Both terms became popularized by
the mainstream media, which for a
period of time seemingly repeated
these slogans at 15 second intervals. I
became convinced that network
television talking heads had conspired
amongst themselves to see just which
one of them could insert both terms
more frequently into the pertinent
news stories of the day.

But, it appears that the jury remains
out on “the new normal,” my personal choice for slogan of the
year. A risky choice I admit in an election year which will
likely produce many competing slogans by politicians of both
parties attempting to gain a political advantage over their
opponent. Even Wikipedia hasn’t weighed in on “new
normal” yet.

The mainstream media has loosely defined “the new
normal” as how the current recession has or will impact the
lives of average Americans.

To self-employed entrepreneurs like myself, “the new
normal” will likely represent one of two realities however:

• The reason for a self-employed entrepreneur’s demise, or

• The unlimited opportunities for the future.

I believe the choice of either option is largely our own.

I concede that the current recession has dealt near death
blows to certain areas of our economy including the real
estate and residential construction markets. But I’ve also
witnessed first hand how a number of both realtors and
builders have adapted to changing consumer trends brought
on by the recession, to create new and profitable niche
markets for themselves.

Our emotional reaction to all that has happened in the last
year or two appears to have played a greater role in our
demise or success than the economic fundamentals
themselves.

For some of us, the “new normal” represents the need for
change that many fear more than the recession itself.

Still, for others, the “new normal” represents the
opportunity to identify marketplace changes, which if adapted
to and embraced, will offer the potential to create unique
competitive advantages resulting in unlimited possibilities in
the future.

While the choice appears an easy one, fear remains a
powerful force which in the evolutionary world of small
business will select the winners and the losers. But your small
business need not rely upon natural selection to determine its
future fate.

This “new normal” is creating both risks and rewards for a
bright new future for America’s small business community
which, if ignored, will determine your future for you. EK

It’s difficult to determine
at this early date whether
the term “new normal”
will gain a foothold into
our American vocabulary
such as “gravitas” or “peace
divided” did during the
early Bush era.

Just recently, while visiting
with a client, I learned that
the payment we had just
received for the display
advertising he had previously
placed in one of our recent
publications came not from
income generated from his
business, but rather from
proceeds from his Individual
Retirement Account, or IRA.

This is not the first time
this has happened as another self-employed couple also sold
stock in their retirement account to pay debts incurred in the
operation of their business. Slumping sales made this action a
necessity if they were to continue the pursuit of their dream.

I’ve thought a great deal about this act and other actions
taken by so many self-employed entrepreneurs to remain
viable during this recession.

In the absence of bank financing and with depleted cash
reserves, many self-employeds turn to equity in their homes,
retirement accounts and alternative sources of revenue to
finance the operation of their businesses.

It must be difficult for non-self-employeds to appreciate the
level of commitment many self-employed entrepreneurs have
toward their businesses, that they would risk everything in
the pursuit of their dreams.

I’ve also come to realize that the term entrepreneur is little
more than a generic term today used to describe most
anybody with management responsibilities. I was even told
several years ago by the president of a division of a Fortune
500 company that he and other managers at his firm
“embraced the entrepreneurial spirit.”

When asked what that meant, he offered a seemingly weak
response, at least from my perspective of 26 years as a
self-employed entrepreneur. Perhaps he was dismayed by my
reaction, but I soon came to realize that he had never walked
in the shoes of a self-employed person.

I guess it’s like the story about the preparation of a bacon
and egg breakfast. While it can be said that the chicken is
involved, there is no question that it was the pig who was
totally committed.

While I don’t question the involvement of non-self-
employed management in the daily and future operation of
their respective companies, unlike the self-employeds, they’re
not required to finance operations from their personal fortunes.

Granted, while many management teams have taken
involuntary pay cuts and bonus reductions, I doubt that any
voluntarily contributed their own personal capital to the
companies they manage.

I’m not complaining mind you. We self-employed
entrepreneurs voluntarily chose our direction. But it seems
that a new definition is required to define those that are
committed and those that are merely involved.

Nearly half my life has been lived as a self-employed, so
there’s no question I lack objectivity. I’ve never regretted the
decision I have chosen, nor would I give up the risk/reward of
self-employment for the security of a paycheck.

I just wished there was a word to adequately describe the
self-employed entrepreneurs that I meet daily who risk
everything and that a nation looks upon to create the 60 to
80% of the jobs needed to lift us from the grip of the most
severe recession since the 1930’s.

Perhaps it’s hero? EK

It seems that a
new definition
is required
to define those
that are committed
and those that are
merely involved.

Building the Dream

Local business owner fulfilling
childhood dream in West

Knoxville gift shop

As a local business owner,
Gail Del Vecchio has had
real success as the owner
and operator of Gifty Girl,
which has become a
popular fixture in
Bearden’s Southern Market
shopping center. And
thanks to that success, Gail
is planning to grow and
relocate Gifty Girl in
Lakeside Village, conveniently located in the heart of
West Knoxville.

“I believe that this area of West Knoxville is in need of
this kind of shopping experience, and with Gifty Girl I
will fulfill that need,” she says. “I want to provide
Knoxville with a shopping alternative that pleases the
senses and provides a niche market for personalized and
unique home décor and gifts.”

With approximately 1,200 square feet of retail space,
Gifty Girl will carry a diverse set of gifts, home décor,
and novelty items, covering a wide range of price points.

Gail says customers should expect a warm, inviting
environment that feels as though they have “escaped to a
quaint shop in Paris.”

“The number of choices and quality of gifts will be
breathtaking,” she says.

Gail also hopes to establish a high level of
personalization through personalized design services,
educational decorating workshops, gift registry, realtor
programs, ASID discounts, gift certificates, gift wrap and
preferred customer recognition programs, all perks Gail
says are far from common in today’s hectic, mass market. She
hopes to eventually ad online shopping and direct shipping to
customers.

“My business philosophy is to provide customers with an
opportunity to escape the ‘routine’ of day-to-day life activities
by providing a mini-vacation that is refreshing and
invigorating,” Gail says. “It is my personal goal to create such
an enjoyable and fulfilling experience that my customers want
to come back frequently.”

This business dream is one that Gail has held onto since
childhood, when she ran what she calls a “pretend store,” in
which she went through her house and priced everything she
wanted to “sell.” Gail would even use her mother’s ironing
board as a counter and an old rotary phone as a cash register.

“The personal satisfaction and joy that I receive from
interfacing with customers and helping them find a unique
and personalized gift for a loved one
or special friend is indescribable,”
Gail says.

Gail, who was born and raised in
South Carolina, spent 10 years in
Colorado before settling in Knoxville
with her husband and three children
in 2005. She says she is pleased to be
“back in the South.”

“We have found Knoxville to have
the best people and climate,” says
Gail. “You hear a lot about Southern
hospitality, but the people in
Knoxville demonstrate true
hospitality every day.”

Upon arriving in Knoxville, Gail
started a home-based jewelry business
and then worked at Southern Market,
where she became a merchant with
her own home décor shop, something
she says she could not have done
without the support of her family.

“My husband David is my strong
arm and the best thing that ever
happened to me,” Gail says. “We’ve
been married for over 20 years and
we have three wonderful children,
Cole age 24, Jessica age 19, and
Shelby age 15.” EK

I heard a great suggestion for small business owners while listening to Bloomberg radio recently.

I’m going to act on this recommendation and perhaps you may elect to do so also.

The suggestion was rather simple.

Become a customer of your own business. In other words, take the time to both observe and evaluate your small business just as your existing and would-be customers do.

You might be surprised what you learn.

Make an objective evaluation of your business.

Do you have a physical location where customers visit?
• How is the exterior physical appearance?
• Interior appearance?
• Do you open promptly at the designated time?
• Do you close early?
• How is your phone etiquette?
• How are your associates attired?

We purchased an existing business near Chicago that had a reputation for customer indifference, often closing early.

One would-be customer had visited twice during normal business hours only to find they had closed early.

Fortunately, this would-be customer, upon learning that our business was under new ownership, decided to give us a second opportunity. After several trial orders we received two orders representing three times our average monthly sales.

The customer was Outboard Marine Corporation.

Our business, a franchise with over 2,000 locations nationally, became the third fastest growing franchise location east of the Mississippi.

Whether you have a physical location where customers visit or not there remain other questions worth of asking, including:
• Are you accessible to your clients when necessary?
• Are you or your associates chronically late? Being late tells the person you were to meet that your time is more important than theirs.
• How are you dressed? Don’t expect to be taken seriously by your clients if you’re dressed inappropriately.

Do you know the number one reason for losing a customer?

Is it price? Quality?

Wrong!

The number one reason for losing an existing or would-be customer is INDIFFERENCE.

Today’s downward spiral of customer service levels in the country is appalling.

However, low customer care levels are providing ripe opportunities for business savvy entrepreneurs, who choose to provide consistently higher levels of customer service to make serious inroads into competitors markets who neglect or ignore this critical area of their businesses.

One question begs to be asked.

In the midst of one of the worst recessions in decades, why would any serious business owner ignore what would appear to be so obvious?

Why not become your company’s best customer and take advantage of the sales opportunities your competitors are creating.

We hear it repeated
several times each
week no matter who we
call, whether you want
to place a telephone
order or just wish to
chew the head off some
customer service
representative whose
firm’s product failed to
live up to its promises.

“Please listen carefully
as our menu options have recently changed.”

To demonstrate just how naïve I am I actually believed
those sincere voice recordings and listened patiently
to the various prompts which led to new menus and
new prompts, and eventually I was whisked half-way
around the globe to some far away customer service
outpost where representatives have had their names
changed to Chip and Deborah.

While sincere, polite and no doubt well intentioned, these
well-trained listeners exude unlimited empathy for the caller
but typically do not possess the necessary authority to right a
wrong.

So you’ve vented. The person on the other end of the phone
has not responded. You listen carefully to see if they’ve hung
up. Can you hear them breathing?

You’re confident you’ll never be welcomed as a tourist to
their country.

After a lengthy interval, their script instructs them to say “I
understand how you feel.”

To remedy the situation they assure you that they’ve made
an entry into their firm’s customer service computer and that
someone will be in contact with you in a day or two.

In case you think I’m exaggerating, try calling AT&T, Citibank
or a host of other companies that are outsourcing a variety of
internal departments that previously maintained a vital link
between these companies and their once valued customers.

So what does this mean for your small business?

Today’s historically high level of customer service
dissatisfaction represents a unique opportunity for your small
business to successfully differentiate itself from your
competitors who have chosen their bottom line over their
relationship with their customers.

When was the last time you thanked a customer for their
business?

When was the last time you offered to go above and beyond
for a customer that might be struggling in his or her own
small business?

When was the last time you asked a customer how you
might improve your business?

The number one reason for losing a customer is not price or
even quality, but rather indifference.

As a small business person be careful not to outsource your
commitment to your customers to someone else.
Outsourcing customer service turns once valued customers
into free-agents. EK

“The Only Thing Certain is Uncertainty”

This is a line from a popular country western song that I immediately claimed as my own.

It seems this one fellow was listening to a friend who was complaining about his personal challenges in life, somehow believing his burdens were unique.
The first person, not really consoling his friend, tells him to suck it up. That what he has been experiencing is merely life’s challenges.

While I’m not suggesting that small business ignore the challenges of the current recession, we need to accept the reality that recessions, which occur at five to eight year intervals, are very much a part of our landscape. They represent a form of natural selection which tests our wisdom, judgment, passion, skills and decisions.
In a sense recessions compress 10 years of business activity into a relatively short span of only 12 to 18 months leaving you feeling overwhelmed.

Recessions test major business sectors and their business models. Who would have guessed only a few short years ago the failure of General Motors and Chrysler? But when you refuse to produce vehicle models that Americans want to purchase, the die has been cast. Neither manufacture had an automobile in the top 10 models purchased under the “Clunkers” program. Ford had two and foreign car manufacturers eight.
Incidentally, the top 10 clunkers were all American.
Successful business people understand that success is a journey and not a one-time event.

Success in business results from the collective decisions we make each and every day and at an accelerated rate during recessionary periods.

But as challenging as recessions are, they also contain silver linings for astute entrepreneurs who position themselves for the inevitable new opportunities which will emerge.

Leaner, more agile business models that are not tethered to costly infrastructure will likely dominate the business landscape in many sectors in the future.

The key to unlocking this potential for an even brighter future for your small business is to accept change as an opportunity.

Try to anticipate change. With experience comes wisdom and often the ability to discern change. I’m not suggesting that you search for challenges which may not exist, but that you not ignore the obvious, which has devastated numerous U.S. corporate icons.

Remember that naiveté is not a marketable business skill.
Make the decision and the commitment to emerge a winner and remember that “The Only Thing Certain is Uncertainty.”

“Those members of the younger generation engaged in the excessive
use of acronyms for the dual purpose of confusing those older than
themselves and/or eliminating them from conversation altogether.”

grew my hair longer as a
youth as a statement of my
independence. I wish I
could regain, or should I
say Rogaine, my
independence once again.
Secretly I think I also
enjoyed annoying my father
with my longer hair.

Perhaps these young
acronymitors enjoy
acronyms because they have their very
own language that only those under 30
understand. Or perhaps they, as I have
suspected for some time, have created all
these acronyms just to annoy me.

I had no idea just how far this
conspiracy had spread until we met with
a web developer to replace our 2 year
old, and now already aging, Everything
Knoxville website.

It was reminiscent of that scene from
“European Vacation” where Clark
Griswald, aka Chevy Chase, was
attempting to order food from that street
café in Paris. A great many words were
exchanged but there was very little
communication.

Slamdot founder and president Sean
Christman, and now great friend, seeing
my dismay, came to the rescue. I can
now communicate, although not fluently,
with fellow acronymitors.

The truth is I’ve had a blast trying to
first learn and then to keep up with all of
my new young friends. I wouldn’t give
up the experience for the world. They’ve
opened up my eyes to emerging new
business models and ideas that I had
previously dismissed.

A word of caution to you non-
acronymitors, avoid the wisdom of this
group of enthusiastic youngtrepreneurs
at your own peril.

I’m not suggesting that they know it all
and that they can’t learn from us
boomtrepreneurs. I’m just stating that
knowledge and experience is not our
exclusive domain.

Business models have and continue to
evolve at unprecedented rates.

Traditional businesses are discovering
that they must quickly adapt to newer,
technology driven business models, or
face extinction.

Nowhere has this become more
apparent to me than in the area of
website development.

If you’re like most small business
owners, you evaluate your company’s
website primarily on appearance alone.
While your website’s appearance is an
important criteria, it’s only one of many
other criteria that are equally essential
for a successful website.

Due to the emphasis placed by website
owners on their site’s appearance,
developers ignore those other criteria
that ultimately determine the site’s
success or failure.

The truth is that very few website
developers take the time to educate
clients on how to create a highly effective
website which will drive new customers
to their businesses. Sadly, many
developers don’t understand these
principles themselves, and elect to focus,
as you might expect, on the website’s
visual appearance alone.

Technology is the “new conduit”
between business and consumer and a
poorly performing website will only handicap
your efforts to target thousands of would-
be customers that might have been doing
business with your company already.

Forget the kid next door who
offered to build your site for $100 or
the DIY websites.

A great website is far less expensive
than you might imagine, far less than the
business you no doubt have already lost.

So who should you talk to about
creating a performance driven website
for your small business?

An acronymitor!

A talented Sean Christman type that will
help you to develop a clear strategy for
your online presence, design, optimization,
monitoring and analysis of results, and the
readjustment of all of the above.

Just be prepared to learn a new
language along the way and enjoy the
journey. EK

Everything Knoxville Magazine is the
proud sponsor of Your Opportunity
Knox heard on WNOX FM-100.3 each
Saturday from noon to 1 pm.

Whether you’re already a small
business owner or a would-be entrepreneur
tune in every Saturday and
discover your full potential for success.

After being in business for
six years, Lisa Sorensen
says that Bliss, now with
three locations in Knoxville,
continues to keep her
motivated and active.

Sorensen and her
husband Scott Schimmel
opened the first Bliss
store in Market Square in
2003. And despite the fact
that at that time, much of the square was under
construction, Sorensen says she and Schimmel sensed
that the area needed something different.

“Location is so critical,” Sorensen says. “Where you go is so
important. And after talking to people that already owned
businesses on Market Square, we knew it was the place for us.”

Sorensen says that she and Schimmel were inspired by
the idea of making downtown more friendly for
shoppers. Sorensen, who grew up in Farragut, says she
realized how important friendly, family businesses are to
a community after she spent 10 years in Italy after earning
a Finance degree from the University of Tennessee.

“When I was in Italy, I was exposed to the kind of mom
and pop specialty stores that you just don’t see in
Knoxville,” Sorensen says, noting that overseas, family-
ran stores are vital to shopping districts. “I have always
wanted to give back to the community in that way. But I
left Italy with an even stronger sense of how important it
is for families to own local businesses.”

After returning to Knoxville around 10 years ago,
Sorensen held the idea of opening a specialty shop in the
area in the back of her mind while she worked in the
marketing department of a local broker dealer.

A couple of years later, Bliss became reality.

Since that time, Sorensen and Schimmel have worked
hard to build support for the store, which now boasts
three locations in Knoxville. And the company’s continued
expansion is proof that the hard work has paid off.

In addition to owning the Bliss brand, Sorensen and
Schimmel serve the community on various business and
community groups and boards.

“We love being a local business,” Sorensen says. “Knoxville is
such a great city, we love being able to give back to it.”

Customers have responded quite positively to the Bliss brand.
So much so that the store is often mistaken for a gift store chain.

“We love it when people come in and ask, ‘Is this a chain?’”
Sorensen explains. “They often want to know if we have
locations in other cities.”

To the question of whether or not Bliss will continue to grow,
Sorensen says that she and Schimmel never rule out the possibility.

“We are so excited about what we are doing here,” she says.
“But we always want to do more.”

The couple’s 12-year-old daughter, Victoria Iannopollo, has
grown up with her parents running Bliss. And in fact, Victoria
has even started to work there herself.

“Victoria has always been a big
help,” Sorensen says.

The couple also has a son,
17-month-old Oliver Schimmel.
Sorensen says that though she hopes
her children will chase their own
dreams, whatever they may be, she
certainly would not be opposed to
Bliss becoming a true, hand-me-down
family business like the ones she
experienced while in Italy.

“Our intentions are for it to
continue to grow,” she says. “And if
Victoria or Oliver wants to take it over
one day, that would be great.”

For more information, visit Bliss
online at www.shopinbliss.com. EK

With the world’s attention turning to the lightning rod of social media, cloud computing and the phone apps that are springing up everywhere, one online product ranks atop the heap: the online video. While the social media darlings make waves in the news, as of April 2009, it was video that was taking the top honors for hits and results. According to TurnHere, the largest producer of web videos in the United States, 62% of adult internet users claimed to regularly view videos, 46% were participating in social networking and only 11% were using tools like Twitter.

It has always been the mission of Everything Knoxville Magazine to make as many communication tools available to our clients as possible. We have re-launched our website (www.everythingknoxville.com) and added video capabilities. Now for one low cost our clients can leverage traditional media against the latest emerging advertising technology for the best results available anywhere. Imagine having an ad campaign that uses radio and print advertising to drive traffic to your video. You will have the ability to interact with potential clients visually and verbally in a way that is proven to help you communicate your message. The best part about it is your message will be clear and consistent across the board.
Advertising is all about numbers, and the video data speaks for itself. The Turn Here research data confirmed that a video ad can increase the number of profile views by 15%. Those profile views can increase the number of profile clicks by 30%. Those clicks can increase the number of calls by 18%. That is the kind of results that can drive home a message and add new sources of revenue.

Another reason we feel advertisers are going to find such great value in our online video product is the shelf life. The video can be hosted on the client’s website, our website and a host of other video-based sites that will be around for as long as you choose to keep it. Unlike traditional media, the video ads can exist as long as necessary.
It was never our intention to get into the video production business. However, during our search for a video production company, we discovered that several national-level companies offered products that wouldn’t be of much help to our clients. On top of charging high monthly hosting fees, the production cost of the videos themselves were extremely expensive. We now have the ability to produce them on a local level and maintain the same quality and style for a very affordable cost.
Recession isn’t about surviving but emerging ahead of the pack. By adding online videos as an advertising platform, we feel as if we are making an investment in our advertisers and offering more results than ever before.

For a limited time take advantage of our offer to unleash the power of an online video for your small business free of charge. Give us a call at 865.856.6463 or email info@everythingknoxville.com for more info. Make a business move that will help put your small business ahead of the pack.