Curtis Newport

Open letter to small business owners:

As a small business owner, I take pride in every aspect of my business. I'll be the first to admit that I don't do everything perfectly, but who does? I try hard, I try to learn from my mistakes, and try very hard not to make the same mistake twice.Ok, three times. Let's get real.

As I shifted from the corporate world into being my own business owner, it became very clear that everything I did was from the ground up, and all of the rewards were my own. This was both good and bad. As a hotel manager, much like Realtors, my name tag represented "who I was" as much as I representing the chain. "Oh, hey, you're the hotel guy. I may have someone for you to talk to." I didn't have to sell my products, so to speak. Of course, my relationship building skills would make or break how successful I was, but my name tag spoke a certain amount. In exchange, I got my weekly paycheck. Frequently, when I compared my paycheck to what I saw the bottom line of the P&L being every month, I would just shake my head. Now, it's all mine. The name tag, the business, explaining what I do, and the bottom line. As such, I try very VERY hard not to make mistakes. One of the first things I did in my business plan was to create my company name, followed closely by acquiring a domain name. If you don't believe me, visit www.newport -enterprises.com. It's all me. For better or worse.

I went the next step, as well, choosing to incorporate, to protect my assets, and to keep things separate in my life. There are advantages and disadvantages. I did my research, and drew the conclusion that this is what was right, for my own situation. Since I run my wife's company, as well, I did it twice. I have a web presence, and I think it is pretty good. I market well, and try hard to get good placement with search engines, but I spend a lot of time trying to have a website that looks and feels the way I want it to. I don't have flashy graphics, streaming videos, or anything like that, but I didn't pay thousands to set it up, either.

Here's what I'm getting at: I meet a lot of people. I learn about their businesses, they learn about mine. I go to various Chamber of Commerce functions, and exchange over a hundred business cards a month. Not bad, and I don't say that either to brag, or in misery. It is what it is. I also get those same hundred or so business cards, so that I can remember folks, refer folks when appropriate, and do my own follow up, if I've committed to something. As I look through the business cards, sometimes I see websites, and sometimes I don't. I almost always see email addresses, and if you're reading thisblog , you have an email address, too. I'm not certain there is anybody in the US between the ages of 12 and 70 that does not have an email address.Ok, I know there are, but you know what I mean. There are some fantastic email services out there, some are free, some you pay extra for, some that come with your home or businessinternet service. I think those are great for your personal use. Why spend extra, right? Your whole family can get their own email address at no extra charge. You can get your own miscellaneous email address that you will never check, to give out to those sites that demand an email address so they can spam you, but NOBODY gets your "real" email address. Gmail, Yahoo, Verizon, all those are great.

However. When it comes to your business, I am a very strong believer that your web presence (or lack thereof), and your email address speak volumes about who you are and who you are is a business person. Let's take a mortgage broker, for example. Say you had two business cards that were virtually identical. And since I've seen some pretty bad business cards, let's assume these look good. More on business cards later). One person's email address is pam90210@aol.com and the other is pam@mortgagefirst.com. Which one of those has more credibility? All other factors being equal, I would believe that the latter person is more committed to her business than the first. I would believe she is more committed, more serious, and more professional. Let's add in the extension of the home email account, pam-mortgage@verizon.net. A little better, but still not at the same level. Of course, that may or may not be the case. Having worked for two major corporations, I know there are some real nut-muffins that hide behind their corporate email and the credibility that it lends. But we're talking small business. You can ferret out the bad seeds pretty quickly.

One of the business cards I came across recently was for a person who touted themselves as a Corporate Problem Solver. The business card was on nice card stock, and was printed using a basic MS Word font in two different sizes, no color, no graphics, and the email address was jsmith2468@yahoo.com. There were two phone numbers, labeled "Phone" and "Cell", with no address or other contact information. I only talked to this person for about 90 seconds, and the interaction was pleasant. However, if all I had was the business card, I probably wouldn't trust this person to walk my cat, much less solve any corporate problems I may have. If you are going to have a small business, take the steps to get your own domain name and email account. It's not hard, and not nearly as expensive as you think. Yes, it's a service I offer, why do you think I am writing this blog . It just pains me to see good people work hard, and then lose valuable credibility by not taking some very simple steps. Having a generic email is this decade's equivalent of the used car salesman that scratches out somebody else's name on the business card and writes his own in. And his cellphone number.

Speaking of business cards, here's another one: Do not EVER do your own business cards. By that, I am generally referring to the "print your own business cards at home" kits you get at your local office supply store. Why? It's because they look like....they were printed at home. They have that "ink jet" look, the fuzzy edges, from where you separated them from the master sheet. And they are probably ever so slightly off center. Business cards do NOT cost that much. There are local printers who will make you a good deal on that, envelopes, whatever you need. If you spend a little time looking around, you can find some pretty reasonable prices. Yeah, you might end up paying $50 for 1000 cards or something like that. That $50 should be a pretty small investment in your business, based on what you want your return to be. There are some companies out there that offer free business cards, and some of them look pretty good. Anymore, though, they are pretty recognizable as one of the free designs, and they may even make you put the name of the printing company on the back of YOUR business cards. Spend the extra $4 to have that removed. It's okay to design your own business cardsonline , there are some great sites that you can do that with, or even upload one that you already have. However, always bear in mind that EVERY piece of information you put out about your company is going to create an opinion about your company. See the earlier discussion about perceived commitment to your business. Those flyers I get stuffed in my mailbox, which are black type on pink paper, slightly off center, and definitely copied crooked, and are for "Mary's Housekeeping Services, Lisensed and Bonded. We kleen 4 U." [sic] always take a huge backseat to others that are more professionally done.

Bottom line: If you are taking your business seriously, create the image that you want others to have of you. Seek feedback. Do NOT skimp on things you are putting in the public eye. You do NOT need to spend $5000 on a website, and $500 on a domain name and email account. There will be investment, as there should be, but you can and should have "nice stuff" so that you don't turn people off before they get a chance to know you.

CPR and First Aid Classes are the things that often fly by the radar. There aren't many of us who think, "No, I don't want to learn that. It's useless". While there are some who mayhesitate to take action, or "freeze" in the moment, most agree that knowledge is power, and that they'd like to learn it.

The problem is, of course, finding time, or thinking of it when you have the time. Then, when you have the time, and think to research it, you see that the American Red Cross no longer offers this traniing in Loudoun County, and the American Heart Association refers you to somebody in Maryland. It becomes challenging.

Are you looking for the easiest option? You can learn CPR any time, any day. I'm not referring to the classes on the internet (although it is an option). I can bring the certification anywhere you want, even on your kitchen floor. While there is better pricing for a class size of at least 6 people, even one on one is possible. In fact, I do that a lot.

If you are looking for a high quality CPR or FIrst Aid class, or want to learn how to use an AED. Please review my website, at http://www.newport-enterprises.com. I offer CPR and First Aid classes and certifications in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, Alexandria, Arlington and Fauquier Counties. All areas of Northern Virginia, Washington, Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania are within my territory. Leesburg, Ashburn, Sterling, Reston, Herndon, Dulles, Chantilly, Centreville, Aldie, South Riding, Middleburg, Purcellville, Hamilton, Lucketts, Round Hill, Lovettsville, and other areas in Northern Virginia can offer same day requests in many circumstances.

Questions? Visit http://www.newport-enterprises.com or email curt@newport-enterprises.com or call Curt at 703-665-0399

Want to sponsor a class? Third Party Sponsorships are available. Teach your clients how to save a life!

No, this isn’t my new weight since I started my own business. It’s also not my career batting average (although doing so would probably land me a job with the Washington Nationals). What is the 250? It’s the number of folks that Newport Enterprises has trained in CPR this year!

250 may or may not seem like very many people. To me, it seems like a lot. The reason is that about 50 of these certifications came before I took the company full time on July 14. That means since then, I’ve trained 200 people in about 4 months, which would work out to about 600 in a year. This also takes into account a fairly slow July and August as many people were on vacation.

I’m proud of this number, as it reflects not only some hard work on my part, but also in our communities. The vast majority of these certifications are NOT people who are required to have CPR for a job. It is folks who are learning CPR because they WANT to. New parents, church members, sports coaches. Sure, I have certified a number of folks who are required to have CPR and/or First Aid. Personal trainers, fitness coaches, doctors, nurses, preschool teachers, daycare providers, and more. However, part of my goal is to get more knowledge out there in the hands of the public.

So, thanks to YOU, more knowledge is out there, and that means more of us can make a difference by being in the right place at the right time. Whether you live in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, Fauquier or anywhere in Northern Virginia or Maryland or DC. If you or your friends have a desire to learn CPR, I will bring it to you.

Wow. There has been a lot of things that a lot of people have been stressed out about this year. I’m not saying that it’s not justified…we’ve all been through a lot. Some have been through more than others.

In terms of the general public, we’ve seen the economy take a major nose dive. We’ve seen our national deficit increasing. We’ve seen unemployment rising, and some of us are included in that statistic. That’s just the beginning. We also saw the most interest/anger (ok, let’s call it “passion”) over a Presidential Election in history. That’s 225+ years of history. Nobody is really sure what the new administration will bring us, but we all have hope: Hope for the best.

When I teach CPR certification classes, one of the things I talk about are the risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Some things, like your heredity, you have no control over. Some things you have complete control over, such as your diet, how much you exercise, and so on. One category that many people think we don’t have much control over, is the stress in our life. I disagree. While we have very little direct influence over some of the things that effect us (the economy, our employment situation, our retirement account), and this adds “stress” to us….I believe that stress is what you make of it. How you choose to react to stimulus is entirely up to you. You can choose to be stressed, or you can choose to do something about it. Some people to choose both. The reality is, that allowing yourself that stress really does not have a positive impact on anything. It does not get you a job, it does not help your team win, it certainly does not improve the economy. And besides, it’s not healthy.

It’s not fair for me to say “don’t worry”. However, Dr. Stephen Covey differentiates between the Circle Of Concern and the Circle Of Influence. There are a lot of things that concern me (see all of the above items, and note that I am typing as my San Diego Charges are struggling against the 1-7 Kansas City Chiefs), however there are very few things that I have influence over. As I choose which items I react to, and what my reaction is going to be, I manage how much stress I feel. That, in turn, helps me to be, and feel, healthier.

Take action on the things you can control. Make a backup plan for your job (or your company, if you are self employed like I am). Obama may or may not be the answer we are looking for. Taxes may go up. The economy may rebound. The real estate market may rebound. Actually, history shows us that all of the above will eventually happen, and the new president will do things that everyone likes, and that everyone dislikes. Manage your stress, and control what you can. Really. You’ll feel better, and be more influential. When the rest of this “stuff” corrects itself, you’ll be healthier, happier, and better positioned to excel while the rest of the world is breathing a sigh of relief. Oh, and you’ll be controlling one more risk factor than you thought you could.

Late last month, after volunteer EMT Tonya Mallard died in the crash of a Maryland State Police medevac helicopter transporting two teenagers from a car accident, people started asking me questions: “How come a volunteer was on that flight? You’re just backup, aren’t you?” they’d say. Or “It’s not really volunteering, right? You get paid, don’t you?” Getting on that flight was not part of Mallard’s normal duty. These helicopters are typically staffed by only a pilot and flight paramedic. But she volunteered anyway, just as she’d volunteered to serve the Waldorf volunteer fire department, and just as she’d volunteered to leave her family that night.

Like me, she was in her late 30s, had been married for eight years (I have 11), and had two children, so her death carries special resonance. I’m aware that beyond the sense of satisfaction we volunteer emergency medical technicians reap from serving our communities and saving lives, there’s a rush of adrenaline that comes from performing under pressure. And with that adrenaline comes the potential for danger. And, no, we don’t get paid. Unless you count the occasional discount at a local restaurant.

I started volunteering in 1998, with the Sterling Volunteer Rescue Squad. One of my neighbors, a volunteer paramedic, brought an ambulance to our community open house. I started asking questions, and found out that anybody could do this. Drive an ambulance one night a week, help people, turn on the flashing red lights. All I had to do was take 6 months of training to get my Emergency Medical Technician certification, and I was good to go. Oh, and it was FREE! My first shift was Christmas Night, and I remember my first call. It was for a woman who had seizures. We found her semi-conscious in a tray of brownies on her kitchen floor. We transported her to the hospital (apparently it was not her first seizure). I attended my EMT classes at our local Community College (although they were offered through our Fire and Rescue Department, the CC schedule fit mine better at the time. My Rescue Squad reimbursed me for my expense). I never missed a class, and averaged a 98 on all tests and quizzes, far above any class average I ever had in my life. I was no slouch-scholar, but I didn’t get invited to Harvard, either. I was THAT energized by the material and the environment. T

he very first thing we learn about is Scene Safety. Don’t try to help anybody unless you are sure it is safe to do so. If there is a chance you could get hurt, you are instructed to “not go in”. This pertains to the EMT curriculum. Firefighters place themselves in harms way more regularly, but they receive obviously different training for their jobs. I have shut down many roads during Auto Accident because I didn’t want traffic driving by me while my team and I were working. Despite all of the safety measures we take, there is occasionally the errant driver who sideswipes our cones (or worse), or the gawkers who rear end each other while “watching us work”, and things. tragically, medevac crashes happen sometimes, as well, and you can never ever anticipate. It makes us all pause and reflect. By the way, I’m not seeking thanks, or discounts, or free stuff. It’s not why I, or any of my colleagues, do what we do. Please do your part, and do give us some room when we’re working, especially on the roads. Slow down. For those under the red flashing lights, we are either in our chosen professions, or we are volunteering our time. By the way, if you are interested in volunteering, or doing a ride-a-long with us, send me an email. While it’s not for everyone, I find it a truly amazing experience every week. I volunteer in the communities of Sterling, VA and Hamilton, VA

Portions of this blog were taken from an article, “The Risks We Take”, published 10/14/08 in The Washington Post.