LaKesha Womack

Archive for the tag “Employer”

21 Sep 2010

Writing your mission statement

Every business/ organization should have a mission statement.  A mission statement sets the tone for your organization and communicates the operational expectations from management to all involved with your organization.  Although mission statements are generally pretty short, about three to four sentences, because you want it to be something memorable; they usually take quite a bit of time to compose because of the complexity of the statements.  Check out my tips for writing an effective mission statement…

  • Consider the various levels of your organization.  Your mission statement should communicate with your management team, your employees, your customers and everyone else who comes in contact with your organization.  When they read the statement, they should each receive some message from the statement.
  • Focus on what you want your company to be known for.  This is the place to set the expectation of how you want your organization to be viewed, “the industry leader in green job creation” or “a learning resource for children with disabilities”.  Once someone reads your statement, they should not have any questions about what your organization does.
  • List the strengths of your company.  Make sure you point out what your company does well and how it benefits the customer.  One sentence should make a direct correlation between your organization and the customer.
  • Make sure it is easily understood.  Don’t get so caught up in words that the sentences become too complex to be easily understood.  In our society, people don’t read a lot.  You want a statement that is just that, a statement.  It makes a point and gets right to it.  Don’t try to be clever or beat around the bush; just say it.

I hope these tips help you to write an effective mission statement that is clear, concise and communicates who you are and what you do.  Don’t feel pressured to complete this is an hour or even a couple of hours.  Also, enlist the assistance of some people involved with your organization to get their opinion of whether your mission is on track with they actuality of your organization.

Check back next week, I will give tips on writing your vision statement.

Posted in Business Dollars and Sense and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
24 Aug 2010
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Choosing the right employee title

There are so many decisions that business owners have to make to establish and grow their business.  One of those decision is choosing the right employee title once you are ready to bring assistance into the business.  I have noticed some people having difficulties filling job positions for a variety of reasons, however today we will deal with employee titles.

When working in a small company, it may be tempting to empower your employees through their titles but you are actually doing them a disservice if they ever leave your company.  Let’s say, your best friend has a few years of marketing experience and you can’t afford to pay him over $30,000 so you decide to compensate by labeling him the Director of Marketing.  This title is out of line with his experience and salary level and will make it difficult for him to find a comparable position at another company.  Although him leaving and looking for work elsewhere really isn’t your problem, you should always be setting yourself and others up for success.

Let’s take a look at a few job titles:

  • Assistant: as the title implies this person will be assisting someone with some things; the position will generally have more administrative tasks assigned and they will report to someone on a regular basis; the salary range for this position ranges between $24,000 and $36,000 depending on the size of the company and the scope of responsibilities
  • Manager: again, as the title implies this person will be responsible for managing a part of your company, they will generally have the responsibility of ensuring projects are complete and may have employees and/or assistants reporting to them; the salary range for this position is typically between $30,000 and $60,000 depending on the size of the company and scope of the projects they are responsible for overseeing
  • Director: these persons will assist in directing the organization toward the mission and/or goals, they spend a great of time strategizing, meeting with other directors to ensure  a cohesive plan for the organization is established and providing directives to the Managers to carry out, Director can also imply someone who sits on a Board of Directors (typically only Directors of for-profit organizations are paid while most Directors of not-for-profits work as volunteers); the salary range for Directors usually starts around $60,000 and escalate depending on the size of the company and scope of operations they are responsible for directing
  • Vice-President: a company will not typically have very many Vice-Presidents unless it is large and there is a need for the Directors to have someone to report to; the salary range is generally near or in the six-figure range and the scope of their responsibilities will vary depending on the overall needs of the organization
  • President: this person is responsible for the overall operations of the company; typically the Vice-Presidents or Directors will report to the President and they will create the mission, vision and goals for the organization; the President is often the Owner of the business, however, larger corporations may hire someone to fill this position; if the position is a hired employee the salary will normally be in the six-figure range but business owners sometimes take a lower salary so that they can reinvest in the business

Obviously there are more variations however these are the most common and caution should be taken when hiring people using these titles.  The job title implies many things and part of finding the right employees is making sure they can live up to your expectations.

Posted in Business Dollars and Sense and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
17 Aug 2010
1 Comment

Which stage of business ownership are you in?

During my Twitter chat (#BOSSchat) with The BOSS Network last week, a very interesting question was posed: what’s the difference between being self-employed and a business owner?  I believe there are four stages of being in business for yourself.

Stage One – Self EmployedYahoo! Merchant Solutions - 120x600
Most people start out being self-employed.  At this stage you have a product and/or service to offer and will employ yourself to do the majority of the work.  You may have people who help you but the bulk of the responsibility for making your ship sail is in your hands.  You don’t have much time away from the business and probably feel as though it is consuming your life.  It is difficult to strike a proper work/life balance but you are not sure that you trust anyone else with your baby/business.  This stage is the most frustrating but survival is the key to your success.

Stage Two – Business Owner
 You have now progressed to having a manager or someone to take over the bulk of the responsibilities for your organization, however you are still involved in the day-to-day operations of the business.  You don’t feel totally comfortable delegating tasks to others but realize that it is necessary for you to be successful.  At this level, you should take advantage of opportunities to leave the business and network in your community.  You have successfully established your brand, now is time to put a face with a logo.  You may also begin to consider what is next for yourself personally and professionally.

Stage Three – Entrepreneur
 Most business owners or self-employed people that I know have visions of owning more than one business.  People toss around the word “entrepreneur” to define anyone who owns a business, however, I believe you become an entrepreneur once you are able to successfully establish a business AND begin working on additional projects whether professional or community based.  These opportunities will provide you with additional leadership skills and business connections that can help make some of your goals attainable.  As an entrepreneur, you may now feel the freedom to travel to travel to industry related events with the confidence that you have created a solid foundation within your business and that things will continue as you have envisioned.

Stage Four - Philanthropist
 Once you have had a chance to establish yourself and build a successful business, you should have some connections and some money in the bank.  I believe that most of us strive to make a difference in our community.  How do you do that?  Money and influence.  Do you see the connection?  Many times we see older people in our communities making decisions and being power players.  This is because they have amassed the connections and capital to have influence over decisions.  At this stage, people are coming to you seeking advice, financial assistance and consider you an industry leader.

Which stage of business ownership are you in?  Are you ready to move to the next stage?  If so, contact me ~ contact@lakeshawomack.com ~ for a one hour complimentary consultation to discuss strategies to help you achieve your goals.

Posted in Business Dollars and Sense and tagged , , , , , , , ,
20 Apr 2010

Tips on Firing Employees

Firing an employee can be one of the hardest tasks in your job.  It is rarely enjoyable to terminate someone’s employment thus their ability to provide for themselves and/or their family.  However, there are instances where letting someone go is unavoidable.  Use these tips to help you prepare for the event:

  • Make sure the termination is not a surprise to the employee.  If you are having problems with an employee, you should make at least one attempt to communicate the issue with the employee and give them an opportunity to rectify the situation.  I don’t believe it is fair for you to have an issue with someone, not tell them, allow it escalate and then fire them.  They may not even realize that they are doing anything wrong and you cannot assume that they know if you have not told them.
  • Document everything and have the employee sign off on it.  Many employers are concerned about paying unemployment benefits.  If you document the problems that you are having with the employee and allow them to sign off on documentation so that you can provide proof that a problem existed which led to their termination then you may be able to avoid paying unemployment (you may still be required to pay unemployment benefits but this can make filing your paperwork easier)
  • If the employee refuses to sign off on the documentation, ask him/her to write “I refuse to sign.”  Although having them sign does not mean that they agree with the documentation, it is necessary to have proof that the documentation was discussed with the employee.  If you don’t believe that the meeting will be civil, make sure you have a witness sit in and sign off on the documentation.  The witness should not be someone at or below the employee’s position.  If necessary, you may want to call in a Human Resource Consultant or an Attorney, depending on the nature of the reprimand, for assistance.
  • It is best to meet with them at the beginning of their shift in a private place.  I had a client that would allow the employee to work a full day and fire them at the end of the day.  I did not agree with this tactic because the employees seemed to have a deeper level of resentment toward the ex-employer because they felt as though they were being used on that last day.
  • Be upfront with the employee.  Have solid facts, not feelings, about their work performance to site as your reasons for termination.  Your feelings are subjective and could be grounds for a wrongful termination lawsuit.  Documented facts, on the other hand, will provide a solid defense if needed.  When dealing with employees in any situation, you should avoid using feelings such as “I believe…,” “I think…” or “I feel…”  You should use concrete terms like “On December 15, you….”, “The report you completed on January 19 incorrectly stated…”, or “Your actions on March 30 cost the company $xx,xxx”
  • Explain to the employee what will happen next.  You should address when/how they will receive their final compensation, when/how they will be able to gather their personal belongings, when/how they will be able to access unemployment and/or COBRA benefits (if applicable) and whether or not you will be willing and/or able to provide a reference for the employee (i.e. if a future employer calls and asks whether you would rehire the employee). 

Terminating an employee is rarely an easy task but I hope these tips will help you to be prepared and allow the process to flow as smoothly as possible.  Remember, this person was once an ambassador for your company.  If they go out saying negative things about your organization, they may be deemed more credible than a customer because they were on the inside so people will believe they are getting the inside scoop on your business.

Posted in Business Dollars and Sense and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a Comment
13 Apr 2010

Interview Tips to Hire the Right Employee

Good help is hard to find… Sometimes we, as business owners, set ourselves up for failure by not asking the right questions during the interview process and not doing our due diligence to determine the credibility of a candidate. Try these five tips to help you hire the right employee.

  1. Make sure you have a specific job description for the position you are hiring.  There are many online resources that you can use to find generic job descriptions but make sure you tailor it to include everything you want the employee to be responsible for.  Bonus: if someone at your company is currently in the job position, ask them to review the description to ensure it is accurate.
  2. Once you have selected five to ten candidates to interview, do your due diligence before scheduling the interview.  First, you should check their references.  I know that many companies are not doing this because I have had several people list me as a reference on a job application and I haven’t received any communication.  By checking their references before the interview, you can save yourself some heart ache. The person may be a great interviewer but have a horrible work ethic.  Question to ask: provide the job description and ask reference to name three reasons why this candidate would be a good fit for the job.
  3. Next, contact their previous employer.  Legally, there are only a few questions that you can ask without violating privacy laws.  I suggest: Would you rehire this employee?  Also, verify that the job description on their resume matches with what the previous employer actually hired the employee to do.
  4. Google them. It is amazing what you can find out about people online.  It may seem like you are invading this person’s privacy, but you don’t want to follow them on Twitter or become their friend on Facebook, however you do want a snapshot of the person outside of the office.  Remember this person will be working for company, thus they will be an ambassador for your organization.  You don’t want to trust your brand to someone who doesn’t have any respect for their personal brand.
  5. During the interview, the majority of your questions should focus on the job description of the position that the candidate is interviewing for.  Ask for examples of their experience completing the tasks, ask them to describe some of their professional challenges or mistakes from the past… the answers to these questions along with your reference checks should give you some insight into the candidates credibility and ability to perform the tasks they will be assigned.

Many employers try to use the interview process to psychoanalyze their candidates.  This is not necessary.  Just ask for information that will give you information about their reliability, their credibility and their ability to perform the job they are being considered for.

Under federal law, you can not discriminate based a candidate’s age, race, sex, religion, national origin or disability.

Posted in Business Dollars and Sense and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

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