Starting A Business – Together.

Owning your own business is not for everyone. It can be a little frightening to consider going off on your own and taking that leap of faith. But if you have an entrepreneurial soul, there is no other path to take other than one determined by your own hand. The experience of learning, failing, and succeeding – the struggle exhilarating, to say the least just makes you feel alive and more driven to succeed! And the people you will meet, will further bless your way or get out of it. The feelings of satisfaction with and the recognition for a job well done will surpass those of doubt soon enough. Many people who start their own business do it for a multitude of reasons. They want to be their own boss, follow their passions, achieve financial independence, have flexibility with life and work balance, and have creative freedom. So what will be your deciding factor? I know for me; it is financial stability and the lack of intestinal fortitude. But the thought of jumping ship into the unknown and starting on an entrepreneurial adventure doing what you love, when you want to, and with whom you want to do it, just sounds remarkable.

If you are still on the fence, teetering towards the side of caution, like I am, let me give you a little nudge of encouragement towards the scary but adventurous side of starting your own business by sharing an inspirational story about Beau and Heather – a couple who ventured on a more adventurous path determined by their own hand.

I sat down and interviewed the power-team Beau and Heather Safken of Safken Consulting – a non-profit, business, and individual resource, to get insight into their journey of building their business and family alike.

Like many other entrepreneurs, they sought to be their own boss, wanted to follow their passions, achieve financial independence, and have flexibility with life and work balance. So, they took that leap of faith and started Safken Consulting in December 2019 as a container for their various entrepreneurial ideas and an incubator company. At the time, Beau was working on his YouTube channel and Heather was starting to do her grant company all the while getting ready for their baby boy to be born. The company was a reflection of their collective efforts to find methods to allow them more time to take the middle of the day off for a date, take an extended vacation, participate in their kids’ lives, and be present. They dreamed of this flexible schedule and were excited to make it a reality!

Can you tell me a little about Safken Consulting and the services you provide?

We are a non-profit, business, and individual resource that works as a team to improve your process and systems regarding the “work” and the “relationships” in the work environment. The non-profit aspect of our business includes grant writing, assistance in a non-profit organization set up, consulting and evaluating of programs or organizations as a whole, and strategic planning. Our business services include process and change consultation. We assist companies in identifying processes and systems that are not working optimally and facilitate the strategic mapping and implementation of improved processes. Our individual resources include one-on-one coaching around leadership. It is important to understand your role as a leader, management, and leadership style, consider the personality traits of others and yourself, and build on how to lead and participate in difficult conversations in order to successfully lead your organization.

What is the most important advice you would give small businesses (1-50 people)? Big businesses?

Beau:  The number one expense internally for a company is people and trying to find the right people is important but once you find them…do whatever you can to keep them. Management in my opinion is focused on spreadsheets and bottom lines but forgets that it’s the work of those employees that allows their businesses to work. Always assume good intentions from employees and let the employees speak for themselves when problems arise. More likely, those people can solve their own issues if given the opportunity.

Heather: What Beau said and no matter the size of the organization – you must implement healthy business practices to protect yourself and those you serve!

What is the most common problem you find with your clients?

Beau: Clients will identify a problem, but rarely do they do the work to identify the real root.  Sometimes the problem is people, processes, or systems but people never consider that there is a combination of these factors that are creating the core problem. Methods of working don’t normally change without the great effort of change, so it’s good when I can make changes that get folks to think differently.

Heather: Most of my clients need more education on how time-intensive writing grants can be.  I have found that most individuals working in small and medium-sized nonprofits wear many hats and have little time to stop and think or even write down what they actually do to provide their services.  I find that through grant writing I end up helping them build out a mini strategic plan!  The second most common problem is the connection to their budget, often nonprofits start as care and compassion-based service and struggle to operate like a business. I find myself guiding the process of building a budget for a new program they want to write a grant on and providing business practices.

What is the first step to resolving any problem?

Beau: Acknowledging there is a problem, funny enough. Everyone in companies is scared of showing they are doing something wrong and is quick to throw people under the bus in some cases. Healthy companies will have a culture of failing fast and correct, but older companies are normally about maintaining the status quo. Writing down the problem and working backward is a good way to identify problem areas and where most of the issues are coming from.

For all of us who are considering starting a business with our significant others; we really want to know what it is like working as a married entrepreneurial team running a business?

It’s all about balance and communication. Client meetings, interviews, webinars, and work stuff comes up but we still have a family. What can be accomplished during the day is done by 4 pm when we get the kids, but when we have business events or client meetings later at night, we rely on each other to balance the evening routine with the kids. A shared calendar helps a lot by keeping each other in the loop of meetings or networking events we want to attend is critical. If we stop talking about our needs, there is a great chance of failure, so we TALK A LOT! HAHA!

I noticed that you provide a free grant-writing tip sheet on your website, can you tell us a little about what this entails?

Heather: This tip sheet provides a quick guide on the top 10 items you should remember before you write the grant, as you are writing and when it is time to submit. This tip sheet is a compilation of my 20-plus years of experience writing grants, working with nonprofits, and working with a funder/being a reviewer of grants! Click here to get your tip sheet!

I heard that Safken Consulting has written a book on grant writing. Where can we get one?

Heather: Oh…well this book is about to be published!!! My editor has finished and now it’s time for me to make a few adjustments and then off to publishing. A wise friend recommended publishing on demand with Amazon. Look for it there with the title of Getting Great at Grants!

Safkenconsulting.com
Heather: Nonprofit consulting /Grant Writing (businesses and nonprofits)
(530) 941-9699
Beau: Process and Change Consulting (for businesses and nonprofits)
(415) 265-3810

Beau offers a free consultation to any company that wants to figure out how to both identify and implement action changes in their business. Heather offers a free 15 min discovery call to assess your needs and see if there is a fit for us to work together – no pressure, sometimes we just need a little direction!

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And remember, express yourself in any way that brings you joy and relief and share it with the world. You don’t owe it to anyone but yourself. Stay happy, healthy, safe, and happy graphics, my friend.

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