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MARKETING EXPERT
Mistakes in small
business. Not IF. When...
and How much?
When you're running a small business it comes at a cost. This is in both just less than his entire year’s salary in one day. No, I didn't fire him. That
money and time. You get to a point in business where you need to find was the cost of training. However, I use this as an example sample to staff
some help. This is where you employ assistance and expertise in areas to that say “I should get a raise”. Do they TRULY know what the cost of them
help take some of the burden off your back, thus allowing you to free up coming to work is every day?
time in your day and in theory - make more money. The reality for small
business is that hiring anyone not only comes at a fixed cost of what you My second example is when procedures are not followed correctly, and
pay, but the real cost is when your employee’s make a mistake. again in a rush something was pushed through where the new employee
didn't pay attention to detail, and quoted a job to a client for less than
I've been in business over 14 years and I can honestly say every employee $300, when in reality, the proper quote should have been $1,200. It was
I’ve hired, no matter how skilled or experienced they were, every single only, when in the middle of the job, we were over budget by $800 did we
one of them, cost me money from a mistake they made. I've come to accept understand how this slipped through. Of course again, we’ll be doing the
it and no longer get angry about it. It's more like playing the lottery every job for $300 and eating the cost.
time I hire a new employee, except instead of winning I’m guaranteed to
lose. I always tell the new hire, "You will make mistakes. It’s not a matter The moral of the story for small business and for people thinking about
of IF, it’s a matter of WHEN and HOW much it will be”. hiring employees is, that small business is a cost, not just in time with
proper training, fixed fees for which you agree to pay, but also for the
Let me give you an example; I hired a new design artist and his job was mistakes that can be made by the employees. These mistakes unfortunately
to create mattress ads for a client in six different markets. Every ad was are unpredictable. One fact that will stand true with every new employee
specific to the city with different features and discounts. Now, each is they will cost you money by their mistake(s). It's not a matter of IF, it's a
week we were spending close to $25,000 to place the ads in the media matter of WHEN and HOW much. Trust that your employee and company
through all cities. The designer had been with me over six months and will learn from the mistake(s) and be accountable to share with the fellow
had done this task every week for 3 months. One particular week (on peers in the office. This is, in no way to make them feel bad but so your
a late Friday) he was in a hurry to get out for the weekend and wasn't staff can appreciate how much it can and does cost the company. The
paying much attention when sending all the artwork to each of the media goal is to learn by the mistakes as they do happen. Let's just hope that the
outlets. Deadlines were tight, and the newsprint needed the artwork for the mistake doesn't bankrupt your business.
press to print for Saturday, the ads didn't have a chance to go through the
proper "proofing channels". The result was Saturday morning, every city Adam Oldfield, is the President of FPM Marketing and FPM3, a full-
showing the wrong ad with the wrong discounts for those areas. London service online agency located in Hamilton, Cambridge, North Bay and
was advertising for Hamilton, Hamilton was advertising for Toronto, with offices in New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The creator and
Burlington was advertising for London etc. you get the drift. Of course proprietary owner of the Mingle and developer of HR Software for small
I got a phone call on Saturday at Noon, from a very irate client clearly business, Adam teaches Marketing and Sales at Mohawk College and is a
telling me that my agency would not be compensated for the $25,000 bill. Business Development of Canada (BDC) consultant on ICT and Marketing
This employee earned less than $1,000 every two weeks and yet cost me strategies.
www.cambridgechamber.com Spring 2015 21
Mistakes in small
business. Not IF. When...
and How much?
When you're running a small business it comes at a cost. This is in both just less than his entire year’s salary in one day. No, I didn't fire him. That
money and time. You get to a point in business where you need to find was the cost of training. However, I use this as an example sample to staff
some help. This is where you employ assistance and expertise in areas to that say “I should get a raise”. Do they TRULY know what the cost of them
help take some of the burden off your back, thus allowing you to free up coming to work is every day?
time in your day and in theory - make more money. The reality for small
business is that hiring anyone not only comes at a fixed cost of what you My second example is when procedures are not followed correctly, and
pay, but the real cost is when your employee’s make a mistake. again in a rush something was pushed through where the new employee
didn't pay attention to detail, and quoted a job to a client for less than
I've been in business over 14 years and I can honestly say every employee $300, when in reality, the proper quote should have been $1,200. It was
I’ve hired, no matter how skilled or experienced they were, every single only, when in the middle of the job, we were over budget by $800 did we
one of them, cost me money from a mistake they made. I've come to accept understand how this slipped through. Of course again, we’ll be doing the
it and no longer get angry about it. It's more like playing the lottery every job for $300 and eating the cost.
time I hire a new employee, except instead of winning I’m guaranteed to
lose. I always tell the new hire, "You will make mistakes. It’s not a matter The moral of the story for small business and for people thinking about
of IF, it’s a matter of WHEN and HOW much it will be”. hiring employees is, that small business is a cost, not just in time with
proper training, fixed fees for which you agree to pay, but also for the
Let me give you an example; I hired a new design artist and his job was mistakes that can be made by the employees. These mistakes unfortunately
to create mattress ads for a client in six different markets. Every ad was are unpredictable. One fact that will stand true with every new employee
specific to the city with different features and discounts. Now, each is they will cost you money by their mistake(s). It's not a matter of IF, it's a
week we were spending close to $25,000 to place the ads in the media matter of WHEN and HOW much. Trust that your employee and company
through all cities. The designer had been with me over six months and will learn from the mistake(s) and be accountable to share with the fellow
had done this task every week for 3 months. One particular week (on peers in the office. This is, in no way to make them feel bad but so your
a late Friday) he was in a hurry to get out for the weekend and wasn't staff can appreciate how much it can and does cost the company. The
paying much attention when sending all the artwork to each of the media goal is to learn by the mistakes as they do happen. Let's just hope that the
outlets. Deadlines were tight, and the newsprint needed the artwork for the mistake doesn't bankrupt your business.
press to print for Saturday, the ads didn't have a chance to go through the
proper "proofing channels". The result was Saturday morning, every city Adam Oldfield, is the President of FPM Marketing and FPM3, a full-
showing the wrong ad with the wrong discounts for those areas. London service online agency located in Hamilton, Cambridge, North Bay and
was advertising for Hamilton, Hamilton was advertising for Toronto, with offices in New York, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The creator and
Burlington was advertising for London etc. you get the drift. Of course proprietary owner of the Mingle and developer of HR Software for small
I got a phone call on Saturday at Noon, from a very irate client clearly business, Adam teaches Marketing and Sales at Mohawk College and is a
telling me that my agency would not be compensated for the $25,000 bill. Business Development of Canada (BDC) consultant on ICT and Marketing
This employee earned less than $1,000 every two weeks and yet cost me strategies.
www.cambridgechamber.com Spring 2015 21
