You might have noticed, BootstrapBusiness has received a bit of a face lift! If you’re reading the blog and have never wandered through the other pages, we invite you to come and read more about the upcoming book, Bootstrap Business, and check out your opportunity to have the authors come and speak to your company. You can even pre-order the book!

The hiring continues. Seems like it might be in the air, as Guy has also given the subject a bit of attention. Guy, specifically, posted on Craigslist. He offered a few to-do’s and not-to-do’s for employers AND employees, and I thought I’d continue my list of ways NOT to get hired that started a few days ago.

-Yes, Hit and Runs in the parking lot. But we already covered that.
-Do not submit a resume that has old, outdated information on it. I received a resume that said:
“Objective: To obtain employment with Nu Skin where my skills and experience can be utilized.” That’s great. I’ll make sure to forward your resume to THAT company for you.
-Do not use volunteer work as proof that you have a heart of gold and should be hired. Here at Everest Web, we happen to live in an area of the county where many young people have spent 1-2 years of their life in a voluntary service position because of their religious beliefs. While I can appreciate a section of a resume dealing with volunteer work and that might explain a two-year gap in education and work inexperience due to long-term service activity, don’t try to play it like a trump card. Please.
-Do not cut and paste your resume into the body of an email. I’m not sure what the “official” word is on this one, but if the instructions for applying do not specifically tell you to include your credentials in an email, it is a lot more professional to use an attachment. It prints out much more nicely looks more polished.
-DO include a cover letter outlining your intent, but DO NOT end it with something like, “Please find my resume attached. If you find that I may be a good fit for your company, please consider calling me.” All this says to me is, “I am not confident in my skills or work experience, and feel sheepish even applying for this position. But if you could at least read my resume it’d be great.”
-Finally, do NOT be late to your appointment, and DO show up. It’s amazing how many people have simply not cared about the commitment involved in making an appointment to be interviewed. If you foresee your sleeping/MTV schedule interfering with your job interview, perhaps you should wait until you feel more prepared to apply.

With all that said, we had a couple of great interviews yesterday. What did they do to make a difference? Honestly, one of them was even late. But she just happened to CALL us and tell us that she was lost, and ask for more precise directions in finding us. The few minutes she was late compared to her proving that she a) could ask for help b) didn’t give up and run away when it got tough (hrm…like the hit-and-run wonder) and c) could keep her cool even when things weren’t going her way, were unimportant. The other amazing interview we had asked Rich some tough questions. A little tip: if the person hiring you says, “Do you have any questions?” THINK OF A QUESTION. And it should not be, “How much will I get paid?” Or, at least, not only that. Asking good questions shows that you have given the position thought, have listened to what has been said throughout the interview, and are taking the situation seriously. Asking a tough question also shows that you’ve got guts, and will be a confident member of the team. The applicant yesterday asked Rich about his overall plan for the company, and what would happen to her position as the company grew and potentially sold to another owner. Her candor proved that she listened when he spoke, and understood what usually happens around this office. Amazing. A person who shows up AND listens.

The interviews continue today. Hopefully hiring will be over soon, and I can get on to entries about helping a new hire fit into the company culture.

There are a few things a person can do in a job interview to suggest that he or she is not worth the hire. For example, while I was gone Rich and Ron continued interviews for the admin position. Around 2 in the afternoon on a day scheduled full of interviews, Rich was coming in from the parking lot when he saw a woman drive by, very slowly. Her head was twisted behind her, and she appeared to be checking out the numbers on the offices. Rich thought, “That’s probably our 3 o’clock interview.” Just as he was entering the building, the girl’s car smacked right into a brand new, bright red car belonging to someone across the way. Rich ran out to see if she was OK and she got out of the car, clearly dressed up for something. She asked if he knew who’s car it was, he answered no, but that he could help her find out. Looking at the significant damage done to the front of the red vehicle she said, “Oh, that’s just a little dent.” Rich replied, “That’s a little more than just a dent.” Rich went back to the office for a second to get some help, and when he looked out, she was gone. A woman in the office next door said that she saw the girl hop in her car and take off as soon as Rich turned his back. So, give it a few minutes, and the police arrive. Someone had gotten her license plate number, and Rich gave his statement to the police. He mentioned, as well, that he thought he might actually have the girl’s name, but that he’d have to wait until 3 to see if the “appointment” showed or not. 3 O’clock came and went, and Rich gave the officer the girl’s name. Indeed, the plates matched the name, and underneath the police report in bright red lettering stood the word, “FELON.” Interesting how things work out, huh? Eventually Ron wandered out from the back, wondering where their appointment might have run off to. Rich’s reply, “Ron, I don’t think she’s coming.”

So! We’ve had a bit of hiatus here.  I’ve spent the past few weeks in the process of last-minute wedding preparations, actually getting married, and then a trip back home to my side of the world with my new husband.  As I walked back into the office yesterday, it felt like 2 days had gone by.  Really, it was more like 20.

When I left, we had just finished up with our first, big goal.  10 chapters of the book down, about the same in front of us.  Bootstrap Business is coming along.  Soon we’ll finish some planned updates to this site, including more information on the upcoming book.  You can look forward to some sneak peaks and also an opportunity to pre-order your copy!  Our main goal with bootstrapbusiness.org is to allow entrepreneurs to talk to each other.  Entering entrepreneurship on your own can be terrifying.  What if you had someone, or a group of “someones,” available to talk to and discuss difference choices with?  If you’ve had a lot of entrepreneurial experience, we’re sure you’ve got a lot to offer.  Conversation is key in entrepreneurship.  You need to ask good questions and listen to experienced answers.  Working here for the past few months, I’ve learned a lot about small businesses and entrepreneurship.  This blog, so far, has been my own discovery process as I work through the principles in the book and watch how this business grows and develops.  Our hope is that you will participate!  Ask questions, seek answers.  See what you can glean from the entrepreneurs around you.  It doesn’t matter if you are completely new to entrepreneurship or if you’ve been doing it forever- sometimes a fresh angle on something makes a big difference.

Today (once again) we had a bunch of bright, talented engineers in the office.  They have the skill set and the drive, but what they don’t have is business experience.   They let an amazing opportunity pass them by, and hardly realized what they had lost!  We all go through this as we begin our own businesses.  However, with more experienced people on your side, you can minimize the loss and the wasted time, and make sure your venture will make it.

What do you have to contribute?  Consider this a formal invitation to make this blog your own sounding board- to comment and leave your own ideas and questions.  Make sure to include links from your site so we know where you are coming from, and how we can get in touch with you!

I read a post last week from the Young Entrepreneur that went along perfectly with a chapter we just finished up!  The chapter is called, “Act Big, Behave Small.”  When you’re just starting your business, it’s absolutely essential to conserve your resources and do what you can to cut costs (behaving small).   However, just as important as it is to keep expenses to a minimum, it is just as vital to show clients that you are stable, competent, professional and reliable (acting big!).  There are plenty of ways to Act Big.  Make sure that you have a professional sounding phone system.  So what if you only have two employees, or NO employees!  Record a menu with options.  When people call your number, they should reach a recording that makes you look like you have an office building full of people somewhere.  Build an awesome website.  Anyone can do this these days.  It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to create something professional and SEO friendly.  Never, never, beg for contracts.  Even when you’re taking phone calls in your basement and working on the weekends to try and keep yourself afloat, learn to play hard to get.  Don’t be overly confident, but be honest, and trust in the quality of your services.

And what about behaving small?  Do you need an office yet, or should you wait until you get a little more in the bank?  Do you need an entire team of people, or can you make it by with yourself and an admin?  It can feel very exiting to set up a new office, buy furniture and recruit people to work for you.  Don’t confuse the thrill of buying things with the fulfillment of building your business.   I compare it with the way I sometimes write papers for professors at school.  I sit down and write out my name, the professor’s name, and the date.  I title the paper, and make sure I’ve enable page numbers.  I fix the margins, and write an opening paragraph.  Then I find myself wandering, getting a snack, going out with friends.  Sure, I’ve done the prep work, but no one in their right mind would say that I’ve written a paper.  Sometimes you have to start with the hard stuff, and then add the “extras” and finishing touches on as a reward as you go along.