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What does 'succession planning' mean to you?

8/23/2018

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  Ever heard the old adage, “One to start it, one to grow it, one to lose it”? We’re guessing it was meant to represent the generations of a family business.
​ Normally “succession planning” means having a buy-in (or maybe a buy-out, sweat equity, inheriting or whatever) plan. But along with the plan comes the hard part -- the part where, like it or not, we must accept that our successors will do things differently than we did.
​They’ll have new ideas and want to try new things.(gasp!) My father-in-law had different ideas about how to farm than his father, as did my husband from his dad, and now it’s our son’s turn to vex us. (Paybacks, eh?)


  How we achieve the goal of handing off the family business -- no matter what kind of business it is -- is part of the equation.
Picturel-r: Jenni, Sarah, Joey and their parents Larry and Patty (photo: Steve Fredrick/StarHerald)
  Dude’s Steakhouse and Branding Iron Bar in Sidney, Neb., was opened by Dude and Florence Julinek in 1952. Fast forward 65 years -- yes, you read that right – Sixty. Five. YEARS in business, run by the same family. That’s a danged impressive feat.
                      Now Sarah and Joey, and Jenni (Joey's sister)the third generation, run Dude’s.
  We had the pleasure of visiting with them on a stay-over in Sidney a while back. While they freely admit it hasn’t always been easy, they also acknowledge that taking over the legacy and putting their own touches on it has been rewarding.
  (Read more about Dudes here)

   During our visit, we talked about their school-age children, and if those children were poised to take over from Sarah and Joey. Their answer? “Time will tell...”
​  They want their children to “want it” when they’re old enough, and not take over because they think they “have to.”  Want to vs. have to -- that’s another part of graciously handing over the reins
PictureFabulous food, stellar service and a passion for doing what they love.
   What IF kiddos don’t want it? Or if they’re only doing it because they feel obligated? Will resentment build because they feel forced to follow your path instead their own stars?
    In a small community the decision may be even harder.
  The pressure is on, because no one wants to disappoint the people who depend on that business to continue to be there -- all the people who watched you grow up working in that business.

  Which brings us back to the point -- succession means different things to different people.  Perhaps Sarah’s and Joey’s children may have different ideas of what works for them and for Dude’s. Maybe they’ll decide it means only being open for dinners. And who knows? That may work for them.
  Spelling aside, “succession” and “success” are two different words. Just because one buys into or inherits the family business, there’s no guarantee of continued success.
   When we hand off “our baby” that we nurtured and watched grow through trials and triumphs, it’s hard to step back. It’s hard to relinquish control, to not dictate or say “we’ve always done it like that.” ​
And it’s doubly hard to not step on toes as our successors make their own mistakes and learn from them. We made our own mistakes and they need to make theirs, no matter how much we’d like to save them from the experience.
   Each generation has its own idea of what will work and what won’t, and how to achieve their goals.  And it’s up to us -- the ones handing off -- to accept that there will be changes.
​  We may not like them any more than our folks liked ours, but accept them we must. After all, those changes may be what stops the next one from “losing it.”
~Katy and Annette~
**This article will appear in an upcoming AGWEEK Magazine.   - On a personal note- My husband and I LOVE this place. The history, the vibe, the incredible food. Dudes truly embraces the spirit of the west. 

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3 marketing lessons from #SHARKNADO

8/20/2018

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    Ahhhh- Sharkndao.... That ultra riveting, undeniably fake monster shark series of movies...
It's like an accident, once you see it, you can't look away. You have to continue watching just to see what craziness comes next. 
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Yes. I dig cheezie sci-fi movies. The cheezier the better.  And yes- I watched ALL the Sharkndo's … multiple times. 
There  are ​marketing lessons to be learned from Sharknado!

1-  If you're going to use cheeze- The Cheezier the better.  Like we already said, undeniable fake and at the same time riveting, ultra cheeze  SELLS!  When it's that unrealistic, we keep watching. We get sucked in by 'what's next?' 
2- Keep 'em hanging.  At the end of each Sharknado, there was a little teaser to keep you hoping there would be another.  You can easily do that with your own marketing... a little something to let your customers wonder what will come next. 
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3-Have FUN!  Might as well have as much fun as you can with it. Take advantage of it, and bring your crazy to life. Doubly so when you can make someone laugh. -Make it memorable
~
​Katy~

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Walkability and small towns

8/15/2018

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                                     One of the 'new'  buzzwords is "Walkability". 
   What does that mean exactly? Basically it means the ease of getting around on foot, or how pedestrian friendly is your town.  There is a nifty site you can use to determine your own towns score-  Walkscore   The scoring is 0-100. 
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    Remember back when - when folks walked to the market? Or to the pool? Or the DQ?? That was 'walkable'   Entire neighborhoods and towns were designed so families could walk from one end to the other. We have gotten away from that as a norm, but it's making a comeback! 
I just used Walkscore to determine the walk-ability of the five closest towns to us. (we're within 25 miles of all)  The results were 39, 21, 0,  27, 38 and 0. Those are all on the low end. 
I was thinking about this today when we were discussing our mythological retirement. (Do ranchers really retire?)  I now understand why so many retirees want to head South- Walk-able neighborhoods and ease of use. 
Two of our nearby towns are, in my opinion, more walk-able than their scores suggest. However, I know that isn't the norm in rural communities. For many, the reality is that the folks who live there need to be mobile- meaning they need to drive or get rides for everyday tasks like groceries or going to the doctor. ​

  
Which leads to more questions.... Are these communities using walk-ability as a means of attracting new families or retirees? Are they using it to retain the people they have? Are they creatively promoting their walk-ability? 
    I know several are. Yes, it's still many miles 'to town', but Washburn, ND is doing a good job promoting how quickly you can walk downtown from anywhere, or right to the river.  
WHY is walk-ability important? Walk-ability has many facets. Everything from health benefits to retention.  Having good walk-ability can mean that retiring 'outlyers' or city folk may want to move to your small town. That translates into more dollar tax dollars, tourism dollars, retail dollars and so on.
Good walk-ability is also healthful. We've become so health conscious as a nation and environmentally friendly - a walk-able town is a very marketable asset.  It is also great for recreation opportunities like nature walks, photo strolls, coffee shop walk...walk to the pop-up dog park.  The ideas are endless really. 
PictureFrom kids to grandparents- we all sat on front porches or lawns and visited When people talk community happens
  Walk-ability is a good marketing tool for retaining or finding  residents and attracting new employees or businesses. 
  While many small towns do not have the amenities of the city, I do know we can raise our 'walk-able score'- Cheaply, easily and nearly free- We can start by highlighting fun or interesting  walking places like an architecture or garden walk, or start talking about how quickly we can walk (or bike) to the local pool/gym/baseball diamonds. We can showcase how easily people walk downtown (or up town) for fun events. Just by thinking creatively and TALKING about it... better yet- people could share their ideas on social media. 

   The best perk of Walk-ability? It builds community. We tend to stop and chat, or at the very least smile and wave as we hurry on our way.  When people talk- community happens. 
So, how walk-able is YOUR community? 
Take a stroll around your neighborhood or town and get inspired!
~Kate
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Bad Bosses in small towns

8/8/2018

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     Are You a Bad Boss?? Would you know if you were? Would anyone tell you?
Or are you the kind of boss people want ​to work for?
                          Bad Bosses  are bigger problem in small towns than one would think. 
I was a Horrible Boss. I didn't know I was. At least not until a 16 yr old told with more pluck than the grown ups asked me is I was always 'like that?'. 
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   Statistically 75% of people will quit a job, even if they love what they do, on account of a bad boss. (I have.) According to a study, 19.2 hours a week is spent worrying about bad bosses. Employees who have bosses they don’t like are 60% more likely to have a heart attack- that’s a staggering number! (Journal of Occupational Medicine)
  
Research on “The Damage Inflicted by Poor Managers” by the Gallup Organization shows that “actively disengaged” employees outnumber engaged employees almost two-to-one. Disengagement corresponds with lower productivity, loyalty, and profitability, and higher rates of absenteeism, ​safety incidents, and employee turnover, which “can cost businesses approximately 1.5 times the annual salary of every person who quits.

PictureWe bought this café sight unseen on a handshake in our 20s
   In my early 20’s we bought a cafe in a small town. Very small- 98 people… We bought it sight unseen on a handshake at a football game (We didn’t realize that our handshake was sealing the deal until we actually went to go see it… but that’s another story!)
    It seemed I had a very bad habit of micro-managing every...single...little...thing.  I will claim youth as my defense, but it is really no excuse at all.  Thankfully I learned my lesson and became a good boss.  You would think I would have already known better since my dad constantly reminded us to                                                                       “inspire someone today”

   Working in a city, it is usually no big deal to simply quit a job, because there are so many more to choose from. Even if it’s not your dream job or it doesn’t pay as well, there are multiple jobs to be had.
  In a small town, the pickings can be very slim. Most folks who work in a small town stay in that job no matter what. No matter how  much they may dislike the way their boss acts, they know that there’s probably not another job in town. 
PictureCarmen, Dale, Jennifer & me
  Bosses may not even know they’re behaving badly. (I didn’t)  Other ones take great pride in being real jerks. I do not believe that are specific guidelines for being ‘bad’, but I’m sure we’ve all experienced one at some point!  
  Being the “BB” in a small town can nearly cripple a business. Maybe your not being able to find employees or retain customers is
personal. Aside from not being able to fill shifts, employees usually tell anyone who will listen what a bad boss they have… Other people thinking you are a bad person is bad for business. Word gets around in a small town and most people by nature will avoid someone they perceive to be bad. Reduced productivity is another side effect- many employees will just go through the motions and do their time. 

Being the boss someone wants to work for is a great experience. For you, your employees and the community at large.  A good boss empowers their employees to make good decisions and inspires them to be better. A good boss is also approachable, fair but firm. A good boss is willing to listen to and try new ideas.  Happy employees can change the dynamics of a business.  Happy employees reflect good leadership, and their satisfaction shows in how they interact with customers, suppliers, and everyone else they come in contact with. And people are more likely return to places where they had positive experiences. 
PictureTony, me & Dale hosting a 'Harvest Party' at the café for local farmers
      16 yr old Jens taught me to relax about some things ~
“What’s the worst that can happen? … just chill and let me do my job”
                         That was my eye-opener. 


So- What kind of a boss are YOU?
​~Katy~




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Circle the wagons & other creative ideas

8/1/2018

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     Let’s say people want to visit your town. Or maybe it’s a special holiday and folks have family who want to come. Your town has a gift shop and café and other interesting things to do, but zero lodging.
What do most folks do? If they aren’t already staying at friends or relatives, they will stay 25-50 miles away in “the city” because it has a hotel. They will also buy gas for their car and eat breakfast before coming your way.
How can you capture those dollars? Circle the wagons –in a manner of speaking. Do you have RV owners in town willing to rent their motorhomes for a few nights?  (Glamping anyone?)

      This is a perfect opportunity to showcase small town hospitality, while also capturing dollars that would have otherwise been spent elsewhere.
The odds are high that, while staying in your town, these folks will shop at the local grocery/gift/hardware store, go out to eat, and purchase gas.
The Shady Dell, Bisbee, Ariz., has made an entire business out of rental campers. Theirs are fully vintage, and available year-round. 
                             But they wouldn’t have to be. Use your imagination!
    So … how is your community supposed to afford that?  You could negotiate a fee, then give a part of that fee to a service club like Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, or FFA for cleaning the unit(s) when the folks are gone.
Or maybe the community could purchase a couple of older models and re-hab them with the help of the high school shop class and use them year-round. Why not dual purpose units? They’re great for lodging when needed, and can double as pop-up shops. Here’s an example from retailer Nomad -- or maybe local crafters would like to have their own shared location?
                                        Again, get creative and think outside the box.
     So let’s say our sample family visits “Town #2.” There’s no lodging and no food, maybe fuel, but still no shops. Nothing -- just a wide spot in the road with some houses. Now what?
These visitors are probably staying with friends or family. But, even with home-grown family entertainment, they still need to be fed. And the nearest anything is miles away. What do you do?
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    Invite the community to host a free-will breakfast/luncheon/dinner at the old school, the park (if the weather’s good), someone’s house, or at a church. Donations can pay for a main dish and/or picnic supplies, with any proceeds going to a local charity. Invite the whole town to bring potluck dishes and introduce the visitors to everyone!
                                                    
​Good food, new friends, plenty of fun!
   And while they’re visiting, and enjoying local cuisine, make sure to round up every home vendor/foodie/artisan/crafter/small business and have a pop-up show for the entire town. Play games, visit, tell stories … have a fun for all!

   Take advantage of every opportunity to showcase what you DO have, versus what you think you don’t have.  And any monies raised can be used towards upkeep on your little two-room stone jail, public park, or some other cause. Perk:  Your guests become part of an extended family, and leave with great stories to tell about the time they spent in your little town.
   This approach can produce tremendous results for any town or local area -- you get exposure for the town and the vendors, and event for local residents, and your guests go home with goods purchased locally and a newfound sense of belonging.
​~Katy~


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    Annette & Kate               

    If it involves small towns, rural, business or people, we write about it. Both the good and the bad.  Part of our passion is helping you be the best you can be. 
    *Warning! ​Occasionally Katy can be a tad sarcastic.  

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