10 Tips For Taking Yourself Seriously, So Your Employee Does Too

By Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio
authors of The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur

1. Be on time every day.
It's your business. Lead by example.

2. Don't make a habit of leaving early.
Your employees will resent you if you walk out the door at three and call them from the gym at five-thirty to check in.

3. Don't go drinking with your assistant.
Or swap stories. Again, you're the adult now. You need to set the example. What you do in your private time away from the office should remain fodder for your peers, not your subordinates. Even when you're dying to tell someone about last night's disastrous date, resist the urge.

4. Don't ask them to do anything that is not work-related.
It's rude and fosters resentment. This includes walking your dog, picking up your dry cleaning, and buying your personal holiday presents, unless, of course, the job is personal assistant.

5. Don't let them hear you on personal calls.
Again, you are the adult. Not only will they will imitate you for months if they hear you refer to your husband as "Dr. Love," they will feel entitled to be on their own calls all day.

6. You are not their friend.
Be a pleasant boss, but never leave the door open to talk about the dating drama. You will want your employee to feel comfortable talking to you about serious personal problems (especially if they will impact her job performance); a sick mother or child-care problem, for example. But the last thing you can afford is to become a surrogate therapist for employee dating or marital woes.

7. Pitch in when you can.
If you have assigned what you know to be a tedious task, such as mailing five hundred company brochures, spend at least a few minutes pitching in. This is your team; make it happen together. A little willingness to get your hands dirty will go a long way when you need a really big ditch dug.

8. Do not share company financial issues or problems.
If your employees suspect things are not going well, they will be looking for another job before you know it. There is a whole philosophy of open-book management that works in big public companies (the law requires it, anyway), but in small companies you don't need your employees second-guessing your decisions.

9. If something goes wrong with a client or customer, you have to take the blame.
As the boss, you are responsible for everything running smoothly. If you have a problem employee, you need to monitor her closely, provide more training, or let her go. You cannot make bad employees the scapegoats for mistakes.

10. Manage, but don't smother.
Granted this is your business and you've got the most to lose, but you've got to let your employees take responsibility for their workload. Guide, cajole, pester -- don't suffocate.

Copyright © 2003 Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio

The above is an excerpt from the book The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio
(Published by HarperResource; December 2003; $21.95US/$33.95CAN; 0-06-052157-0)

The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business
Candid Advice, Frank Talk, and True Stories for the Successful Entrepreneur
By Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio

Tired of doing all the work for your boss but reaping none of the financial benefits? Fed up with working 60 hours a week for someone else? Want to start your own business but afraid to take the leap?
Packed with practical advice on every aspect of self-employment, along with useful Web sites, checklists, and quizzes, The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business is the book that Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio each searched for when they left the corporate world behind to start their own public relations companies. When they merged their businesses into one company, Friedman and Yorio vowed to record the process and create a truly useful guide for other women entrepreneurs.

The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business streamlines the vast information needed to launch your business. From starting with the big question: Are you the girl to run the show? to writing a business plan to understanding your legal obligations and getting your name out there in the marketplace. So, here's the lowdown on how to take your business idea and run with it!

But don't just take Friedman and Yorio's word for it -- women business owners from a wide range of industries offer their own start-up stories, advice, and opinions.

The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business speaks to women in a way no business book has -- relating frank, useful, and professional advice with all the energy, enthusiasm, and fun of a girl's night out.

Authors
Caitlin Friedman started her own business in 1999 and hasn't looked back. A native of Amherst, Massachusetts, she has been a public relations and marketing expert for more than ten years. Currently, she divides her time between New York City and Chatham, New York.

Kimberly Yorio went out on her own in 1998 after eight years working for other companies, big and small. Her expertise publicizing cookbooks, food television shows, and culinary personalities led to the successful partnership with Caitlin Friedman and the creation of YC Media in 2000. She lives with her husband and son in Weehawken, New Jersey.

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