Small business owners are wise to be jacks of all trades. It's helpful to have a base knowledge of accounting, law, and marketing, even if their true passions lie elsewhere. And until they reach a certain breaking point, a single-person business is a smart way to keep down overhead and reap all the (eventual) profit. But what happens when entrepreneurs are working twenty-hour days and need twelve cups of coffee to stay alert enough to answer the phone? What they need is trustworthy employees and an excellent manager, so that they can focus on the stuff they were born to do.
The scary part is finding the right team. It's kind of like hiring a nanny to watch your young child for the first time. Are good references and a good interview enough to prove that your precious cargo will be in excellent care? A good manager will instill this trust almost immediately. Here are some tips on how to recognize a partner that will be with you for the long haul.
They don't flower you with empty and general phrases.
Job interviews, even though we might like to think so, are not representative of how an employee will behave at all times. Know that potential managerial candidates will be pulling out all of their tricks to get noticed. But it's up to a good employer to be able to parse conversation for disingenuous or negative words as well as body language. They could fulfill a number of generic "good" qualities like a high level of experience and creativity, but what will make them stand out is if they not only talk about their own accomplishments, but talk about how they want to help the company. They need to demonstrate familiarity with the history of your business and professional endeavors, and a specific interest in this sector (and you).
Empty phrases such as, "I was asked to do a number of leadership tasks at which I excelled" are yawn-worthy. A manager will not tell you how they will behave in this position, but will show you.
They also have to have a team-oriented spirit, rather than an individual one. According to Forbes's Jacob Morgan, the model is changing from a hierarchy to a level playing field: "In the past managers said 'jump' and the employees said, 'how high?' Now, the managers are jumping with employees." You will be able to recognize this ability in your potential manager if he or she mentions words like "we" and "team" instead of solely, "I." It's important that your manager is a leader, but also that he or she appreciates the importance of business development: that ultimately, your success is dependent on more than one person.
They share your ambitions and goals.
Your manager doesn't have to, and should not, be your clone. But he or she should share your business ethics and values, and see the same end goal. You want to find someone that will be on your side, though disagreement should not be seen as a negative. In fact, finding someone that will disagree with you on certain points can be a ripe opportunity to explore new avenues and test new strategies you couldn't have thought up on your own. We seek romantic partners that share our values but that are not the same as us. We should look at our business partners with these same criteria in mind.
If you are an employer that avoids confrontation, it will be a good idea to seek a manager that is direct and who efficiently (and peacefully) passes down concerns to employees. Know your weaknesses and seek out a person that will make up for them.
Sharing ambitions and goals for the company will allow you to confide in your manager freely, and perhaps even consider making him or her a business partner or successor to the business in due course.
They can relate to and inspire their team.
A manager is only as good as how much respect he or she has. That means, a manager cannot work in a vacuum. Having "people skills" is not enough for someone that will stick around for long. He or she has to connect to their team so that they feel always encouraged and motivated to perform. By employing concrete deliverables and making informed decisions, a manager can both increase the efficiency of his or her team and make meaningful relationships.
According to Aaron Schwartz of Modify Watches, "empathy" is one of the most important qualities when looking for an exceptional manager. He says, "Strong managers work well with their teams to set priorities, and then encourage their direct reports to go execute them...It's critical that a manager cares about her teamâand that the team knows thisâto keep everyone positive and working together." And we all know that a happy group of employees is one ingredient to a successful business.
Hiring a manager is a huge job, but the rewards will be fruitful. Knowing that you can trust someone to take care of the daily tasks while you map out the future of the business is an invaluable resource.
For more on how to get there, click here.
It's Southwest Companion Pass Season. Here's Why It's The Best Flight Deal on the Market
Southwest Companion Pass
Thereâs all this talk about solo travel. And for good reason â no wasting precious time waiting for others to get their act together, take the plans out of the group chat and actually buy the tickets. Going solo, you can be spontaneous. You can plan your trips according to your precise tastes. You can hop on any flight and fly awayyyyyy.
But what if each time you flew youâd get a free ticket? Thatâs what you get with the Southwest Companion Pass.
Award status, upgrades, lounge access â there are many perks in the frequent flier game. But one of the coveted holy grails is the Southwest Companion Pass.
What is the Southwest Companion Pass?
The Companion Pass is part of Southwestâs Rapid Rewards program. You get to choose one person to be your âcompanion,â and they fly with you for free (plus some taxes and fees) on every flight. Thatâs right. Two for the price of one. Thatâs half off each ticket if you split it! Whether youâre flying with a partner, family member, friend, or anyone else, they can tag along for free.
And it gets better: once you earn the pass, you can reap the rewards for that full calendar year ⊠AND the next. Thatâs why people go mad trying to earn a companion pass during the early months of the year. The sooner you qualify, the longer you can use it.
There are also no blackout dates. There are no limits. And if you didnât purchase the ticket (think: work travel, your companion, or a generous benefactor), there are no restrictions! As long as youâre the one on the plane, your companion can also ⊠be on the plane.
You can also switch out your designated companion 3x a year. So, no need to stay in a relationship simply to get the most out of your companion pass! Ghost and fly away â with a whole new companion!
If this sounds too good to be true â itâs not. But there is one small catch. Itâs kinda tough to earn this mega reward.
How to qualify for the Southwest Companion Pass?
You can qualify for the pass in one of two ways:
- Fly 100 qualifying one-way flights
- Earn 135,000 qualifying points in a calendar year.
Clearly, this is no small feat â especially if youâre trying to qualify ASAP.
So how do you actually earn the Southwest Companion Pass?
Donât worry, thereâs a path to earning this amazing reward without climbing on 100 flights or spending an exorbitant amount of money.
Earning 135K reward points may seem completely impossible, but itâs easier than it sounds. Simply sign up for a Southwest Credit Card and turn those spending habits into a rapid rewards account. Through the Rewards Priority Credit Card, earn points when using local transit and commuting, plus score major points and miles whenever you spend.
Stay with me here. This is not some scheme to get you into credit card debt. Many airline cards come with potential savings, giantic rewards, awarding you points, and cashback with every purchase you make that can be redeemed for travel. And often they can come with passive sign-up bonuses. If you spend a specific amount of money within a certain timeframe of opening the card, you can be in for a windfall of points.
Now thatâs where the companion pass comes in:
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card
- Southwest Priority Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- Southwest Performance Business Credit Card
Southwest has three personal cards and a business card. Each of these cards offers rewards between 30K-80K points. In the past, people could open two cards and get a bonus that granted enough points to almost meet the minimum. However, with new restrictions on personal cards, you can only get one bonus every 24 months. Boo!
However, this doesnât apply to business cards. If youâre eligible, have good credit, and not likely to spiral into insane credit card debt, you can open a business card and a personal card, and accrue 100K+ points. The Rapid Rewards Priority Credit Card will get you points after you spend money in no time.
Now to earn the rest of them.
The secret to gaining these credit card points is to plan your card sign-ups around big purchases. Just before a recent move, I opened a card . . . and the rewards came rolling in â a small balm to ease the pain of how exorbitant moving can be.
Put everyday spend â especially big purchases or bulk items â on your Southwest credit card and watch your award points quickly add up. Typically, you earn 1 point per $1 spent on your Southwest card and 2 points per $1 on actual Southwest purchases.
But there are other ways to earn points, including:
- Flying Southwest: Booking travel on Southwest earns more points. The cost of this travel will be worth it with your companion pass
- Shopping from Rapid Rewards Partners: Purchases with Southwestâs âHome & Lifestyleâ and âShop and Dineâ Partners also earn Companion Pass qualifying points. While you shouldnât make gratuitous purchases, browse Southwestâs partners to see if you could earn extra points for items you'd be purchasing anyway. All this, simply from enrolling in their Dining Program and shopping with their partners.
So there you have it! And since itâs almost Spring, get to earning and soon youâll be flying two for the price of one!
Oh, how far weâve come!
Womenâs History Month is here. What a pertinent reminder of how far women have come in society â but this far is far from far enough. From the pay gap to daily microaggressions, itâs still obvious that women are treated as lesser-than in society. This is especially clear when you look at how few female-founded businesses there are.
According to Rolling Stone, itâs crucial to support female-owned businesses. They report: âWhile it is true that the different experiences and backgrounds that women and men have undoubtedly affect business approaches, this is actually a good thing. A business with diverse perspectives is an innovative business that can actually push the boundaries of industries.â Like with any other social justice cause, uplifting marginalized folks is good for everyone involved. We all benefit from the increased, diverse worldviews brought about by representation.
The article continues: âHaving a gender-diverse business yields better consumer insight, and in turn, a more profitable business. Back in 2015, McKinsey & Company found businesses that were more gender-diverse were likely to outperform approximately 15 percent above the industry median. Years later in 2020, they found that the percentage had increased to 25 percent.â
Therefore, even if we arenât focused on all the social and political reasons to uplift female entrepreneurs, itâs better for everyoneâs bottom line if we do.
Yet, despite this oft-proven reality, archaic stereotypes and oppressive systems stand in the way of progress in every sector. An article in Business News Daily outlines some of the obstacles women face as entrepreneurs. The number one hurdle they face? Social expectations.
The article advises that in order to beat this imposter syndrome, female founders should stick to their guns rather than trying to conform. âWomen may feel as though they need to adopt a stereotypically "male" attitude toward business: competitive, aggressive, and sometimes harsh. But successful female CEOs believe that remaining true to yourself and finding your own voice are the keys to rising above preconceived expectations.â
But often, women are told their lack of professional advancement is their fault. Youâre too shy. Youâre not assertive enough. You need to ask for what you want. Otherwise, how do you expect to get it?
However, despite this refrain, itâs actually not their own fault. This scapegoating convinces ambitious women that if their careers are stifled, itâs their fault. This causes imposter syndrome, lack of representation, and real industry consequences.
According to BND, âRaising capital is even more difficult for women-owned businesses. A 2014 Babson College report found that less than 3% of companies with venture capital funding had female CEOs ⊠venture capitalists tend to invest in startups run by people of their own âtribe.ââ
Other things that get in the way of women climbing the ladder to success include: struggling to be taken seriously, owning their accomplishments, building a support network, balancing business and family life, and coping with the fear of failure.
These are real, tangible barriers that most female entrepreneurs face. The women who have succeeded should be celebrated â and this month is the perfect one to do so. Luckily for us, we can vote with our dollars, supporting the businesses we love so that there can be more like-minded companies out there in the world.
Here are some of my favorite female-owned brands to shop during Womenâs History Month:
Beeâs Wrap
Sustainable brands are on the rise and women are leading the charge. Beeâs Wrap is a savvy alternative to disposable food covers like tin foil and cling film. Itâs also much cuter and easy to use and reuse over and over again.
Southern Elegance Candle Co - Sweet Tea
A divine self-care day â or rather, night â isnât complete without candles. This female-owned Southern Elegance Candle Co is backed by Dianne Furstenburg. Their candles blend luxury and comfort with the down-home scent of sweet tea. Their signature scents will fill your home with relaxing aromas that will remind you to stop the insanity and slow down.
The Chai Box - The Ultimate Chai Lover's Gift Set
Thereâs nothing like curling up at night with a cozy, warm drink. This Chai Set gives you the opportunity to make your chai anyway you like it with the most high-quality spices you can buy.
Bossy Cosmetics Style, Meet Substance Eyeshadow Palette
This brand keeps natural shades of make-up from being boring. Earth tones and metallic shades combine to create a palette thatâs bright without being garish. Plus, it's not just woman-owned, itâs Black-owned, and also vegan.
Pura Terra Complexion Clay
Clay masks may be effective at detoxing your pores of excess sebum and clearing pimples. But they can strip your skin of some of the good oils it needs to thrive. This complexion clay is the best of both worlds, making it tough enough to work and gentle enough not to demolish your moisture barrier.
OBIA Naturals Babassu Oil Deep Conditioner
Restore your hairâs natural moisture levels with this rich, nourishing conditioner. Itâs enriched with babassu oil, an oft-overlooked oil that pumps your strands full of goodness without leaving a residue. Combined with avocado oil, and pro-Vitamin B5, youâll have your healthiest hair yet.
Why You Need Cometeer Coffee: Coffee You Can Take on the Go
Thereâs an internet trend that says that everyone has three drinks: one for energy, one for hydration, and one for fun.
Hydration drinks are usually seltzer, a sports drink, or good old-fashioned water. Fun drinks can be anything from boba to kombucha to a refreshing fountain sprite. But the drink you choose for energy says the most about you. Are you a chill tea drinker? An alternative yerba mate devotee? A matcha-obsessed TikTok That Girl wannabe? A chaotic Red Bull chugger? Or are you a lover of the classics, a person after my own heart, who just loves a good cuppa joe?
Coffee can come in many forms. Straight black, concentrated like cold brew for a heartier flavor, or a milky, sugary, frothy treat for a blend of energy and fun.
But the dreaded coffee descriptor: downright bad.
Weâve all been there â free hotel coffee, questionable diner coffee, disappointing overpriced coffee shop coffee. Pour one out for the cups we left unfinished due to sheer revulsion.
In those moments â taking a sip of bitter, bad bean juice and worrying that someone might know if we slyly spit it back into the offending cup â I start to wonder if the âmake your coffee at homeâ brigade is right.
Itâs a common point of contention in the personal finance community â but also in the world at large. Is it really such a monumental waste of money to buy coffee instead of making it at home?
If you go by the dollar, of course, itâs cheaper to brew a cup at home. Plus, youâll always know what youâre getting. Itâs not exciting, but itâs not disappointing either. You'll never risk a truly awful cup unless you never learned how to use that French press of yours.
But what about the emotional cost? Especially during the height of the pandemic, going out for a little coffee and a walk was one of the few indulgences we were allowed. Plus, thereâs a reason coffee shops are always bustling and busy. Theyâre a place of communion. Of community. To gather intentionally, to bump into the same 9:47 a.m. crowd every morning on your commute, or to stumble into delight.
And, while the money you save making every single cup of coffee at home could compound into hundreds of dollars over your lifetimeâŠis it worth it?
If your coffee habit is integral to your happiness â for so many of us, it is â donât give it up. Add it to your budget alongside other delights that align with your values like your Apple Music premium subscription or your travel fund.
Maybe reduce other expenses like that accompanying pastry, disposable cups, or larger sizes over smaller ones. You can also find a middle ground. Save your coffee walks for a special occasion or reduce to a few times a week. A few times a week, why not splurge on an at-home coffee brand you truly adore to make yourself more likely to brew at home. Better yet: one you can take on-the-go. Never stoop to subpar coffee again!
Enter: Cometeer Coffee.
Cometeer is the latest coffee innovation: flash-frozen coffee pods. They developed a proprietary extraction system that optimizes all the variables that lead to spectacular coffee. This is achieved with high-quality coffee beans, flash freeze them, and deliver the pods right to your door. Simply melt and enjoy.
26 grams of coffee go into each capsule, brewed with a process thatâs carefully calibrated to extract as much flavor as possible from the beans â which are sourced from an array of the countryâs best roasters. As soon as itâs brewed, itâs frozen at a chilly -321 degrees to lock in its flavor. The result? The perfect icy puck of the most complex coffee youâve ever tasted.
And with a travel set to ramp up, having easy coffee pods on hand will be a game-changer. Everyoneâs traveling â but travel better by packing Cometeer pods.
Based on research from the travel guidance firm The Vacationer, more than 42% of Americans are expected to travel this summer than last, while only 12% will travel less. (The 42% is a notable jump from the 25% who said they would travel more in 2021's survey.)
Itâs the summer of revenge travel, promising lots of trips ⊠which means endless nights, early mornings, and long airport lines. Get through them with coffee, but donât settle for less than the best.
Cometeer's hyper-flavorful top-tier beans come from the worldâs best roasters, ground and brewed with incredible precision, flash-frozen at peak flavor, and ready to be melted by you.
Making great coffee is hard, but melting great coffee is easy. Peel back the lid and drop it in a mug. Add hot water, enjoy. The end.