Business Daughters was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
We often hear of the struggle we have as women to have it all and do it all. The pressure we are under to be superwomen, manage families and work, look great and unruffled. Then we wonder what effect we have on our families when we don’t meet these expectations, let alone ourselves. We agonise over the long term results - will our children hate or appreciate our sacrifices, will our partners understand and are we even happy doing it “all”. Well, speaking as a daughter of a mother who walked this path and then later as a daughter in business following in her shoes, I think I can safely say the research is in.
I spent my entire life sharing my mother with every business she ever bought and worked. I grew up in the back of a shop. I did my homework on the counter in between my list of jobs. It’s just the way it was.
Raising the family
Staff vs Boss in Business was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
Sounds a bit like the Twilight movie doesn’t it? Are you on Team Staff or Team Boss? Is it this adversarial in reality or just perception? Do small business owners and staff see it different to the rest of the world? Possibly.
Regardless of the size of your business or team, staff is one of the biggest challenges any business owner faces. I have spoken with hundreds of owners and managers, and the most frequent question I get is “how do you deal with your staff?” Now that’s the million dollar question that some people have built empires on, consult on and lecture on. But no one can give you the definitive answer because there isn’t one. It’s a people thing. We are a wild card us people, and since no two people are the same…..well, you get my drift.
Strangers and business was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
Going through airports is a fascinating business journey for me the employer, for me the waitress and of course the traveller.
As a traveller - and I’m mostly day trips - I empathise with customers at my café who lug around bags, have a lot of down and in-between time, need to plan meals and want somewhere quiet. As an employer I like to observe how other teams operate together in stressful and busy situations like peak time at the airport. As a waitress I just want to really scrutinize, look and compare the way people behave in various food and beverage places.
Team Business was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
I recently heard business referred to as a team sport. I had never considered business a sport. Until now. I realise I am taking liberties with this particular interpretation, but just go with me on this!
As I took a closer look at this message, I wondered what I would find. Yes I call my people my “team”, I guess I could even be their “team leader”, but is my business a sport? Yes and no, just to make it easy and clear. My business team could in fact be participating in a sport - we compete against others, we sometimes end up a bit battered after a long match day and we do not take losing well. And too many losses in a row result in someone getting the axe. So at this point we agree, business is a sport. Read the rest of this entry »
Friends and business was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
As a self employed business owner of many many years, I have gathered some experience along the way and wisdom tends to come from walking a path barefoot, strewn with broken glass. It’s almost a right of passage to have a scar or two. So the subject of doing business with friends has come up a lot. For some it’s almost a mantra “never do business with friends”. And what about doing business with family? That’s a big one and a whole other blog.
Do women find it harder to do business with friends than men? Do we always regret it when it gets too hard or we feel we are about to lose our friendship because someone is getting the better deal and we feel resentful? We have all heard of mates rates but what does that mean for our business?
Business Dreams was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
All business owners and CEO’s are in the business of dreams. We bring our ideas to life, it’s what we do. We implement and execute our “strategic plan” (I believe this is the fancy title). Basically we put our money where our mouth is and risk everything for it. All dreams have a price - right or wrong, good choice or bad, success or failure. But a business or business owner without a dream is empty, even if it and you still functions.
Reluctant Customers was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
How often do we have the opportunity as business owners to observe other businesses’ customers from the inside out? I would be willing to bet not often. I had the opportunity this weekend.
I was MC and facilitator for an expert Wedding Panel at an expo showcase day. Apart from my all consuming day job as a café owner, I also do a lot of speaking and presenting. This time was different because I spent time with the suppliers interviewing them, and observing their customer from their perspective. It was fascinating. Read the rest of this entry »
You And Your Values in Business was first published on The Leadership Magazine
Is it easy to answer these questions quickly?
- What are your business values?
- Do they reflect your personal views or are they strictly business?
- Do you know your value?
I constantly look at all parts of my business, virtually daily. Like many other business owners I never like standing still. But understanding the values of your business and your personal value to and from your business isn’t always straightforward. It’s not something you can touch or push or poke. It’s something you learn, develop and evolve into. And sometimes, if you are lucky, those around you will help point out the obvious.
Eat Pay Leave was first published on Women in Focus
Women in Focus is a recently launched website and initiative by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. It is a place for women to be inspired, informed and connected with other women in business in Australia and around the world. Angela Vithoulkas, CEO of VIVO Cafe Group, will be the Guru on the Business Beat section and will be providing weekly articles on all things small business.
When I sit back to look at my business, the hustle and bustle and the comings and goings of the people, I get entertained and rejuvenated. It’s fun, in a twisted Jersey Shore way. There is never a dull or quiet moment in hospitality, even less possibility of that in a kitchen and then take into account the fact that we serve real time customers in what can sometimes be a volatile and emotional transaction. Read the rest of this entry »