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Gwenn Aspen is the co-founder and CEO of Anequim LLC. Anequim helps property management companies be more efficient and successful through a variety of service offerings. From sourcing and managing professional remote labor from Mexico, to Rent Manager Call Center and Anequim Office Services, Anequim is able to provide game changing results to its clients. She is also co-host of the Bootstrappers Show which releases bi-weekly episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Youtube. Gwenn was a founder of Wistar Group property management company in Omaha, Nebraska which manages 1,200+ doors which sold to Pure in 2021. Gwenn has a background in the healthcare industry and is a graduate of the University of Michigan.
Every December, we’re reminded to enjoy our family, friends, and traditions. We’re encouraged to be cheerful, giving, and generous. We’re asked to reflect on the past year and think about what we’d like to improve so we can live our “best life” in the year ahead. ‘Tis the season of joy and kindness! Right? Well…not exactly. Not for everyone, at least.
In a previous post, we talked about having discipline, scheduling your days, being organized, and having a routine as important keys to the success of your new business. But, what if you’re a more seasoned entrepreneur who is already doing all of that? As your company is seeing more and more success, it can become harder to stay on top of everything. If you’ve realized you need to try something new to ensure your customers stay happy- you’ve come to the right place. We’ve been there! In this post, we’ll share tips and resources to help you stay disciplined when your business is a little further down the road to success.
Whether your team works in-person or remotely, protecting your company’s data should be a top priority. However, when your employees are remote, it becomes even more important to have and enforce strict information and data management processes. This is especially critical if your employees have access to banking and vendor management systems, accounting records, and the personal information of your customers (social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, credit card or bank account numbers, etc.). These data pieces can give a would-be thief plenty of information to steal money or even someone’s identity. The last thing you want is for your business to be associated with a serious data breach.
Most everyone knows the old saying “it’s lonely at the top”. If you’ve been at the top, you absolutely know how true that is. When you are the person in charge, the weight of responsibility can be very heavy- even overwhelming, and often isolating. As Jocko Willink, co-author of the New York Times best seller, Extreme Ownership, puts it:
“Leaders must own everything in their world. There is no one else to blame”
As remote work becomes more and more popular, many business owners wonder how (or if) it would work for their team. In this article, we will share tips for creating a great employee experience and having happy, productive employees.
The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the name “Benjamin Franklin” is: kite + key + lightning storm = electricity. But he was a true Renaissance man- full of wisdom and possessing many talents. He is recognized as one of the Founding Fathers of our country; helping create documents at the very foundation of our democracy, the Declaration of Independence, and the US Constitution. He also helped negotiate the end of the Revolutionary War and was a fierce opponent of slavery.
Our personal values are our core principles. They are what we believe is important and they guide how we evaluate situations and make decisions. They serve as an internal moral compass. Our values are formed early- shaped by our experiences and influenced by important people in our lives. It isn’t always easy to articulate exactly what our values are, but when something doesn’t align with our personal values- we feel uncomfortable.
The pandemic brought on many challenges for businesses- that is no surprise to anyone. One of the most notable changes has been a huge increase in the number of employees working remotely. That shift to remote work has had a significant impact on today’s workforce. Most business experts agree- there is no going back. Remote work is here to stay. How do we, as business owners, adjust and thrive in this new normal?
Chances are, if you’ve got an entrepreneurial spirit and a creative mind- you’ve experienced “Shiny Object Syndrome” (SOS) at some point in your career. This phenomenon isn’t a diagnosable condition, but rather a business term used to define a tendency to be easily distracted by new ideas. The “shiny object” catches your eye and can take your focus away from the task at hand- like a curious child might hop around between shiny new toys at a dizzying speed. Or, how dogs can be easily distracted by one of those pesky squirrels.
Change is the only constant in life, and that’s certainly no more true than it is in business. Still, it’s possible to find yourself stuck in ruts and plateaus, unable to move your business forward.
When that happens it might seem like everyone is more successful than you. And for a lot of really good reasons.
