New Feature: Business Leaders in Bars drinking Beers - #BLIB

In 2016 we're going to be working on a new project called Business Leaders in Bars drinking Beers.   The name pays homage to the Jerry Seinfeld show 'Comedians in Cars getting Coffee' and the concept will be somewhat similar.  Here's what we'll be doing:

Each week we're going to sit down for an hour with a different CEO, Business Owner, or Business Executive throughout the country. We're going to go to a bar with them, and we're going to drink a beer or two with them. During our beer-drinking jaunt, we're going to discuss their business, trends that they're seeing in the workforce, we'll discuss the bar/restaurant we're in, and we'll review the beer we're drinking (and why we chose it).  We might even throw in a yelp score, a BeerAdvocate rating, or some commentary on whether we agree with the Business Leader's thoughts into our post. 

We'll then package everything up into a neat little blog post so that you can read it without ever having to leave your computer.  We'll also be using the hashtag #BLIB, so you can follow us on Twitter.  Cheers!

Who is Suitless Inc?

Suitless Inc. has been providing fast-growth businesses with  HR, finance, and legal support since 2014.  Fast-growth is a very important element of that last sentence.  We work with companies that want to grow quickly.  That's the 10 second pitch that when people ask who we are and what we do.

But who are we really...?  The best way to describe us is to publish our company's core values.  This is who we really are:

• Be Grateful - We're always grateful for our clients, our friends, our families, our time together, and our time on this planet.  

• Work Within Our Limits - Because we're no use to anyone if we're tired, cranky, or pissed off.

• We're transparent - About the work that we do, the fees we charge, and the advice we provide, because integrity and honesty are worth more than gold.

• Don't take Ourselves Too Seriously - Life is short, so we work hard, do the right thing, have fun, and enjoy the people we work with.

We value our core values, and it's important for us to know and understand the core values of the companies that we work with.  Has your company ever defined and published their core values? Why or why not?  

Welcome to the future (aka 2016)

With 2016 well underway we've decided to reinvigorate our blogging efforts. And why not? Interesting things are going on. Business is booming. And we have so much to say!

We started blogging in 2014 and our blog efforts bled over into early 2015. Random people who we had never met or heard of before would email us about our posts. It was kind of cool. But then we stopped our blogging efforts. We stopped because we got caught up in ourselves. We put the cart before the horse and would ask ourselves "What blog platform should we use" or "how often should we post" or "what would others think about our posts about weed or us calling a piece of software shitty" (or about using the word shitty). At the end of the day we were worried about what others would think.

Well now our new strategy is "Strategy be damned". We're no longer concerned about WordPress vs. Joomla Vs. Weebly. We're going to post good stuff often, but not on any serious schedule. And we really aren't going to care about what other people think.

Here is what we are going to do. We are going to meet and chat with all sorts of new and different people in the business world. We are going to write about the things that matter to small business leaders and their employees. And we are going to focus on the things that we know are important. We will also attempt to weave some non-business content into our posts. A pop-culture reference here, a restaurant review there, and maybe a gripe or two sprinkled in. At times, our posts will attempt to be funny, informative, thought-provoking, and maybe even a bit edgy. Notice how many times I used the word "attempt" there?

So re-bookmark our site in your Netscape browser like it's 1999. We've got lots of great stories, posts, articles, and musings ahead of us. We hope that you will join us. But if not, we will still be doing the damn thing.

5 Things to Look For When Selecting a Consultant

Ever since I became a consultant I've heard the following question many times: "How Do I Select a Consultant".  I immediately reply by telling the individual to extend their arm (in my direction), extend their index finger (in my direction), and say the word "YOU" very loudly.  But in all seriousness, finding and selecting a consultant is important for businesses as often times consultants work alongside their clients as partners for long periods o f time and handle very sensitive work for them.  So here are five guiding principles on how to select a consultant:

1.  Helpfulness - this sounds like an easy one, but is your consultant helpful? Are they available to take your calls, do they answer your emails, are they excited to speak with you?  Can you come to them with any problem and feel confident that they'll either know the answer or steer you in the right direction?

2.  Trustworthiness - Finding someone who you can trust is one of the most important elements of finding a great consultant.  If you can't trust your consultant there's a chance that you'll hold important things back from him or her, and that's not good for anybody. 

3.   Question Asker - It's great to hear that your consultant has multiple degrees, certifications, licenses, and accolades.  But what does that mean for you as their potential client.  Will your consultant be able to get things done in a way that works for you?  Even more important than asking questions is 'asking the right questions' but we'll address that in a future blog post. 

4.  Problem Solver - Does the consultant have a one-size-fits-all solutions or are you and your business partners getting custom level solutions? Maybe you need a one-size-fits-all solution, maybe you don't. If your consultant can't explain why he's doing what he's doing for you - in a way that makes sense - it's time to find a new consultant. 

5. Expert Advice - Is your consultant an expert in what they are helping you on? Even more importantly, if  your consultant isn't an expert on what they're working on for you, will they tell you and help you find someone who IS an expert in that area?  Being in job for 30 years doesn't make someone an expert. Being in a job for 3 years doesn't disqualify someone from being an expert either.  

These should get you off to a good start when trying to find and select a consultant to help you with your needs.