3 Things You Need To Do Right Now

If you want to know how to succeed in business, stop overthinking everything. We tend to overthink and not listen, which can be problematic for many business owners. We have this need to pitch, to sell- not to listen. Well, the truth is that we have to get out of our own head-space and consider the customer’s needs. To help you do this, I have created a list of 3 Things You Need To Do Right Now in order to get out of your head and into that of your customers…..

1. Stop focusing on what your competition is doing right. Who cares! You need to focus on what your customers need from you. Yes, it really is this simple. If you spend too much time looking at your competition then you’re not spending enough time looking at your customer…..

2. Focus on customer service. We forget this. We look at how we can be innovative or how we can spend more time “connecting” on social media. Be personal. Make phone calls. Send cards. Say “thank you” more often. Be involved, outside of social media, with your customers. Yes, this will pay off.

3. If your heart is not in it, neither are you. If you’re feeling like you need a mental health day to shut your phone off and regroup, do it. Nothing is worse than painfully working with a client when you are mentally somewhere else. If you’re truly in a funk, work your way out of it without working alongside the client. If this means refunding money and cancelling a session or service- do it. Your worst performance can be reviewed online and there is no fixing it.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Do Your Customers Feel Cheated?

It happens. We get busy with how to run the business, growing a business, developing our brand, etc. that we forget why we are in business- our customers. I'm listing three ways to tell if you've lost sight of your customers' needs and are cheating them- even without meaning to do so. If so, ask yourself what you can do to correct the situation at hand.

1. You half-ass tasks. Sorry to be so blunt, but it is true. If you perform at your highest level upon first signing a client, but months or years later you could care less if the product/service is amazing or of quality then you've lost focused and are denying your customer what he or she is entitled to.

2. You believe the customer is always right. Um, no. The customer may think he or she is always right, but they're not. You wouldn't sell a standard kitchen oven to someone who wanted to open a bakery would you? No, of course not. If you see a client making a mistake and you don't step in- you're failing that customer.

3. You avoid the evil client. If you ditch a client because he or she is too demanding than you might not be up for the challenge of expansion. Try your best to handle evil clients and resolve inner-conflicts before giving this type of customer the boot.

Dealing with customers isn't always easy. You are not going to have easy clients in life. There will be difficult clients and situations. Remember these three tips and make sure the problem isn't you.

Until Monday,

Twyla N. Garrett

#TBT - The Business Owner Test

Do you have what it takes to own a business? I'm not talking money or ideas. I'm talking grit and getting your hands dirty. Not sure if you have what it takes? Take my test. Answer yes or no if you agree or disagree with each statement below and see what I have to say at the end.
1. You believe you can balance work with a personal life.

2.'Fake It To You Make It' is the best advice you ever received.

3. You can't wait to be rich, which will be soon since all business owners have tons of money.

4. You can have a day job and run a business at the same time.

5. There is nothing to fear about employing other people. It is great to have people work for you.

6. You're going to be loved by everyone because you have a business and your business will take off right away.

7. You believe a mentor is important.

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you don't have what it takes to be a business owner. The above statements are all myths and some of the most popular reasons why businesses fail. Grand ideas, assuming riches will happen overnight, faking knowing how to provide a service or products, etc. are all big red flags in the business world.

Until next time,

Twyla Garrett

How to Handle A Crisis

Last year I wrote a blog on who handles different areas of government in direct relation to potential terrorist activity. It is always good to understand what will happen should a crisis occur. Well, in light of the blizzard that just passed by the USA, I thought it was important for me to restate this information. As you know the Department of Homeland Security oversees all types of disasters, like weather-related events. So, if you need to, print out this blog and keep it near your desk or in your wallet. That way, in a time of crisis, you know who is in charge of what and you can better navigate the services you need.

Mayor
The mayor is responsible at the administrative level for the smooth running of the response effort.

Fire service
The fire service is the linchpin in disaster response. The fire chief is charged with the operational management of the response effort. Everything that occurs in the disaster area falls under his/her authority.

Regional accident and disaster medical teams
Anyone injured in a disaster will require medical assistance as soon as possible.

Police
The police will ensure that the fire and ambulance services can do their job. They will cordon off the disaster area, manage the traffic, and sometimes set up a safety zone around the disaster area.

Army
The Ministry of Defence can deploy military personnel to respond to a disaster.

Municipal services
Behind the scenes, several municipal services play an important role in disaster response, especially when it comes to the after-effects.

Other services
Which services take part in the response effort will depend on the type of disaster. In the case of flooding caused by burst dykes or heavy rainfall, the water authorities will play a role. If a disaster occurs off the coast, the Coastguard will be involved. But other services will also often take part. The Red Cross cares for the injured in disasters.

Until tomorrow,
Twyla N. Garrett

Positive Security Services..... Yes, It's Possible

People ask my all the time about business. After all, it is what I do best. I've been invited to The White House to talk about it. I've self-funded a million dollar project. I've failed and succeeded many times over. So what is the key?

DON'T BE POSITIVE!

Did I not sugar coat the truth just then? Well, i'm not sorry. People in business tend to see failure and make excuses for it. Don't. Accept the failure and either make improvements or make an exit strategy. Don't be blind and go down with the ship. There is no honor in it. There is honor in moving on or moving up- well, they really can be the same thing.

Have a sales person who isn't pulling his/her weight? Don't feel bad, feel lucky. Catch the problem and find a better sales person. Don't make excuses and try to remain positive. If sales have been lagging then the sales person isn't the right person for that job. Being too positive can hurt you in business. Be a realist. Be productive. Be honest with yourself and your employees!

Now, go be successful!

Twyla

Are You Hosting A New Year’s Eve Party This Year? If so, you need to consider keeping your guests safe while they are drinking- and in general. Many parties can go wrong with heated emotions and liquor involved. While I work in Homeland Security, I wanted to provide everyone and anyone who reads my blog with some free tips to staying safe (and keeping your guests safe) during a New Year’s Eve celebration.

If you are hosting a New Year's Eve party, following my simple steps for keep everyone happy, healthy and safe;

First, plan ahead by naming a "designated driver." As the host of the party, you should be checking in groups who arrive together. Ask who the DD is and confiscate the car keys until the same group is ready to go home. This way, you can check to ensure the DD is sober and prepared to drive the group home. If your DD falls off “the wagon” or you have singles without a DD, make sure you have someone else you can trust available to drive people home or be prepared to front taxi fares and worry about being paid back later.

Another great way to keep people safe (and avoid conflict) at a party this New Year’s eve is to limit the amount of alcohol that you serve. You should offer many mocktails and limit the amount of beer and wine you have on hand. This will help control over the urge to over indulge by many guests.

If you are going to serve liquor, stop serving it at least 90 minutes before people will be headed home. Simply shut down the bar and offer coffee or flavored waters (to push urination) along with some greasy foods to help people sober up.

Finally, don’t invite two sets of families / friends, etc. that you know have active drama going on between them. Unfortunately, a lot of gun violence (well, violence period) happens between two people who know each other. The holidays can bring out the worse in people and public gatherings can make people want to air grievances. If you know two groups don’t get along, don’t invite either group.

Until Monday,

Twyla N. Garrett

Loretta Lynch.... The Bombshell!

On Friday, I posted a blog stating who I thought the President would pick for Attorney General. Three hours after my post the President announced his choice, which is Loretta Lynch. I, like many other experts, was completely off the mark with my prediction.

Here's why myself and other are concerned about Loretta Lynch. First, qualifications. From a Homeland Security perspective, Ms. Lynch has some nice wins under her belt. She has no partial ties to Obama or those who dislike his initiatives. She seems to be clean and less aloof then Eric Holder. But this doesn't mean anything. Her Harvard degree, while impressive to some, doesn't come with the endorsements that other candidates had from police unions and first responder organizations.

Am I disappointment? No. She has experience in prosecuting cyber crime and financial crime. She could look at the current IRS scandal with a fresh set of eyes. I do feel there were other and better qualified candidates that should have obtained the position, but this doesn't mean all hope is lost for the country. Lynch brings a different kind of leadership to the table and maybe this is exactly what we need when it comes to sustaining certain programs and prosecuting terrorists. I guess we will have to wait and see.... In the meantime, here is the official announcement and welcome Ms. Lynch!

Video of Lorretta Lynch.



Anyway, as we head into Tuesday, November 11th- note I will not be posting a blog as it is a Federal Holiday.

Twyla N. Garrett

Homeland Security Orders Increased Security for Government Buildings!

"The precise actions we are taking and the precise locations at which we will enhance security is law-enforcement sensitive, will vary and shift from location to location, and will be continually re-evaluated," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said today.

Yes, the Government has issued a security watch increase upon itself today. Why? Well, there are several reasons. First, you should know that the The Federal Protective Service is responsible for the protection of more than 9,500 federal facilities owned or leased by the General Services Administration, through which 1.4 million visitors and occupants pass daily. Now, the reasons cited by Mr. Johnson are due to the recent lone wolf attacks that are slightly related to ISIS, but can be contributed to mental health issues to. The exact affiliations seem to be more claims than official links at this point.

So, are you more at risk if you work in a Government building? Yes and no. Government employees are always more at risk for something tragic happening in the workplace because of where they work and who they work for. However, if a threat is detected, the employees are more protected because of the Department of Homeland Security taking notice of lone wolfs and actual terrorist-related threats.

My advice is to stay calm and ask questions. Know what the emergency evacuation plans are for your specific building and ask your HR Manager if you need to do anything, or be on the look out for anything, in relation to any obvious step-ups in security efforts at your workplace.

The move today is purely precautionary, but we should take notice.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Online Security and You!

I received a question about my cyber security services and personal online security. While these are two very different things, they have a common bond in that a breach can devastate someone's personal credit or business brand! For the purposes to the question I received, tonight's blog tips will deal with personal security online and how to maintain your privacy.

First, let's start with where we are today with "complex" passwords... the concept is a lie! When you hear of hackers, it usually is on a massive level. Your password, no matter how complex, can be guessed using technology that monitors your keystrokes. Yep, you can be in Los Angeles and have your keystrokes determined (to hack your password) from Japan. Below is a great example of this;

The world of cyber-security underwent a game-change last summer, when not one but two top tech writers were spectacularly hacked. Mat Honan, a writer for Wired, was cyber-attacked by a 19-year-old who wanted his highly coveted three-letter Twitter handle @Mat. To get it, the kid (who goes by “Phobia”) and a friend wiped out Honan’s entire digital life — in about an hour. It started with a call to the Apple Help Desk, and Phobia was able to give just enough data to convince the agent that he was Honan. That one password gave him the keys to the castle.

As Honan described in Wired, “First my Google account was taken over, then deleted. Next my Twitter account was compromised, and used as a platform to broadcast racist and homophobic messages. And worst of all, my AppleID account was broken into, and my hackers used it to remotely erase all of the data on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.” Honan also thought he had lost every picture he had of his one-year-old daughter, since he hadn’t been backing up his hard drive. Ultimately he was able to recover some of his passwords (from his cloud backup,Dropbox, on his wife’s laptop) and then his data. But it was an expensive lesson: He wound up spending $1,690 for the entire recovery.

So, what's my point? Even technology brainiacs get hacked. While there are steps you can take to prevent it from happening, good coders and hackers don't need much to get into your account(s) and then change your passwords to their passwords, often assuming your identity. I tell everyone to forget the password focus and look at what you have online. If the answers to your security questions can be easily guessed by the information you put on LinkedIN- or any other type of social media- then yous shouldn't even bother with having a password. Limit your personal life's details from Google and social media searchers. For now, for the average person and tech geek, this is the best way to avoid getting hacked.

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

Hypocritical Encouragement From the Government?

On September 30th of this year, FEMA asked local communities to prepare for disasters as a practice. In fact, here is what their press release say;
"Today, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) encourages individuals, families, workplaces, schools and organizations across the nation to take part in America’s PrepareAthon!, a national day of action that will take place September 30. America’s PrepareAthon! is a community-based campaign to increase emergency preparedness and resilience through participation in hazard-specific drills, group discussions and exercises every fall and spring. To register, individuals and organizations can visit www.ready.gov/prepare."

So, why is this a bit hypocritical in my opinion? Well, how would we possibly expect to prepare using FEMA's recommendations when they not only forgot to include important items on their "disaster readiness kit", but when security and preparation incompetency hit the White House recently? Not sure what I'm referencing? Here's a great article, via The Wall Street Journal, showcasing issues of security flaws within our current system: http://online.wsj.com/articles/incompetence-hits-home-1412194748

My point is, we can't depend on the government for 100% of our safety as citizens. It has to be a collaborative experience because humans make mistakes and even put together PSA documents containing content oversights! While I doubt the hypocritical recommendations were deliberate, they weren't utilized by the same people telling us to be prepared for emergencies and disasters. Do this mean we throw everything to the wind and buy into the media hype that we, as a country, aren't generally safe? Not at all. We are better protected now than we were on 09/10/2001. This said, if a recommended disaster kit says to pack two weeks of canned food- do so, just make sure you include a manual can opener (yes, FEMA forgot to include one on its list).

Until tomorrow,

Twyla N. Garrett

3 Life Lessons that Grow Business

There are life basics that many of us have been taught. Growing up, you probably thought why do you have to clean your room, stand up straight, or share. I mean, when you get older no one really is going to check to see if your bedroom is clean, no one truly is going to make you stand up straight, and you don’t have to share. Well, the truth is these life lessons will help you in business.

Standing up straight sends an unsaid cue to other people about how you regard yourself. Great posture helps people respect you more. If you are slumped over, you seem unsure. So, standing up straight is a good lessons to keep with you throughout life.

Cleaning your room teaches you to be organized and neat, an essential in business. If your office looks like you don’t know where anything is- you probably don’t know where anything is. Be messy at home if you have to (try not to), but keep your professional life as organized and tidy as possible.

Finally, share. How many tasks do you perform a day where you are required to interact with your peers? Chances are you have to share a common goal, meetings, work space, etc. If you don’t know how to share in life then how will you share at work? Cooperation is essential when working or employing others.

Until next time,

Twyla N. Garrett

The Secret to Success

You want to be happy and successful in business, right? Well, the truth is they don't always go hand-in-hand- well, not at the very start of a venture. But, you can get to a place where you are happy and successful at the same time. Here's how;

1. Wake up and define a single expectation for the day. Don't list more than one or you will become overwhelmed. Keep a blank piece of paper next to your bed or on your dinning room table. When you wake up, even before you hit the bathroom, write down your single expectation for the day. When you come home from the table it will be an interesting test to see if you met the expectation or not. If not, consider why and then fix the issue tomorrow.

2. Make a list. Once you have set up your expectation for the day consider your next task. Start by making a list of the items you need to complete during the day and then schedule out how and when they will be completed. Having a plan for the day can keep you relaxed, focused and driving towards success.

3. Give a gift to everyone you meet. Yes, a gift to every new person in your life. You can easily send a five dollar Starbucks gift certificate via email to new personal and/or business contacts. It helps you stand out, show you care, and bridge potential future business leads.

These three things may seem small- and they are. But don't forget that small changes and yield big results!

Until next time,

Twyla Garrett