Business Owners Take A Breath!

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I conduct my business research by interviewing companies, aiming to understand their struggles, strengths, staffing needs, and more. I live in Michigan, but I won’t disclose the counties or towns I’ve visited.

Here are some insights I’ve gathered along the way.

Business owners, take a breath—not everyone is out to pressure you! Some of us genuinely want to understand what’s happening with businesses in our community. Remember, everyone started somewhere, including you.

It’s tough to have meaningful conversations with community leaders about local companies when so many are hesitant to engage.

Ask yourself: how many mail ads have you sent out? How many marketing calls do you or your team make? Isn’t it frustrating when you can’t even share an idea or ask a question?

Moving on, I interviewed a large, well-known retail company—though I won’t name names. One of the sections I cover is talent bank with one of the questions- are you currently seeking more talent? I would like to know so I could share the information at events I attend. After they told me about their needs, I asked a few basic questions to make sure I could pass the right info along.

The role was something like an hourly management position. My questions went like this:

1. Would you consider a new college graduate with a management major?
   A. No! We need someone with REAL experience.

     2. What does REAL experience mean to you?
        A. They must have at least two years in management roles.

    3. Why doesn’t going to school count, since most attend for two to four years?                             A. Because that’s book learning, not real experience.

     4. What’s the wage range?                                                                                                                     A. $15 to $18 per hour.

Honestly, at that point, I was a little disturbed—no wonder the position had been open for a year and a half! Still smiling though!

What made me laugh was when she asked why I was doing this. I explained I’m hoping to start a business consulting firm focused on training and helping with areas like insurance, recruitment, and more.

She offered a “training insight.”

“You really need to understand different industries before companies will even consider you. I think that should be your focus right now—not interviews.”

She said this with a slight grin, arms crossed, and a look that said, “You don’t know anything!”

She assumed and never asked me how much I have done already!

The reality is, I have taken the initiative to prepare marketing reports for myself, which has given me a clear understanding of industry trends and challenges.

I explained to her that my research spans a wide range of industries, and as she is aware, this is a continuous process—one that requires a lifetime commitment. Because the need for research never truly ends, if

Pick up where you left off

I were to focus solely on that, I would never make progress toward my goals. (not to mention she just said that is not acceptable experience on the job is) 

I told her how I work with different chambers to collaborate with and explained how I use IBIS, Gale, Statista, and various federal and state organizations to stay updated with what’s happening nationally and locally—where industries are struggling, and how that impacts their employees.

Sadly, she had no idea these tools existed!

Business owners have the power to make real changes in their communities at no cost. Open-mindedness is simple, but it’s overlooked far too often.

I hope this helps shed some light on how things look from the outside in.

Stay tuned to the 2 large areas businesses owners could do at no cost to help their communities.