By Charlene Finerty
Plans and Profits 

Can’t stand your job? Hate the boss? Fix the problem. Hire yourself.

That’s right. Start your own business. Give yourself a job. Sounds simple. Not so. Lots of hoops to jump through. The lists are endless. Take time to learn and plan. It may take months, even a few years.

Guess what can be a big surprise? You no longer have that boss. But, the boss multiplied like rabbits, or at least we hope so; because the clients are the new boss.

The first problem to solve is getting clients in the door, or getting them to order or call for service. The next issue is having the coffee hot enough, but not too hot, and the right sandwich or whatever ready, when and how the customer wants it.

One of my best stories came from a new deli owner. It was horribly early in the morning and the experienced employee, who had worked under the previous ownership, fixed a cup of coffee, wrapped up a pastry and placed them on the counter.

Problem? There was no customer. The new owner asked, why did you do that? Oh, (certain person), will be here shortly and knows his order will be ready. The door opened in moments, the customer paid, and was gone, until the next morning. Great example of knowing the client (the boss), and providing excellent service.

If it’s pencils or T-shirts, they must be the right color, etc. and must be shipped efficiently. Major retailers and Internet players have set the standards high. Same-day shipping is the norm, and vendors on major sites are rated by customers’ expectations.

Whether you are selling pencils, food or professional services, you make determinations that need to fill the expectations of the client — your new boss. If they don’t, you take the flak in the form of criticism or lost business.

And what is that adage? A happy customer is a happy customer. An unhappy person is said to tell something like 21 people. As the Internet becomes the tool of choice, e-mails and blogs can spread good and bad experiences within minutes to tens of thousands of people.

Once the business starts to grow, it adds employees. Now where are you? Squeezed in the middle, trying to keep the customers happy while keeping the employees happy and productive. You have become the person you ran away from — the boss.

Charlene Finerty owns Plans and Profits, a business-plan writing service. She also gives workshops, teaches business-plan writing and cleans up unorganized offices. Go to www.plansandprofits.com, call 343-1515 or e-mail charlene@plansandprofits.com.