Mike Clough, a self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur” and lead author of BestBizPractice.org, aptly breaks down the results of a new study released last week by the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Advocacy:

The study’s confirmation of what one would suspect; that early exposure to self-employment increases the chances of self-employment later on is not so surprising, but, it went a lot deeper.

The study revealed that in addition to early exposure to self-employment, other factors such as education, family size, family income, net worth and employment history also influence self-employment experiences during the early and mid-career years.

These findings are very important also in analyzing who is going to step outside the “rank and file” employee persona to forge ahead on a different path – a path of the leader of a company, that of an innovator who creates and builds, rather than takes orders and maintains. We agree with Mr. Clough’s observation (emphasis ours):

Quite frankly, this research supports my belief that we need to do a better job of fostering and supporting entrepreneurship for the sake of our economy and our nation. In fact, I think we could do with a little more focus on early entrepreneurship training for our youth and a little less on extracurricular activities that have limited potential as a career path.

For a full report of the results of the study, please visit A Longitudinal Analysis of Early Self-employment in the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSYs). More information is available on the Office of Advocacy website or you can phone the office at (202) 205-6533.

According to the article, the answer is most easily and effectively found by simply…asking:

The article discusses some sage advice, provided by Stacy West Clark in LawJobs.com. Clark suggests that simple questions, such as asking clients at the beginning of a project how often they would like things like updates, status reports, whether they want to receive these updates by phone or email…and asking at the end of the project how well the team performed.

Clark also includes several suggestions for improving client service. They are covered at length in her article, and we have listed them below. Many of these follow the concept of asking:

1. Most importantly, ask your clients.

2. Ask your entire payroll.

3. Be a client.

4. Designate someone in your firm to be a “secret shopper” client and test your firm’s responsiveness to e-mails, phone calls and website-based inquiries.

5. Hire great people.

6. Check your forms.

7. Be generous with praise for great client service.

8. Create a culture of client service.

9. Look for examples from non-legal experts as to how they ratchet up service.

According to Clark:

“Little things matter…Is your furniture stained? Are the brass door handles showing an inordinate amount of scuffing? Are the magazines very outdated? How does the receptionist treat guests? Are they greeted by name and welcomed, given a beverage etc.? The condition of your offices leaves a definite impression with a visitor.”

The most effective way to keep clients, and to grow your business from referrals from those clients, is to ensure that at your firm, “Customer Service” is more than just a department – it’s a company culture.

Presidents and CEOs sound like they are more valuable decision-makers than directors, and directors sure sound better than managers. We won’t waste our time with the staff and especially the gatekeepers because they don’t make decisions–right?

The truth is, they do make decisions. They make decisions every day that in some way affect the operation of the company.

Prevost presents a simple but effective solution:

Your best bet for contacting the people that own the problem is to start describing the problem. If you are selling copiers, call into your target company’s sales department and put the other person in a problem situation. Tell the sales rep on the other end: “I could really use your help. If your network printer-copier had a meltdown today, who would get the most heat for getting that thing back up and operational?”

Getting in touch with that person can certainly get a dialogue started quicker…and may lead to chance to present your solution to those who can sign the contract!

According to the article, companies who embrace a culture of civic and community responsibility and giving receive a huge return, including “double bottom-line results in employee loyalty and revenue”:

• Members on the 2009 Corporate Responsibility Officer’s 100 best corporate citizens list reported a 2.37 percent return shareholder value over three years, while the 30 “worst” corporate citizens experienced a negative 7.38 percent return.
• A Cone study found nearly eight of ten Millennials (those born 1980 and after) want to work for a company that contributes to society, while more than half say they would refuse to work for an “irresponsible corporation.”
• A 2010 CSR Perception Survey conducted by Penn Schoen Berland found 40 percent of respondents said they would take a pay cut to work at a socially responsible company, and 72 percent would sacrifice spending or salary to support corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• The same survey found 75 percent of consumers say corporate responsibility is important to them, and they are more likely to purchase products or services from a company after reading its responsibility agenda.

The article concludes with a question: “What are some corporate civic engagement models and practices you have found to be effective, engaging, and sustainable?” We found many of the responses in the comments following the article to be quite creative and motivating. We encourage you to read them, and add your own below in our comment section. We will feature some of the top answers in a future blog post.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

To see all 10, visit this link:

http://www.educopark.com/life-lessons/view/10-golden-lessons-from-steve-jobs

Four months after the earthquake, more than 1.5 million Haitians remain homeless. Many live amid utter devastation.

Yet enough aid has been raised to give each displaced family a check for $37,000. So why are so many still going hungry and living under flimsy shelters?

CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports the little known truth is, most of the $14.9 billion that’s been donated will be used on long term projects to rebuild Haiti.

While long-term growth and rebuilding projects are of course vital, one wonders how many people will not survive the hunger and inadequate housing, while waiting for the promised infrastructure to be complete.

What You Should Ask Your Clients

* When you decided to hire us, have you considered other options? If so, why did you choose us?

* How satisfied are you with the way you performed in that area? (If they tell you they chose your company because of its customer service, ask them how they would rate your customer service.)

* If we could do one thing different to increase your satisfaction level, what would this be?

* How likely are you to recommend us to your friends and colleagues?

What You Should Ask Leaving Clients

* Why did you decide to stop working with us?

* What could we have done to prevent this?

What You Should Ask Clients that Seemed Interested But Went with Your Competition

* What did you like about our proposal?

* What didn’t you like about it?

* In what areas was the proposal from Company XYZ better?

* What were the top factors that made you choose Company XYZ over us?

Members of our team have been involved for years with BNI, an international business networking organization. The founder Ivan Misner often states that it’s important to remember that you have two ears and one mouth, and you should use each proportionately. We agree strongly with this – the questions themselves are only as good as what you are able to do with the answers.

The USF Small Business Development Center, in partnership with the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center, will bring local, federal and state governmental agencies and major corporations together to network, educate, counsel and ultimately, contract, with small business firms.

We feel confident that the relationships we build during this conference will be of great benefit to our clients.

Mr. Davis will present HR: The “Insurance Policy” against expensive litigation and lower profits. His presentation is scheduled to be held on Monday, August 30, 2010 at 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm.

Mr. Chanfrau will present OSHA in a Changing World: New Compliance Directives You Need to Know. His presentation is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 at 10:30 am – 11:30 am.

Both are honored to have been called upon to play an important role in the learning experience of the attendees and to help in serving their educational needs.