendency to close one’s self off from others is almost always a net negative. In contrast, savvy, confident business owners aren’t shy to discuss their problems with their peers — and they can benefit mightily from exchanging their challenges, their war stories and their ups and downs. Besides just the psychological benefits of connecting with others and getting support (remember, running a business can be lonely), exchanging info with fellow business owners can help you improve your business as you develop a more sophisticated understanding of your trade.
When you discuss your problems with peers, you’ll usually learn that you’re not the only one who has that problem — which can lead you to see an opportunity to develop a new product, service or way of doing business that gives you a competitive edge. When you can solve the problem that everyone grapples with, you may have a killer product or service on your hands. But you won’t develop that solution until you see the problem, and you won’t see the problem until you network and share.
by
Peri on July 2nd, 2010
If you’re in Albuquerque, drop by Bookworks in the North Valley for my book signing! I’ll chat a bit about the ins and outs of self-employment and sign some books. Bookworks is my favorite local bookstore so I’m excited for the event! Bookworks is at 4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW (by Flying Star). More info here.
by
Peri on July 1st, 2010
…and so far they’re good! (We’re talking about my latest, The Women’s Small Business Start-Up Kit.) Please allow me to share a few with you.
From Feministing.com:
Do women business owners — or aspiring ones — really need a start-up kit of our own? If it’s Pakroo’s, then yes. Women have different experiences starting and running businesses than do men (as they do in other employed experiences), and the book retains its focus on women’s business without collapsing into stereotypes. What you won’t find here are go-girl pep talks; Pakroo assumes you can.
From Suite101.com:
Believe the hype! The Women’s Small Business Start-Up Kit by Peri Pakroo truly is just that — an all in one kit for entrepreneurs or anyone thinking of starting up a business or changing a career to become an entrepreneur.
Read more…
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Peri on June 15th, 2010
Lying awake in bed at 5am with a crying 7-month old last week, I suddenly remembered my cousin Nader Pakroo owns a great bar here in Milwaukee, Henry’s Pub. Which inspired me to contact him and plan an impromptu party for the release of my book! So it’s set: June 24, from 5-8pm. If you’re in or near Milwaukee, please stop by to say hi. Here’s a link to more info.
by
Peri on June 15th, 2010
Hola from the Great White North. Arrived in Milwaukee a week ago for an extended visit with the fam: my parents, sister, niece and in-laws. Next time I plan to fly anywhere with the kids and no husband, please talk me out of it! Packing, getting the house together for our housesitters, and the flights home left me traumatized for a week. I’m just getting a few brain cells back now.
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by
Peri on June 3rd, 2010
I’ve just written another piece for The Huffington Post on the question of what business to start. Here’s a sample:
The truth is, no business idea is ready to go right out of the gate. Every entrepreneur needs to poke and prod their idea to varying degrees and usually tweak it a little (or a lot) before it’s ready to launch. But folks new to the worlds of small business often wonder exactly how to go about this.
Here’s the nutshell version of the advice I give to my students and clients. At the most fundamental level, every business has two basic elements that will either help it succeed or drag it into the ground: the business idea itself, and whether the owner(s) are well-suited to run it. If either the idea is flawed or the business isn’t a good fit for the folks running the show, failure (or at least some serious stagnation) is probably just a matter of time.
Check out the whole piece: Don’t Just Start a Business — Start the Right One.
by
Peri on May 26th, 2010
I’ve always been a bit of a procrastinator (OK, perhaps more than a bit) and tend to do best when in crunch mode. I’ve long preferred to intensely focus on a project for the days or weeks it takes to get it done, rather than dutifully chipping away at it for a longer period of time. And over the years, I have developed a pretty keen sense of how long it will actually take to complete a project, so this “crunch” approach has by and large worked for me.
Then kids entered my life. Gone were the days where I could hole up for those days or weeks to attack a project. On the positive side, having kids has forced me to develop even more sophisticated time management skills and figure out ways to wring every last productive drop out of each hour of my day. I seriously never thought I could be this efficient! And working in this way helps keep my life in balance, which is generally a very good thing. Read more…
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