Vermont Shortbread Company

Some Thoughts About Self Employment

I had a great meeting with some other Vermont Specialty food producers yesterday.  Seems we're all in similar boats with similar passions...and similar challenges. 

I've recently felt the power that I create when I ask for and pay for help in all the little tasks involved in running a business.  I used to think that if I didn't do it myself, it wouldn't be done right or that I couldn't afford to hire help.  That's the kind of thinking that keeps small businesses small.  There are times you just have to take a deep breath and hand over tasks and recognize that they might not be done the way you do them.  The beauty in this is that you also learn that if you've attracted people you trust and admire into your circle, the tasks may be performed in new and more creative ways than you might have ever imagined alone!  The point is: there comes a time when you (I mean ME here) must check your (MY) ego at the door if you (I) are to grow and allow others to share their knowledge and willingness to help.   My business and my ego are at that point. 

It was refreshing and reassuring to learn yesterday that my story as a small specialty food biz is not at all unique.  So many of us just throw in the towel because it becomes so challenging to produce and deliver product, work full time at jobs outside our businesses, find production space, grow without going into debt.  So, I actually felt pretty darn proud of myself that I've been doing this for 10 years and have not thrown up my hands and given up.  Believe me, the thought, "Why the heck am I doing this?" has crossed my mind many times.  Why the heck am I doing this?  Simple: financial self reliance based on work that meets my need to fully and freely express my creativity coupled with an intense distrust and ennui around corporate employment. 

It has become apparent after yesterday's meeting that there have got to be more ways that we small Vermont specialty food companies can support one another.  Some thoughts are brewing in my early morning brain about what that means for me in terms of what I can contribute and how I can turn my experience and talents into a full time profession. 

But that's going to have to wait until after the holidays.  Right now, I'm elbow deep in butter and loving it. 

Ann Zuccardy

Vermont Shortbread Company President, (aka The Butter Babe)

Clerk or CEO?

I recently had the epiphany, sparked by conversations with an entrepreneur friend experiencing growing pains of her own, that I am mostly acting like a clerk in my business when I want to be a CEO in my business. 

What's a clerk? 

A clerk works IN the business.  Clerks attend to details.  What clerical tasks have I been doing?  For starters: racing all over Chittenden county delivering shortbread, data entry, running my own article marketing campain (and not submitting many articles), doing my own bookkeeping, doing inventory in the bakery, cleaning the bakery, answering phones, responding to every email that lands in my inbox, shuffling huge piles of paper, racing to the post office and the bank, placing orders for office supplies...there's more, but I'm too tired to list them. 

What's a CEO?

A CEO works ON the business.  CEOs plan.  They understand the big vision.  They write the business plan and then seek out the support they need to carry it though.  They delegate.  They analyze data from their efforts and then realign and tweak when the data doesn't support the current effort.  They see their businesses as separate entities from themselves.  They love their businesses AND they are able to step outside and look in as an objective observer.  They outsource the tasks they don't know how to do or don't have time to do.  They have organized desks.  They budget their dollars not from a scarcity standpoint, but from a potential ROI (return on investment) point of view. They don't make hasty decisions that might jeopardize their business or their wallets.  They trust their instincts.  They act confident even when they're quaking in their boots. They don't give up.  They are human and take care of their physical bodies because they recognize that there are no awards given out for martyrdom.  They are humble and honest and freely admit when they've made mistakes without perseveration.  They have excellent senses of humor, often making fun of themselves (in a compassionate way).

Lori Davis coined the phrase "guppy or shark" in her blog.  It's a little more creative than "clerk or CEO", but the sentiment is the same, I think.  I'm a little bit CEO, but mostly clerk at this point in my entrepreneurial lifecycle.  (I'm sorry, but I just found myself humming "I'm a little bit country, you're a little bit rock and roll" from the old Donny and Marie Show and found it hilarious). I want to be more CEO and less clerk.  I know I must make this shift if I am to grow into a shark...ummm...CEO.  I haven't really understood how to do that for a long time because I was stuck in a scarcity mode of thinking and because this entire exercise is so new, unfamiliar, and uncomfortable to my brain!    

Sometimes, especially when you're first starting out, you have to just suck it up and be BOTH roles.  However, there comes a point, when you have to decide, "Do I want to a guppy or shark, child or grown-up, clerk or CEO?"  While I have nothing against guppies, children, clerks...I didn't start my business with the goal to be a guppy, child or clerk.  Heck, I'd be employed by a big corporation for 60 hours a week until I retire if I wanted guppidom or clerkhood!   

Come test the CEO waters with me.  It's a little scary and exciting.  So, what's it going to be for you, small business owner?  Clerk or CEO? 

Ann, Vermont Shortbread Company's sometimes clerk, sometimes CEO

What's an Entrepreneurial Brain?

Today I was talking to a friend who had given me a great referral several months ago.  I finally connected with the referral, but not without a lot of back-and-forth phone calling, other priorities, and brain dysfunction (forgetting what to do because I have so much on my plate),and then finally when I connected with the guy, feeling really embarrassed that it had been such an ordeal for us to talk.  I immediately liked the referral (we'll call him Bob) because he was funny, goofy, incredibly creative, and like me, talked in a rush of right brain stream of consciousness. 

The friend who had given me the referral said, "Oh well, you know how Bob is...he has an entrepreneurial brain...he's off in a zillion directions and it's really hard to pin him down."  I replied, "Wow, you just described me!" 

So is an entrepreneurial brain always in full gear, forgetful, and scattered, with its head in the cloulds?  Perhaps...a little.  However, in order for the entrepreneur to organize and act efficiently upon her thoughts to make things happen, some amount of logical left-brained thinking and planning is required.  If I had a dime for every "brilliant" idea I've had for a book, an article, or a new business, I'd be retired and driving something fancier than a Honda Civic.  But, let's face it, at some point we all have to pick what it is we want to do, focus, and ACT with consistency.   There's the great American myth out there that we're entitled to have it all...effortlessly and now.  Pooey.   

I'm wondering if what I need is a project manager.  Someone who really gets the entrepreneurial mind, won't stomp on creative thinking, but will pull me down to earth when I'm floating in la-la land and day-to-day tasks need more focus.  It's a delicate balance really.  I don't want to thwart the entrepreneurial brain.  I just want to be in more control of it.  It rarely shuts off and is actually even more active when I sleep.  My best insights and ideas come to me in dreams.

How do successful highly sensitive, right-brained entrepreneurs nurture, yet control their entrepreneurial brains?  I'd love to meet more of them.  I need one to mentor me - repeatedly tell me I'm a brilliant genius and then remind me and help me to learn to focus better on the task at hand is for TODAY.  Most of all, I just want to be assured the entrepreneurial brain is a gift, not a liability...if focused wisely.   I want to know I'm not going crazy, I don't have ADD, and I'm not getting senile.   

Are you a successful entrepreneur with what I call "entrepreneur brain"?  I want to hear your story.  I want to know your challenges and how you pushed through them to find that sweet, sweet success I call self-reliance, balance, and working with passion.  Give me a bite. I'm so hungry. 

Relaxation, Rewards, and Business Success

We all know that relaxation and peace of mind are essential to physical and mental well-being.  As small business owners often working more than the average person employed outside the home, we know all too well the toll working long hours can take on the creative process and eventually, our bodies. 

Of course, knowing this and paying attention to it are two different issues.  The perpetual issue of how to create balance comes up time and time again for me as my business grows. 

One self-care item that I will NEVER compromise on again is sleep.  Sleep is free.  Sleep is essential.  There are numerous studies that show how lack of adequate sleep creeps into all areas of our lives and creates physical havoc down the road.  Americans often wear their lack of sleep like badges of honor (see how hard I work at the expense of my own health?).  Just like every small business owner, I experience insomnia or the occasional all-nighter.  Once in a while, when I'm paying attention to a creative impulse, that's an energizing change of pace. However, when push comes to shove, I require a consistent diet of 7-8 hours a night or else...everything falls apart.  And guess what, I am a thousand percent healthier than I was when I was not sleeping and working all the time.  Even if your business is grossing millions of dollars a year, if you're not healthy, who cares?

Downtime is another self care item that is free.  I believe unstructured, no expectations downtime  where one wears one's PJs all day, away from all business tasks is essential now and then.  Some need more of it than others.  As an introvert (I have been a Myers Briggs INFJ all my life), I require a lot more than say an extrovert who likes to interact with others as a way of re-energizing.  For me, it means not answering the phone after 9 or when the number of someone who irritates me appears on the caller ID.  Sometimes it means cancelling all obligations for the day and reading a trashy novel with a cup of tea.  I believe we all know what the right amount and style of downtime is for ourselves and must honor that no matter how tempted we are to keep working.  Yes, we entrepreneurs are a driven, overachieving bunch and it's a constant battle to know when to stop working.   We need to learn the signals each of our bodies give us that tell us, "You've had enough.  Chill out." 

Then there are the non-essential, non-free forms of self care.  For some, it's a manicure or a massage, a meal at a favorite restaurant or a shopping trip.  For others it's a vacation.  For me, it's a special present I bought myself a few weeks ago - my little no-frills hot tub in the middle of the woods in my backyard.  I worked, saved my pennies from my own labor, and bought myself a present with my earnings - all mine to share or not to share as I see fit.  It means a lot to me because I earned it through my own work.  When there's not a ton of earned cash in the coffers, a single piece of dark French chocolate, a bouquet of fresh spring flowers, or a back rub from my husband or child will do just as nicely, thank you.

Finding creative ways to treat and reward oneself is essential to business success.  Not doing it will surely contribute to small business failure.  It's not the price tag, it's the action that counts. 

Big or small, frugal or pricey, there are a zillion and one ways to relax, reward, and replenish.  How do YOU re-energize and renew?   

Roast Your Nuts!

Vermont Shortbread Company's baker and friend, Jenny, recently suggested I roast my almonds before adding them to my shortbread dough. 

I tried it. 

Jenny was right.  Roasting the almonds enhances and deepens their flavor.  It makes a wonderful shortbread sublime. 

I should have known that, but I resisted the urge to bash my head against the wall about it.  That takes too much energy that I could direct elsewhere. 

I'm not going to "shoulda" myself.  Here's the thing.  As small business owners always "in" our businesses, we may not see what may be perfectly obvious to an outsider or newbie.

Lesson learned: ask people you trust for feedback.  Jenny has not only taught me to roast my nuts, but she has streamlined the baking process by eliminating excess steps around the bakery.  She's creative AND logical.  Because her head isn't stuck in shortbreadland, it's much easier for her to come up with baking solutions than it is for me.   

Small business owners aren't expected to know everything about their business.  It's impossible and you'll set yourself up for a lot of head banging frustration. 

Where can you "roast your nuts" in your business?  Where is your energy best directed?  Ask a trusted employee or friend today. 

Gourmet Gifts: Nurturing Client Relationships Through Food

by Dina Giolitto

If you've ever worked for a large company, you know that some of the best times are had while noshing on gourmet gifts of appreciation from your vendors. Nothing like a Harry and David's basket filled with succulent pears, fine cheeses, dainty little shortbread cookies, and tiny jars of wild fruit preserves, to ensure that yes... the contract will be extended for yet another year. Or how about a sake-induced buzz around the hibachi table with your cubicle mates... sushi works of art making the rounds as cleavers and hunks of filet mignon dance in the air. It's these joyous, food-filled moments that tell us, yes... we're going with the same printing company for the 12th year in a row. So dig in and drink up... life is good and we love our service providers!

Great customer care brings long-term business, but the way to your clients' hearts is through their stomachs. Edible gifts offer comfort, relieve stress and smooth things over nicely when negotiations suddenly go sour. They also fix seemingly unsolvable problems. I recall a time when my former boss stormed into the creative director's office and unloaded a mile-long laundry list of complaints... only to return later with a large tray of bakery cookies that had been sent to ease our disgruntled souls. Did we hurl the cookie peace offering to the floor, stomp our feet defiantly and hand in our resignation letters?

No. We ate the cookies, licked our fingers and went back to work.

The gourmet food gift is a very powerful business tool indeed. If it wasn't, there woudn't be a space on your tax form where you can write off meal expenses. But what do you do when you're a small start-up, and Omaha Steaks, Godiva Chocolates and Williams-Sonoma bottled creations are a wee bit beyond your price range? Well, you might consider one of the many online gourmet gift providers who offer the convenience of internet shopping plus the quality, freshness, and personalized service that only a fellow small biz owner can promise.

Indeed, virtual consultants and gourmet gift-seekers need only look as far as their computer to discover the service-with-a-smile Mom and Pop shop equivalent of the downtown bakery with the aroma of warm rolls wafting out; the local orchard where you can get a sumptious homemade fruit pie to go, or that quaint little corner candy shop that dips their own chocolates.

Got a client in mind whom you'd love to express your thanks with a tasty token of appreciation? No, you can't buy them dinner at one of the local hot spots if they're across the country... but it's easy enough to send them food by mail. Make your gourmet selection at any one of the fine online establishments bearing gifts of real, fresh food. Place your order via online shopping cart and have your edible gift delivered within one to two weeks.

Imagine how delighted your client will be to open the surprise parcel and uncover a delectable gift of freshly baked cookies, crisp crackers and zesty spreads... gourmet cheese, fine wine, or any number of other ingestible delights that can be ordered on the web with little to no fanfare. And the best part is, most online own food business owners frequently offer reduced rates on their products if you express interest in bulk ordering from them on a regular basis.

Millions of creative online entrepreneurs offer unique food gifts that speak of handcrafted ingenuity, quality ingredients and sleek packaging that will reflect your professionalism. Put your gift-giving responsibility in their loving care and it's almost as good as saying to your customers, "I prepared this delicious food for you with my own two hands."

Yes, an edible conversation piece will keep you in the mind of your best clients for sure. In a world where high-speed connections rule the day and common courtesy has gone the way of the 50 cent cup of coffee... isn't it nice to know that you can still count on gourmet gifts to foster positive client relations?

Copyright 2006 Vermont Shortbread Company. All rights reserved. This article supplied by Wordfeeder.com Copywriting and Marketing Services.

Give your best clients a taste of what they're missing: buttery-rich, authentic Vermont Shortbread. Place your online order for our corporate shortbread, boxed fresh from the oven and shipped right to your customer's office doorstep, at http://VermontShortbread.com

Ann's Business Tip of the Day: Barefoot Contessa Says...

It's a gray, damp, cold Sunday and I'm cozied up on the couch with the dog watching the Food Network. 

While it's not my favorite cooking show,  I do enjoy watching the Barefoot Contessa occasionally.  I'm watching her today.  Within 5 minutes of tuning in, Ina Garten said something I found profound and telling (and it will certainly inspire me to watch her more as it speaks of work values in alignment with personal values). 

On today's show she said, "I won't hire anyone who I wouldn't want to have dinner with."  This seemingly innocent statement resonates on many levels for me. 

I've been thinking about the amazing circle of support I've attracted in my own business and I realized today, that I too, would never hire anyone I wouldn't share a special meal with.  Connection, passion, creative vision, and a slow mindful approach is where I want to be in my business and in my life.  I cannot separate the two. 

When I think of sharing a meal with any one of the people I've attracted into my business circle, I am excited.  I am pumped.  Last night, I did just that.  I assembled a small group of entrepreneurial women at my home to celebrate my birthday with a lovely healthy meal prepared by Carol Hutcheon of Hungry Hormones, LLC.  For me, the energy generated from a bunch of creative entrepreneurs sharing a colorful, beautifully presented meal (and not necessarily talking business) provides far more insight and inspiration than just about any business book, course, or seminar I can imagine.  Food draws people together.  Good food combined with good people creates creative energy like no other I've ever felt. 

If anyone had told me a year ago that to grow my business I needed to slow down and take care of non-business items first by sharing laughter, food, and wisdom around a dinner table, I would have laughed my butt off.  I didn't have time for such indulgence. 

Now I know I'm on to something powerful sparked by the slow food movement as a model for business.  I want more. 

I will always hire people with whom I want to share a great meal.  That's my tip for the day and I'm sticking to it. 

Wordfeeder.com Cooks Tasty and Effective Marketing Copy for Your Food Business

Do you own a small specialty food business?  Are you a weekend gourmet just itching to get your delicious inventions out to market?  Do you want to create a foodie web site?  Or some tasty copy that will compel your customers to buy your creations?  Need some internet marketing direction for your fledgling food biz? 

Wordfeeder.com can help. 

Dina Giolitto is not just a copywriter/marketing guru...she is a passionate, savvy foodie.  Dina loves talking about your good food product and does it from the heart.  Her knowledge and excitement about food combined with her years of copywriting and internet marketing experience create the perfect recipe to get your food business noticed. 

How do I know? 

My ezine is getting read.  Orders are coming in through the web site Dina designed.  My blog traffic is increasing.  My business is growing.  For a sample of Dina's work, see my web site at www.vermontshortbread.com.  Be sure to sign up for my ezine while you're there (it's another one of Dina's creations).

If you've got a great food product, want some support building your platform, or just want to build some buzz around good eating, check out Wordfeeder.com. 

Yum.

WCAD (Web Content Awareness Day)

Now here's a reason to celebrate (preferably with shortbread and the beverage of your choice).  There's a special holiday this year designed to promote web content (article marketing, blogging, affiliate programs, copywriting, search engine optimization, and much more).  It's called WCAD (Web Content Awareness Day).  Whether you're a veteran or a newbie, there's something for everyone.  Check it out.   

How to Protect Your Dream at Dysfunctional Family Get-Togethers

©2005 Suzanne Falter-Barns

http://howmuchjoy.com

OK, it’s the holidays. And with the holidays come family. And with family comes either buckets of love and support for your dream … or a certain coolness.

It’s not that all family members mean to be intentionally rude; it just may be that they can’t relate to what you’re up to. Could be you’re the ‘creative one’ in the family, and they just don’t get why you had to quit your job in banking to be an actor who works nights at Starbucks. And yes, sadly enough, there may be certain family members who are simply jealous – especially if you’re successful doing what you love and they’re not.

You can protect this very important thing you are meant to do. Think of your dream as a tiny, newborn child -- one who will thrive, but only if you give it proper nurturing and protection.

May I offer some tips for taking care of your dream baby over the holidays. Top of the season to you!

Remember that you’re not around to live up to anyone else’s expectations … save for you own. A little affirmation to that end can be really useful when up against it. Try repeating a key phrase to yourself if the going gets really rough, like “I’m more than enough, just the way I am.”