Are You Being About Your Business?
By Ronda Watson Barber – Publisher
I recently hosted a business forum to introduce small and minority owned businesses to purchasing opportunities. Only a few in attendance were really ready and prepared to conduct business. Folks attended without business cards, paper and pen and a couple came dressed totally inappropriate. They came donning shorts, tee shirts and flip flops. A few guys in the room wore baseball caps throughout the entire meeting. Really? This crew was definitely not prepared to conducted business.
Serious business owners are ALWAYS ready to make a sale. They are professional. They are always prepared to discuss their product or service. It has been said that it only takes seven seconds to form a first impression. Missed opportunities equal missed sales. Hopefully you are in business to make money. Giving a bad first impression can lose you the confidence of a prospective client. Would you want to do business with someone who isn’t prepared or someone who is wearing shorts to a business function? Act like you know what you doing. Fake it if you need to. Professionalism and confidence mean everything in the business world.
You are a reflection of your company. People form impressions about your business by the way you dress, conduct yourself and other non-verbal communications. If you want to be a mogul, act like a mogul.
Quit making excuses. Again, do you want to give your precious valuable dollars to a company that is making excuses? There is no excuse for not having business cards. You should always carry a fresh clean supply of business cards. A business card is your introduction. to others. Business cards are an important staple for your company.
Business cards are a direct effective marketing tool for your business. Remember to include your product/service and how to get in touch with you. Get them professionally made. Use a professional email address. Bill Gates probably isn’t using a gmail or AOL email account. Your email address is also a reflection of your business. Your banker and lawyer probably aren’t using free email accounts to conduct business.
Business cards indicate you are ready and prepared to do business. Who would you want to give a contract to? Someone who is fumbling around to write their contact information on a scrap piece of paper or someone who can pull out a clean professional business card.
A business card is a reflection of your brand. Again, it helps you to make a good first impression. In a networking setting, a business card can act as a great ice breaker.
First impressions can be lasting impressions. The world of business is tough. There’s a lot of competition. At your next business function, please make sure you are handling your business. Show the crowd, you are READY to do business.
We have been forced to move our office
The 912 Group and OhioMBE have been forced to move their offices. E.V. Bishoff has terminated the lease with The 912 Group for its offices at 35 E. Gay Street in Columbus because I , complained about not having air conditioning for more than 10 days straight days in July and August. Additionally, I deducted fees from the August rent because of the incident. The management company, who has received numerous, complaints from tenants about the climate controls within its downtown Columbus properties, elected to enforce a five-day notice of lease termination.
I received an email on Friday, August 26 indicating it was obviously I was unhappy with the tenancy and showed animosity towards the rental company. Wow!
Who would be happy with not having air conditioning in the Ohio hot summer months? The building also had issues with the air conditioning last summer as well. Additionally, I also complained that my office was without heat in January of 2016. An email was sent to property owner David Bishoff. He never responded, but representatives did indicate a full rent payment would be expected for January 2016 regardless of if the office suite had heat or not.
What did the E.V. Bishoff Company and owner David Bishoff expect from an unhappy tenant? Mr. Bishoff was offended that I described his management of the properties as a slumlord. Maybe the truth hurts. He obviously was not happy with the criticism. In my opinion they appear to run their Columbus downtown commercial properties like money grubbers slumlords. Rent payments are expected regardless of standard services like air conditioning and heat being provided in old brick buildings. Mr. Bishoff appears to have the expectation that tenants accept shoddy services or leave. This may explain why tenancy in the buildings is low and current occupants are extremely unhappy. Perhaps there would be more occupants in the downtown Columbus offices if E.V. Bishoff were honorable and was more considered with providing quality services over collecting rent money.
It is unfortunate that commercial leaseholders don’t have a government outlet to complain about substandard services being provided in the same fashion that residential tenants do.
Renters beware. King David expects subservience. The E.V. Bishoff Company provides office leasing in Columbus, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Just my thoughts…RWB
