Strategy
Courtesy of Stuart Cohen
Stuart Cohen.
- Stuart Cohen is the owner of Invisible World, an apparel company that began as a small store in Juneau, Alaska in 1985; he's also the author of four novels.
- He writes that any entrepreneur has to rely on others - and having good working relationships can make both your work life and business better.
- You should be clear about employee expectations and deal with issues that arise face to face.
- Know when you're wrong, and learn how to apologize; if you have to fire someone, do it with grace.
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You're the typical entrepreneur: You have a vision, you know how to get there, and you know that you can do every part of your business better than anyone else.
Except that you can't.
After enough 60-to-80-hour weeks you realize that you're going to have to depend on others to keep your business growing. Your relationship with your employees (or online contractors) - like your relationship with your suppliers - will determine not only whether your business grows and prospers, but also how much you enjoy your working life.
Here are some tips that will prevent those awkward moments when you show up at a dinner party and a person you fired is sitting across the table. (Yes, this has happened to us.)