It’s Sunday, and I’m sick. I still have to work though. Entrepreneurs can not allow for minor illness. You have to slog through it, because there’s no one else. Especially when you’re shorthanded. I’m still in a holding pattern with hiring. We just began another round of interviews, which seem to be going well with some stronger candidates emerging.
In the interim, it’s all about keeping the ones I have happy. More are barking at the door, but for now it’s just a question of whether we can delver beyond our current commitments. And if pressed, I’d say no. So that says it all.
I find this frustrating, but necessary. Keep in mind that Virginia unemployment is at 2.9%, making the search that much harder. If there’s anything I’ve learned over the past 10 months and in my years proceeding this venture, you have to have the right players. And making a shotgun hire is a very risky proposition, something that I’ve really regretted in the not too distant past. It’s better to wait it out, go through the correct screening processes, and bring the right person on board.
With a lesser focus on growth, there’s been a turn towards brainstorming and marketing the company. One thing that’s definitely in the cards is the end of the Diary. On our first anniversary, officially April 24 (though we were incorporated on March 31 of last year) the blog will change focus and become the Buzz Bin or the Buzz Blog. It’s my intent to make this less LComm focused, and much more PR and marketing focused. Plus the title doesn’t work anymore. We’re not an advertising company. The Buzz Bin will hopefully evolve into a company wide blog or a team blog, and not a personality based blog (see you later talking head). Thoughts from readers are welcome! Am I on the right track?
Additionally, it became clear how to commemorate the first anniversary, and celebrate with our best clients as well as select vendors and friends. As this should be a surprise…
A year gives you a lot of time to reflect, and an anniversary provides the ideal analysis platform. As such, I am sure that some of the following entries over the next weeks will be lessons learned. It’s hard to believe that one year ago, I was still trying to make it work at the old co. In exactly two weeks (March 18), it will mark the anniversary of my decision to quit. All because I read From Good to Great.
Tomorrow is class, the mid-class for Dale Carnegie, week 4 of 7. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this, and have learned a ton from this endeavor. As such, if you feel like you need to bone up a little on leadership or management, I highly recommend the Dale Carnegie class.
“Trying to understand is like straining through muddy water. Be still and allow the mud to settle,” Lao Tzu.
“Everything comes gradually and at its appointed hour,” Ovid.
“Patience makes lighter what sorrow may not heal,” Horace.
[...] One of my goals as part of the migration to the Buzz Bin concept is to include interviews with successful business bloggers across the Internet. And with that, we begin with Toby (Click here if you are looking for Monday’s normal entry). [...]