What gets YOUR goat?

People who can't or won't make decisions. I have known people who have been "thinking it over" for months, if not years. I rather have a person tell me no than have the uncertainty of a maybe. Great topic, especially for those of us who need to vent every once in awhile.

Profit Concepts, helping profits explode.

Inconsistant suppliers. You go into a meeting trying to sell their products for them and after its all done and you bring in the business. They change their mind on you. How can you plan anything when people won't follow through with what they've said they would do? Art T.

I'm going to say it - even though, I know I'm damaging my Chi by saying it out loud - not having enough time in the day, week, month or year.

Now - It is hard to always abide by the Law of Attraction or The Secret, when you really don't have enough time. I am trying to train myself in saying, "I have an Abundance of time!" But, I have not made it there yet.

Organization has a lot to do with that - I have the GTD (Getting Things Done by David Allen) system in place, and it's great. However, since I am human, some pieces begin to bow and crack with neglect.

That's my only caveat.

As someone on the "front end" of being in business, my top three sources of frustration are, in no particular order:

1. Difficulty in getting my name and services out there - how do you market w/ little to no marketing budget?
2. Learning how to deal with the plethora of people who want something for nothing; and
3. Figuring out how not to feel guilty for charging a fair fee for what I do.

Regarding that last one: lawyers can be expensive when you think in terms of dollars and cents. This doesn't, of course, account for the thousands and more a good lawyer can save you when she does her job right.

I have heard and taken to heart (as much as possible) the many posts and comments about "charge what you are worth, and if they don't want to pay it, someone else will." I get it. I want to embrace that way of doing business! But, following through can be excruciating when you're having a dry month! In other words, principle can be expensive.

I look forward to reading more here, and seeing what you and Chris come up with, Beth, to help us address these concerns!

Best,

Valerie

For me, two major frustrations are:

1. People asking for a “deal”. Let’s be honest, most people aren’t in business simply for the money, but everyone needs to eat and feed their five children! When money is tight you cannot expect others to cut corners for you. I feel disrespected when people ask this of me. It isn’t that I don’t want to give them a great deal, because I would LOVE to. Rather, it is that I too need to pay my bills!
2. Loosing clients to the “I know a guy…” phenomenon. Web design and development can be expensive. It makes my stomach churn when people walk away because of this and pay money to someone who is so-and-so’s nephew or kid brother. In my experience, the client always gets what they paid for. Unfortunately, that usually means a horribly designed site, with minimal functionality and that isn’t even online yet.

Erin - boy do I hear you on that! Funny things is, in the community I am involved with, PABA here in Portland (and other people I am in contact with) I am seeing a pattern.

They will go ahead with what they think is best, and eventually go through the wringer with unsavory results. They then come to me and get a much different approach and experience.

So I have come to understand this and realize that, in the end, it's no skin off my nose while they play around with cheaper, faster, cookie cutter options.

Very true Christian.

It is no skin of my back either, but I feel for their poor decision b/c the whole reason they wanted the quick fix was the lower cost... Now then end up spending more than they originally objected to!

Crazy how the works isn't it? I just discussed this over dinner with a friend who is in construction. Objecting to cost (over 50 cents!) and then in the long run, they add another project onto the list and wind up spending more anyway. Happens in all fields, it seems.

I get the frustration, I go through it all the time - and it does get to you. I think the best way to maybe combat this though is a list of all the things that they won't receive using the cheaper route.

I have not finished this part of my collateral, but I am working on it.

Haha, sounds like an awesome solution :-)

One thing that frustrates me is people who think they can do or learn everything themselves rather than delegate it out. Nobody knows everything.

It's not so much running a business that "gets my goat" but rather the peanut gallery. Childhood/old party friends who like to chime in on everything.

It's worse when it comes from the friends who really don't contribute, but just sort of exist. How do you explain to them why you're aggressively taking risks to move forward?

There are those of us who are always trying to get ahead, and then there are pikers who have lots of time to give their -$0.02.

I think what gets my goat is the Law of Abundance/The Secret teachings that have swept through so thoroughly and so many small business owners have grabbed onto.

I see so many people struggling in debt, trying to think/wish their way out of it. I just feel sad about it, especially since those teachings are misinterpretations of deeper spiritual teachings...

At this point, what gets my goat has to do with time spent in communication. We're transitioning from just me and my wife, to having others working with us, and I'm seeing where I'm not so clear in communication, and how much time needs to be spent in communication for things to work for us as a team, at least in the beginning...

I've so appreciated seeing everyone's input here.

Mark, I especially identify with your comments about communication. Part of the nature of my business is that I'm contantly working with new clients, and everyone communicates - and listens/hears/interprets/etc. - differently! I've had to make a conscious decision to put my own ego aside (i.e., "I know I was clear about this, how could they have misinterpreted?!") and look at how best to connect. In other words, it's not about being right (even when I am, dangit! lol), it's about learning to communicate effectively with each person with whom you come into contact.

Mark, I can feel for you with this whole "Secret" MLM scam. There are two coffee shops where I now make it a point not to make eye contact with strangers when I'm talking business. I've been approached by 4 "life coaches" trying to push "The Secret" on me. Every time I turn them down I expect them to counter with asking me if I'd be interested in Amway or some herbal supervitamin mlm scam.

My frustration is Cash Flow. We had an order on March 8th. I just got the money yesterday. I have decided we can only take an order from now on with a deposit. It makes no sense to do it any other way.

As for other frustrations, I can emphasize with all of you. I have designed programs, events at every level and the misunderstandings and misinterpretations would stun you. Now that I am a entrepreneur, I am even more acutely aware of how even a minor misunderstanding can have major repercussions from left field. No matter how clear you are, this is always possible, but the key is to always be working forward. Even in the worse times, this will give you the best opportunity to work through and come out in a better place.

As I have said many times, it is not what happens to you, it is how you respond to it that makes it what it is.

And that's too bad, what both Mark Silver and Sullivan said. It was bound to happen though. With something good, there will be those that twist is to make profits. I guess the same could be said for the publisher of the book and DVD.

I've several online discussions with people about The Secret and Law of Attraction - how you just can't wish things into reality. thought is great and real, but action has to follow.

Lately what's getting my goat is how my networking is turning into free consultations on my part. I don't blame anyone but myself for this, but it's finally hitting me how much I do it...and I'm starting to look at how to not give away so much for free.

(Especially when I really resonate with the concept of abundance and wanting to help people out with pure generosity. There's a fine line that I crossed somewhere recently that now I've accidentally given away my work for free. ARG!)

I loathe doing proposals, contracts, invoices, etc. Basically, stuff with numbers and legal crap. I JUST want to be creative.

I've learned to NEVER do anything without written contract, even with friends, unless it's a very casual advice dropping experience, etc. For anything major, a contract makes everything very clear regarding expectations, what is to be expected of each party, etc.

After some less than stellar experiences without contracts, I've learned I just gotta buckle down and do them. Blarg!

I like working with happy clients who are excited to pay me for their awesome projects. I loathe being nickeled and dimed for projects that are VERY fair in cost. Maybe it's a case of being more respected if I charge more. Isn't that the strangest concept?

Human psychology is goofy!

Hey Beth, this is a great discussion, thanks for starting it. And when going through the thread you realize how many things can "get our goat".

One biggie for me is in our marketing, design and copywriting business we have had for 15 years. I will get a call that goes like this..

Hi, do you do brochures?

Yes, we do

Good, how much would it cost me?

Well, we would need to discuss you needs to find out more of what you're looking for?

Okay, but how about a guess. You know, $500, $1,000....

blah, blah, blah

I wish I had a crystal ball that would give me that answer. It's amazing how in marketing so many potential clients think there is some magical figure for collateral pieces. I'm sure there are plenty of you out there that can relate to this.

Bob... I can definitely relate to your comment. During the 90's, I sold restaurant point of sale systems along with back office computer solutions. The systems were highly customizable and very specific to each restaurant's menu and operational style.

My biggest frustration was the same kind of request: How much does it cost? being the first sentence out of my potential clients mouth.

I evolved into replying with my own question of: If I were building you a custom home, would I have to give you a price before we sit down to discuss the details of what you want in your new home?

If that did not bring the conversation back to reality and if they continued to insist on wanting a price before I could do a reasonable analysis of their needs, I would try in the most pleasant manner to disengage and move on.

Wanting to be a nice guy, it is always frustrating when I forget that business is still about making meaningful "win-win" relationships and staying focused on our purpose. If we don't remember this, we just become a commercial "visitor" rather than a beneficial solution provider to our clients. ...Howard

Okay, in thinking back over my businesses, it had to be when I was a grantwriting consultant. It would either be:

1. "Can I meet you for coffee (or lunch) because I'd like to 'pick your brain.'" It rarely meant a paid assignment, but usually invloved 2-3 hours of free consulting, if only to help them think through their needs, problem solve issues like how to identify potential funding sources, etc., etc., etc. And it would happen even with friends. So I guess what gets my goat is when people undervalue my expertise and knowledge. I learned fairly quickly on that one.

OR

1. The other (okay Beth, you asked for it!) was when worthy nonprofits (usually the smaller ones with no budget for a grantwriter) would just ask me to contribute my services (from 40-50 hours to research and write the typical proposal).

Yes, you are a worthy nonprofit. So are all the other gadzillion ones out there! I ended up choosing one to contribute to now and then and telling the others, "Sorry, can't do it."

That is a particularly hard thing for me to do because in my heart I am so grateful for the work of nonprofits (was manager at one myself). We still give when we can. Bob was called recently on a brochure a small nonprofit needed. When he asked them what their budget was, the woman said, "$50." That was for design AND printing.

Beth,

I definitely feel you on the non-profit problem. My response to non-profits is usually to give them a highball estimate of what our services cost. That usually changes the topic.

Beth,

You've really touched a raw nerve here!

1) Vendors!

I devoted my last blog post to the problems I've had with vendors. AND, I appreciated the few who have been responsive and flexible.

Things I've caught myself thinking too often:

"Why does it require 6 calls to get a problem resolved?"

"When I have to spend three hours with customer service to resolve a software glitch, that's costing me money rather than saving or making me money!"

"If you only knew how irritated I am every time I have to step in and fix, clean up or remove something that you are obligated to provide under your contract, but I don't call you because it's just easier AND more cost effective for me to deal with it myself."

I'm happy to say that I'm doing better at not sand bagging these types of issues and dealing with them when they come up.

2) Trying to make things 100% for clients. Especially when they created or exacerbated the situation to begin with by not seeking legal counsel or failing to listen to previous legal counsel or, worse yet, taking advice from non-lawyers who don't have a clue. My apologies to all you erstwhile legal DIY'ers out there, but that's the unfortunate truth.

3) I'm seeing a pretty dramatic drop off in incoming business and I'm truly concerned about the economy. Which means I have to take more litigtion cases (i.e. new family law cases) than I normally would. Points 1 and 2 I can control to some extent, the economy I cannot.

Greedy, dishonest and/or abusive people. That's about it.

Everything else is temporary. Just go with the flow and tomorrow will be a new adventure. =)