Well… here I am. I’m back. Much has happened since my last post. I ended up taking the job with the company from Florida. Boy, what an adjustment. It turns out that the remote field offices operate nothing like the corporate offices. My good fortune at having worked in the corporate offices afforded me the opportunity to know when things are not right. To that end, our little office had quite a major structural change. We now have a new director of sales and are awaiting the hiring of a new sales manager.
It behooves me to note that it is very wise to heed this warning - Be Careful What You Wish For. I never knew how whiney and backstabbing sales people can be but I am finding out, slowly but surely, this is usually the case. Now that the people are gone who were thought to be the problem there’s nothing but complaints and gripes. You got what you wanted - NOW GROW UP!
Don’t get me wrong - I love the company I work for and I love working in the office I’m in (mostly because I’m there 80% of the time by myself). Luckily, I am one to overlook and ignore the crying and whining - for the most part. Every now and then I’d like to slap one of the reps upside the head and tell them, “If there’s a better job out there that you could have right now, then why aren’t you there doing it!?”
The grass is alway greener I suppose…
I was approached by the company I worked for in Tampa, Florida. I would have hired on with company had I stayed in Florida - that’s how much I enjoyed working with them. So, about two weeks ago the company called me to say that they had finally opened their Buffalo office and would I like to take a position with them as a “Field Sales Asst/Office Manager”? I would have the office basically to myself; no one looking over my shoulder all the time. This company offers great benefits and pays well too. I could not pass this up.
So - as soon as I say “OK” - I get two PC’s calling me to setup phone consults and possibly signing a retainer contract. Go figure!!!
I am taking the position for the company and I may end up with two more clients, giving me a total of 3. Things are definitely looking up for me and my family.
I attended a NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) event again last week. I had so much fun! It’s great to gather with so many successful women and have the opportunity to learn and share with them. This will be my second time attending this group’s event so I will need to join if I plan on continuing the relationship. It will be an investment on my part and I plan to join by Mid-March.
Making the decision to join a networking group is not an easy task. It’s important to be sure they are worth the time and money. As a small business owner, and a fairly new one, I don’t have “extra” funds and have to ration out where every dollar goes. The conclusion I keep returning to though is that I need to meet other small business owners and I need to get my name out there. There really is no better way than face-to-face.
What I have decided is to join NAWBO now and choose another group in September; maybe BNI. One tip I can offer is to research, research, research any group before you decide to invest in it. Visit a meeting and see how many people attend and how active they are within the group.
At NAWBO, becoming a member doesn’t mean only investing money and attending the networking events, it means being active in the various committees and offering up my services. The other businesses will begin to see what it is I do and how I can assist them in their businesses. I think I can call it an act of “goodwill” and that can go a long way towards building my contact list and my credibility within the small business community in Western New York.