we're hired a few, fired a few, had one quit. (both property owners and employees, if i think about it!)

we've taken over the whole house that we started our office in.

we've survived a summer and lived to tell the tale.

we're managing 200+ units, and are looking at growing another 120 in the next few months.

we've learned that our friends, family and the people in our extended network believe in us and the excellent job that we do. because of this, they refer their friends, family, and the people in *their* extended network to us for management.

the president has survived the year also as president of the san diego county apartment association and was asked to consider the presidency track for the california apartment association.

in addition to the new business, we've survived personal side stuff - 6 moves (between 3 people) and a family death that required unexpected foreign travel, plus all the vacations and travel that left the company with one or two less hands on deck than normal.

we've officially started our maintenance division aimed at the general public (and had it used!)

we've set a schedule for reviewing various aspects of our business on a regular schedule. (4 weeks = 4 aspects. leasing, financials, maintenance, owner/resident relations. each gets touched at least once a month.)

we've learned that we've got a lot to learn!

we've learned that we're doing a lot of things right!

this is one decision that i do not for a moment regret making. we're free to try new things and discard them if they don't work. i still get a thrill out of writing 'cambridge management group, inc.' on any form that asks for my company name. it's definitely been a challenge learning as i go - especially when it comes to managerial-type stuff like delegating, hiring, trying to manage people when i barely have enough time to keep track of my own items...

there are a couple tools that i have found immensely useful and completely worth the money that the paid memberships cost:
manager tools
gtd connect

i honestly don't know how i would survive without the getting things done methodology. granted, i'm still working on being consistent about using the task list and weekly review, but life is so much better when i am staying organized. when the above-mentioned family death took place at the end of june, i simply dropped everything and was unable to get back to cruise control until this week. in fact, yesterday was my first weekly review in two months. thankfully, i wasn't as bad off as i had imagined. normally i have at least 2-3 pages of open loops when i relieve my brain of everything that it is trying to track for me. this time - 1/2 a page. i did have to clear a lot of paper and email, however, before my brain dump. i think a lot of it was being controlled by holding on to the paper/email that triggered the item and keeping it in my inbox. (that makes for a very tall/long, very messy inbox!)

looking forward, we're getting ready to find an assistant for me to help out with the financial aspects of the company. we're holding our first owner meeting in september on 1031 exchanges, with future ones to be also given by our industry partners to educate our owners on growing their wealth. we're getting into a system of reviewing our company's progress on a weekly basis. (we're growing so fast, this is a must. things like job duties, forms and new policies change on a weekly, even daily basis as we grow by 1, 12, and sometimes even 64 units at a time.)

it's amazing how much things have changed from that day a year ago when we walked out of the office of our previous jobs for the last time. each of us were working from home, and had no idea how this was going to happen. all we had was our industry experience and our huge dreams and ambitions.

and now for year 2!

i'm happy to say we're ahead of schedule. we've got over 40 units already, but we're not resting on our laurels. there is another owner we've already spoken with who has a 300 unit portfolio. we're keeping our fingers crossed.

some of the things we didn't anticipate:

- having to upgrate internet service to be able to have a static ip address for our software
- having our property management software company merge with another just a month after our puchasing the software
- finding out that the business version of the internet service is not as stable as the residential version (argh!)

anyway, mom, sis and i are struggling to maintain our sanity on very few hours of sleep a night. i managed to pass my real estate exam, but i have to take the trade portion of my contractor's exam again. august 11. and i still have one more real estate class to take the final exam for.

see you after august 15!

last night before closing, a resident and his friend walked into the office. their issue: the cable wiring in their apartment needed to be redone.

instead of calmly asking for assistance or finding out what their options were, both came into the office in an agressive manner and immediately started screaming in an abusive manner at everyone they encountered.
lession 1: it goes back to the old adage - you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. working to enlist the help of the person you're dealing with goes a long way. when you start off abusive and angry, it will usually set the opposite party into a defensive mode.

the conversations escalated from there, up to the point where they threatened to sue the owners and the company. they refused to leave, and our efforts to get them behind closed doors to carry on a reasonable conversation were in vain as they could be heard throughout the office, including in rooms where two closed doors were between the angry resident and the other employees.
lesson 2: sometimes both parties need a cool down period. there comes a time when further discussions will go no where at that time. it makes sense for both parties to step apart and meet again at a later date. unfortunately, it's usually the less-upset person that needs to initiate this space, and the more-upset person is the one who wants to continue to focus on the problem instead of the solution.

in fact, the situation got to the point where an employee called the police as we all were starting to feel like the situation might escalate to physical violence in a few short minutes.
lesson 3: that is what the police are there for. if you dial 911, even if the person leaves, be sure to wait until the operator answers so that they can arrive and take care of the matter immediately.
lesson 4: document. document. document. let me say it one more time. document! the fact that most everyone in the office had already documented their version of the story in writing by the time that the police arrived said a lot for the company and the situation. for them to ask to hear our version, and then to be able to say, "here's my written statement" meant that we meant business. when the police interviewed the other parties who were asked to leave, there was no such professionalism. (in fact, the one who filed assault charges on us(?!) didn't even have a witness, while we had a whole office full of employees who watched the incident.)
lesson 5: listen to your gut. we almost didn't move these people in 2 weeks ago because the move-in process started off really rough. we should have listened to our instinct, told them this really wasn't going to work out, and decided not to move them in. you can fire your clients. if they're being a pain in the a** - save your sanity and do so. no one needs extra drama in their life!

my mom, sister, and i have given notice at our current place of employment and are starting our own property management company. the business cards are nearly done. we're working on brochure copy and design. a website is in the works. referrals are rolling in. announcements are in the works. advertisements and marketing items are planned. larger possibilities for other, related ventures are looming in the not-so-distant future.

i've never been so excited in my entire life!

i am stressing out about the end of june. professionally, this is what my month looks like. for those of you who have done licensing exams, you'll probably feel my pain:

jun 10-11: contractor's license exam prep course
jun 22: contractor's license exam
jun 24-25: real estate exam prep course
jun 26: real estate license exam

at least i will know how i did on the contractor's exam immediately after it is completed, which means that i won't have to even think about it while i'm cramming for my next exam. the real estate exam is not computer based, so i won't know the results of that for a week or two.

this at least brings me one step closer. well, this and moving my dentist appointment from jun 21 to jul 5. there's only so much a girl can handle in a week's time!

which is why we don't advertise. we just ask if you are happy with the way that we do things, that you recommend us to others. it's basically aiming for the believers

I devoured a quick-read book yesterday called "the service path". one of the co-authors, rebecca harrison, suggests asking your most loyal customers for referals by asking "Who do you know who'd be interested in our service/products? AND What else can we do to support your professional growth? We know a relationship works best with it's a two way street and we appreciate your support." the "and" part is usually left out according to her, but this is the key to asking for referrals - verbalizing the personal benefit to referring us.

1. because of fair housing, we have to treat everyone the same way. so, instead of forcing a company to aspire to treat everyone with the highest level of service, the company treats everyone the same crappy way.

2. perhaps it's because residents are on a lease. they're forced to stay in their apartment for the period of time they're signed up for, so it's worth it to be nice to them to get them in the door, but after that... (does anyone ever consider how much money is saved when the apartment isn't turned over every six months to a year?) and companies don't even think about making residents' leaving experience a pleasure! truthfully, residents that move out of an apartment might be willing to move to another property depending on their reason for leaving. even if they don't, residents do get the chance to recommend management companies to their friends. why not work to make yourself top of that recommendation list? (and no - offering rent credits for referring a friend is not enough! you have to make their experience such that they rave about your company to their friends and family.)

3. the front line people seem to not realize that it's *their* actions that make or break the resident's experiences. employees are having a bad day or are busy, so they snap at residents or do their best to get that one out the door so they can focus on the next one. instead they should take their time and making the resident feel like they care. even if there's nothing you can do immediately or personally, a few extra moments of your time really matters!

property management companies really need to start paying attention to the other hospitality industries - especially the ones that are doing their job well. the first one that comes to mind is the ritz carlton. "ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." i think that says it all.

customer service is an art - one that everyone should strive to master. whether you're in accounting, maintenance, management, or on the front lines as an on-site, you deal with residents, customers, vendors and owners. you form the company's reputation with every word and action. it's all about creating a reputation legendary of legendary customer service.

how do you start? here are 10 tips to develop the art of customer service from guy kawasaki's blog.

but enough excuses. this is something i definitely need to work on.

the open loops blog had an interesting post about what not to do during the interview process:
http://hwebbjr.typepad.com/openloops/2006/05/how_to_tell_som.html

and it definitely applies to more than just the school system.

jp maroney http://www.jpmaroney.com
the e-max factor: the revolutionary system for unleashing employee performance, productivity and profits.
10 things to know about people:
1. people instinctively resist change
2. one negative person pulls 5 positive people down, but 5 positive people cannot bring 1 negative person up
3. whever you want people to think and feel, you must think and feel first
4. a person's past will help you predict their future (think about that during your next interview!)
5. what people do, not what they say, tells you the kind of person they are
6. when people come together for a common cause (good/bad), it is usually achieved
7. people support what they help create
8. people organized around a common mission/purpose become an unstoppable force
9. people want to be a part of an organization that is moving forward, achieving goals, and pursuing worthwhile causes
10. people only do things to satisfy their own motives

It's a slight edge that gives you the advantage. The willingness, initiative, and passion to do at least a little more than what others are willing to do.

people pyramid:
top 3% - winners: want to win, are little children in older bodies, write a lot/are listmakers, seek problems, ask questions that their afraid of, dream a lot, predict the future
10% - acheivers: make good managers, will work with support, don't want to do their own thing, solve problems, put out fires, think a lot, hope for the future
60% - make it through'ers: just want to make it through the date/week/life, live for breaks, retirement, vacation, want a check for their attendance, hide from problems, think they think, can't wait for the future -- these people are usually just misguided and undeveloped. society conditions them to be mediocre and it's the manager's job to recondition them to excel
bottom 27% - takers: want something for nothing, flight against rather than for, these are the people that you need to get rid of from both the workplace and your life, cause problems, would rather die than think, want without working

3 big questions:
Once you know how people act, think, live, how do you attract the best ones?
Once you know how to attract them, how do you keep them?
Once you know how to keep them, how do you maximize their performance and productivity?

3 keys to leveraging your organization's human capital
motivation: the factors that drive performance
opportunity: secrets to creating emotional equity (let them try new things and do what they enjoy)
tools: systems, processes and training
when employees have these 3, they treat the company as their own. they have to have a concept of what "winning" is, of what they're working toward, and you can't improve something or know when you get there unless you can measure it.

12 ways to unleash employee performance, productivity and profit potential:
opportunity to participate in the improvement process
opportunity to do what they do best and enjoy most
opportunity to fail in a safe environment - risk free
motivation through high level of satisfaction
motivation through appreciation
motivation through inspiration
motivation through compensation
tools: information systems
tools: procedures and operational systems
tools: productivity enhancing technology
tools: learning and development tools

luncheon speaker - dan thurman "off balance on purpose"

it's not about doing big things, it's about doing little things that add up

it's ok to put things down at the end of the day, because after resting and recharging you can and will pick it up again tomorrow (that whole life/work balance thing...)

don't strive to be balanced - strive to be off-balance. it's only then that you can move forward quickly

when handling lots of things (multi-tasking), you really aren't doing a bunch of things at once. you're focusing on a lot of things quickly. to do this well, you have to learn to be able to switch your focus completely and quickly.

if the ball's in your hand - throw it!

mentoring begins with establishing a foundation and commonalities, then synchronizing your actions so that you both are heading in the same direction.

if you think what you're doing is hard, try something more difficult - the original thing won't seem so bad when you go back to it. (challenge yourself continually!!)

look up. by looking up, you can see a pattern and a rhythm and how everything interacts.

mike paton http://www.signatureworldwide.com
creating a resident-centered sales culture

what is it?
corporate culture: employee attitudes and behaviors linked to key business outcomes (productivity, retention, customer loyalty, profitability)
selling: helping people buy (each call is an indication that there is a need for a solution; we are here to help the caller make an educated buying decision)
legendary experience: value = delivery / expectations (scale of 1 -10, less than 1 is bad, more than 1 is good)

resident-centered sales culture - every employee is dedicated to:
-creating legendary experiences
-focusing on resident needs
-helping people buy

service culture is now the same as a sales culture

in a culture-changing program -
-the entire team changes attitudes and behaviors
-"i believe in this mission and own the result we get"
-managers get new tools - not directives - that help them mandate excellence
-everyone - communities and employees - gets better
-creates a lasting change in performance and results

find out what your culture is:
ask associates and listen
talk to prospects and residents
measure performance
-conversion rates
-renewal rates
-resident surveys
-mystery shops

do you:
create legendary experiences
know your community
know your area
know your residents
use the above to help you help residents buy and renew
do the above every time

mystery shopping: items to look at (helps to record call or have personal experience)
-appropriate greeting
-ask/use name
-get to know caller beyond price/size of apartment
-promote community
-ask for appointment
-say thank you

if you don't have to use basic selling, are you charging enough for your communities?

how do i build it?
define it properly (sales = service) - don't project your own fear of being sold onto others)
help your team do great work everyday
-teach them "how to wow"
--measure performance - measure the things your training on to prevent it from being a negative; it's feedback on the training effectiveness
--regularly train and coach
--recognize and reward success
-demand and encourage excellence

Simple magic formula:
connect with the prospect
-smile
-answer in 3 rings
-use an upbeat tone
-ask and use prospect's name
deliver value
-describe your community
-build value before giving rate/price
discover needs and wants
-get to know the caller (where do you live now? what are you looking for? single most important thing?)
-listen carefully
legendary close
-ask for an appointment
-say thank you

it brings to mind (ad)venture, travel, danger, excitement! and also uncertainty, risk - all those things that business encompasses for those of us who are risk-takers, dreamers, and thrill-seekers.

it's version 3 - of many things. blogs, businesses, life (i'll be 30 this year. decade 3.0.), geekdom (i'm the 3rd computer geek in a long line of computer geeks. geek 3.0).

it has something to do with an item that is still **censored** until june.

i'll be giving ideas from my current and prior experiences starting and running small business - best practices that i've heard and found; tips, tricks, hints; organizational ideas; things from classes and seminars that ring true...

are you ready to begin this (ad)venture with me?