I am an avid reader, and just by sheer coincidence each of the last two books I’ve read have had a honeybee theme throughout. I can’t seem to be capable of watching TV or reading a book without finding a business application and I thought I’d share this one here.

First of all, I have always hated bees. I’m afraid of them even though I know their stings don’t hurt that much. I never realized how truly fascinating those little fuzzy buzzy creatures are.

Let’s, for a moment, imagine that your business is a beehive and you’re the Queen Bee. After all, she’s the most important person in the hive - her sole job is to lay eggs. Without eggs, there are no bees so nothing else can happen. You are also the most important person in your business, goes without saying if you’re a ’solo-preneur’. But all entrepreneurs are responsible for getting new clients and ensuring all daily operations run smoothly.

Each beehive is a whole world in itself. Each bee has a role to play, it’s a very well-organized society. The Queen’s job is to lay the eggs, but there are worker bees who make the honey, there are guard bees who make sure no robber bees get in, there are scout bees who go around finding the best flowers, there are nurse bees who make sure the babies are cared for, there are bees who tend to the Queen - fanning her and caressing her, there are even bees whose lot in life is to remove the dead bees from the hive.

If it were the Queen’s responsibility to make honey, guard the hive, scout for nectar and remove dead bees, how many eggs would get laid?

As a business owner, every second you spend typing up letters, writing newsletters, blogging, entering contacts in your database and researching stuff on the Internet is eating up your egg laying time. Rather…the time you should be spending on meeting with clients, finding new ones and just do what you want to be doing.

Honeybees have a lot to teach us, don’t they? What sort of chaos would a hive be in if the Queen were running around trying to do everything herself? She’s smarter than that. If a Queen bee could give you some advice, she’d probably tell you to go get yourself a virtual assistant so you can focus on what’s important. The future of your company depends on it just as the future of the Queen’s hive depends on her focus on egg laying.

Honeybees invented the art of delegating as far as I’m concerned!

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I was doing some online research today and got lost in this really great website full of small business marketing information. You really can get lost in all the information. I purchased one of the products from his store on article marketing, and I can tell you, I learned a few great tips just by scanning it. This guy (Charlie Cook) really knows his stuff and has a lot of valuable information to share. If you have about an hour to wander around a website for some great marketing tips and ideas, it’s worth a visit!

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Most entrepreneurs are concerned about what we’ll do if all of our clients disappear one day and we’re left with no income. That’s a very real fear, and of course we should have a contingency plan in place (consistent lead generation, adequate savings, etc.) for such an occasion.

However, how many of us small business owners really prepare for success?

Does your business plan allow for the “best case scenario”? What happens if your company explodes with more clients than you can handle? Do you have some great colleagues to refer people to? Have you formed an alliance with anyone? How will you keep up with your email if you are maxed out doing client work? How do you keep writing proposals if you’re so buried under administrative tasks you can’t see over the pile? Do you have additional staff? Contractors available to pitch in?

You see, in business it’s usually a good thing to get more business. (’Duh’) We all want growth, otherwise we’d be very foolish to be pouring our souls into our ventures.

That being said, while we all want to be successful are we all ready for it? We all say we want to have “X#” of clients or be bringing in “X$” as our goal, but are you prepared to handle that if you get there sooner than expected?

The problem is when you get swamped with work, it’s usually too late to get yourself out from that place. It’s hard enough to keep your head above water without scrambling to formulate a plan.

Mann Made Time has recently exploded. I have been blessed with several referrals over the past couple of weeks that has brought my business to a new level. I’m very glad that I have a project manager and an online collaboration tool, otherwise this would not be pretty. As it is, we’re experiencing some minor growing pains, but if it weren’t for the system I’ve been building with my PM over the past half year or so, well…I would just rather not go there

So…instead of focusing your back up plan only on what happens if all your clients disappear, look at it from the other side.

Are you ready for an onslaught of business?

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I’ve taken a bit of a break from blogging…bad, I know. So sorry to all of my loyal subscribers (all three of you) but my only excuse is…wow it’s been busy! Mann Made Time has exploded and I couldn’t be happier about it. Luckily I have a large team, a project manager and an online collaboration tool or I would definitely not be able to handle this! It’s not easy when I also wear the hat of wife and mother - not just successful ‘business Mann’.

Now, I know I’m not the only woman in business that has two small children and a husband at home. There are more and more woman-owned business now than anyone a couple of decades ago probably ever thought possible. We contribute billions of dollars to the economy every year…women rock.

I was doing some shopping for books online today, to read some reviews and stuff, and I came across something on Google that made me laugh…really hard. It’s taken from a 1954 Home Economics text book and explains the steps a young lady should take in order to become a good wife.

I really do love my husband, and I love being domestic. I love cooking, I like to have a clean house, I even like how it feels to have clean laundry. But I’m afraid that I fail terribly in my wife role according to this document. It blows my mind how different the world is now than it must have been in the 1950s, but I have to wonder if it wouldn’t be nice just to be sucked back to a simpler time just for one day when one of my biggest concerns was making sure my hair looked nice for when my poor tired husband got home from a hard day’s work. I guess the biggest difference is that women can be defined as more than only a “wife” these days. After reading this, I wondered what my grandmothers would think about me operating my own business and slacking off as a wife…jeepers, my husband even takes a turn now and again staying with the girls while I work! Egad…

Enjoy:

HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE

Home Economics High School Text Book, 1954

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

*Something tells me a frozen ‘crock pot’ meal from the grocery store doesn’t count.*

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so that you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

*There’s a good chance that I look much more work-weary than anyone he encountered at his job. And if I looked all fresh and made up when he got home, I might get questioned.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the home just before your husband arrives, gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

*This is a fabulous idea, but it’s not happening anytime soon. Um…I don’t even own a “dust cloth”.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

*But my husband has grown to love the “feral child” look of our daughter…

Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home.

*He’s always greeted with a warm smile and I’m always happy he’s home…especially since then it’s his turn to wrangle the kidlets

Some don’ts: Don’t greet him with problems or complaints. Don’t complain if he is late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

*This one makes ME want to have a cold drink right now. I don’t know how I would keep a straight face, softly asking if I could take off his shoes.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

*Ya…..

Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

*I never complain that I don’t get taken places. I need all the spare time I have to darn socks, iron and plan meals for crying out loud.

The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

*Are there any women that own businesses that share this goal? Anyone?

Something tells me this was not written by someone that operated a business from home

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I know my parents love me. I’m sure they do.

When they named me Jaime Lee, after my dad (James), they decided to spell his name “Jamie” in a more feminine way - “Jaime” for me, their first born.

I don’t think they realized that nobody would ever spell that name correctly as I grew older.

It’s not a big deal, in the big scheme of things, when there are wars going on and people are starving and can’t afford gas - I’m not whining. But I have many diplomas, awards, Christmas tree ornaments, etc., with my name on them - spelled wrong. It’s kind of disappointing, but I’m a big girl. I’ve gotten used to it. I know people automatically think “Jamie” when they hear my name, that’s fine.

I’m kind of surprised each time I receive an email - keep in mind, my email address is jaime@mannmadetime.com - where I’m greeted as “Jamie”. Sometimes “Jaimie” or “Jaeme” or any number of variations. Again, no big deal. (I’m not bitter, Mom)

However, I really like when someone has paid attention and spells my name right. It makes me feel good that someone actually noticed that detail.

What does this have to do with business?

It’s the little details. It’s the little things we do as business owners to make our clients and customers feel like we care about them. If that’s taking care to spell their name properly, or remembering them on their birthday (*ahem*, somebody’s might be tomorrow ;)). It could be sending them information on a new product you heard about that you thought they’d be interested in. It doesn’t take much, and small touches can really go a long way towards making someone feel loyal to you because you care.

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