A pet sitter and an attorney walk into a bar…

Although the pay scales, training and attire are considerably different, at the heart of it pet sitters and attorneys have a lot in common. The way that both professionals develop and maintain books of business are largely dependent upon referrals, responsiveness and communication. Of course, if I was in the market for someone to watch my commodo dragon, I imagine that I would have to depend upon a limited number of people with this expertise. As it stands, I was simply looking for some white bread service- someone to feed, water and love our cat and bird for a few days.

A strong referral network is key. I was pleasantly surprised to receive about 10 leads. Initially,  I thought it would be tricky to whittle down the options but as it turned out responsive pet sitters got my attention and kept it, I did not bother to follow-up with a second call or email to any of the 5 that didn’t respond within 24 hours. 

The billing structures also seem an easy way to stand apart from the pack. Pet sitters offer vastly different fee structures.  Some charge by the number of animals, some by the time of visit, some by geography and still others charge by the number of duties you need fulfilled (i.e. surcharge of $ 1 for checking the mail, $ 3 for watering the plants, $ 3 for bringing out the garbage on garbage day, etc). Ultimately, I went with the billing strategy that spoke to me, this sitter returned a quote based on  frequency of visits, number of animals, and energy needed to fulfill the duties. The quote included a range not a set fee. .

To all the attorneys looking to grow, or simply maintain, their practice, here are some easy reminders:

• Cast a wide, deep network
• Respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible(even to turn down and offer- see first bullet)
• Communicate! Explain your fees, services and ask questions - make sure you are a good match for your client

What “Outside the box” looks like

CBS News Sunday Morning featured a piece on a town without road signs a few weeks back. Since then I’ve been thinking about other successful examples of outside the box thinking:

• Erased de Kooning Drawing

The Un-Comfort Zone

I didn’t notice what day it was and can’t remember what time it was…all I noticed was a teacher instructing the classroom about comfort zones. As she spoke, I became increasingly uncomfortable. It had to have been middle school and the teacher spent most of the time lecturing about the journey outside of your comfortable area. I believe there was a chart with circles warmly encompassing comfort and stark white paper left to define everything beyond the circle.

Why not define comfort zones by the opportunity that lies in the land beyond the warm circle? Stepping outside your comfort zone doesn’t feel uncomfortable when it’s doing you good. How about,”doing something everyday that you’ve not done before” rather than “something everyday that scares you”?

Cigarette 25 cents! JELLO shots 2 dollars!!

Working in the Tenderloin, nary a day  passes without a proposition. Spare a dime- buy this suitcase- donate to the homeless- buy a Street sheet- who am I kidding? I just wanna get high- do you have a lighter- I just need 35 cents for a ticket on Muni….you get a little jaded. Today I heard a new one. Two kids, walking toward Union Square – one holding a large package of cigarettes, the other a shoebox filled with those little plastic cups that Chinese restaurants use for chili sauce. Inside the cups orange and yellow wobbles. The guy quietly chanted to passersby, “Cigarette twenty-five cents! JELLO shot two dollars!”.  

It is widely reported today that Conde Nast cancelled some popular magazines, Gourmet and Modern Bride. As I walked back to the office, after turning down the offer, I considered what it would have taken for me to say yes. A JELLO shot, afterall, is not enough to make a person noticeably drunk and I could have finished the late afternoon’s work, perhaps in better spirits- no worse than the guy in the far corner on his third 40 oz SUPER MEGA Energy RUSH. Trust was missing. Do I trust a stranger that it’s a JELLO shot.

 Trust is the key to ad buys- now more than ever. It makes no difference whether you are an up-and-comer or an industry standard, those qualities don’t guarantee a result. The most important tool in your arsenal as magazine/newspaper professionals  is trust- because it’s the buyer’s job on the line.

Give the people what they want (what do they want?)

It’s National Newspaper Week October 4-10.  The Rocky Mountain Independent experiment ends on Monday, with only 200 subscribers signed up- not enough chose to pay. The London Evening Standard is set to go free. They believe that reaching a wider audience that might not care is better than reaching a small audience that cares enough to pay. And in Kansas, an upstart is winning some battles (sounds like the war is just underway) against the old kid in town.

The Sound of Whipper-snappers Snapping?

For the second time this month a twenty-something year old purchased a community newspaper…somebody put The Kansan down in the “ones to watch” category. 24-year-old former reporter purchased the paper and serves as its sole employee at the moment- luckily ad revenue is covering his expenses so far. Is it a trend? Is the next generation interested in preserving Herr Guttenberg’s hard work?

In other news, newspapers are rebounding. For months and months we’ve heard (read?)about the death of the industry while those of us working in the business saw a lot of reductions, did we really think it was all going to end?

Two days, two community papers announce closures

Lemoore, a city in central California loses it’s community newspaper, The Lemoore Advance, today. From the closing remarks:

Still, while missing the Pulitzers, small town newspapers win the hearts of their communities. Small town newspapers write stories that mean everything to their readers. And readers clip those stories to paste into scrapbooks filled with touchdowns and weddings, obituaries and births, yesterdays and tomorrows. There are no scrapbook stories about teamster strikes, golden parachutes or the polar bears’ plight.

Small town newspapers are the conscience of their towns. In spite of tight budgets, they buy ink by the barrel for letters to the editor – America’s last free freedom – so neighbors can know what neighbors think about council elections, school lunches and the fair’s winning pumpkin.

Another community paper The Moniter-Herald in Calhoun City Mississippi announced that it will stop the presses on December 31. The paper has been in publication since 1899.