EP:043 Are You Running an Adult Day Care Centre?
I've got, a confession to make. I need, to get this off my chest. As, a business owner we all make mistakes. I've. Gotta confess. Hey. Guys it's Charlie, from confessions, of a business owner here and today, I am joined by the one and only Kim, Barrett so good to have you on the show again dude how you doing great. To be here sir si doing super well how you doing dude well I'm glad to see Cersei, is taking off by the way I think in every conversation we, have you use it and. Now all my friends and other businesses acquaintances, have started to call me so, for those of you they don't know Cersei, is the name my VA juvie calls me and. It is slowly catching. On to everyone. Else and it's just become the new nickname so that might even be my new intro. Love, it love it and it's. Been a busy week we've been obviously we've. Been putting out two, episodes. A week of this, amazing, podcast so we've been churned through some great ideas and getting some great feedback from people as well well. You got to give the people what they want and overwhelmingly, they, demanded, more episodes and we wanted to bring it to them so two episodes, a week has, been working really well for us and it's been great to see people getting into the comment and asking, questions so. This week pardon. Me we're going to be diving into what I think is probably one of the most important. Topics in business that inevitably, all business owners will cross at some point, which. Is running an adult, daycare center, so, Kim would you like to describe what, running an adult day care center, is yes. Because some of you may have thought did Kim and Charlie open a dog daycare center, not quite well basically we both did actually so. It's. Basically where you, have your, your company, your business and you're, so inundated, with your staff you're so inundated with the day-to-day and interacting, with people and problems, and all this other stuff that goes on that it kind of feels like you have a daycare center filled up with. Babies. But they're adults adult, babies no, just adults themselves so asthma, and it can get stressful. Overwhelming. And very very interesting to deal with and today we're gonna be talking about and, giving some stories about how, that's affected, both of us but then also we're, not gonna leave you hanging we'll give you some of the solutions, that we've used and with that we've identified to, be kind, of like the you, know the icing. On the cake the answer, to. This ever burning question of what happens when you the nettle daycare center, absolutely. I am there'll. Be a lot of confessions, on this episode but don't worry a lot of solutions as well so, might, as well open it up then and I love your explanation. Because it's really, what happened, to me so it's, when all my time was, taken up by my staff and it was effectively, like my day revolved. Around making sure they were okay instead. Of actually running my business now. For me when this happened, was when I was running my marketing, agency, and at, a point I had 15, staff and there. Wasn't very much cohesion. Between each, of them it, was like I was the pin, connecting, them all so, I was like you know giving examples, you know if Bob needed, to get his house done by Judy and. Instead. Of just Bob going to juvie Bob would come to me I would go to juvie juvie would come back to me I'll go back to Bob like, I was the connecting, piece in making, everything move and we, just weren't communicating or, operating, in a way that didn't require me. So. Describe what. Life was like at that point oh god. I'm already I'm just, a little bit of Rage lighting, out within me whenever I think back and. Just to give you an idea is like I actually went, to a party, with my partner B anchor one night and someone, asked me what I did and I told them I ran an adult daycare center, and I, actually thought, I did and I thought I was maybe working with special needs people or something like that it was just that I was so, incredibly. Frustrated. That I felt like that was my life so. The, average day is I was coming into work and just really, like hammering, our project, management system and trying to move things across to get work done for clients and I. Was getting really frustrated because I wanted to spend my time working, on the business and growing the business and helping the clients get resolved but, there were sorry results, but inevitably all I was doing was just coming in and looking, after them and I, got quite exhausted, and incredibly, frustrated, and I found that I even started becoming quite sure and almost like angry, at my staff for them needing me so.
I Got. Into a place where I was like pissed off because eight hours of my day was consumed. With looking after them every day instead of doing the things I knew I needed to do and, not only that if, I ever didn't, work like if I had a day or maybe went to a business conference or, anything. Like that he's like things would seem to actually fall apart when I was not there so this, is the, nature. Of running an adult daycare center, and the risks and everything that comes with that was, the experience, similar for you Kim well. Obviously I, have I still have a marketing, agency so we've. Had had, a very similar experience and, it's like I remember I was, actually listening to another podcast more recently, it from buddy. About Alex a fan I was talking about why. Having, like an open door policy is, like the stupidest thing to ever have and. It's like how much distraction, it was literally so, we had you guys can say this is my office here and so it's a reasonable reasonable. Size if you're watching me watching the video you know I'm listening on itunes and. In. This space the same spaces I have here which is just mania I had probably four, people, and then, we had another room with like another four people so we were like sharing offices, with one of our clients, and I. Remember, someone wants to tell me that I've got you know if you have like, staff, this is the amount of like. A square meter and you should have per person and I was like no I can, fit four people in there what are you talking about. They're. Like and now there's only one person in that office where we used to have four. So. Although, somewhat. On top of each other wall growing and we had staff coming in however, very. Similar to what you've said is that everything, that would happen that, would just be like hey, Kim hey Kim and I'll just be popping their head in and going especially, if we're in the same room it's just turn around and go oh by, the way like just asking, these questions and for. Me like, and, you know afterwards we were able to work and work out a way around it but it's like well I may have my head in finances. In customer, service and delivery and team growth in like. A myriad of different places but I have to quickly stop. Swap. My hat to something else and go okay cool now I am at home dealing. With HR I'm doing with like client, sorry, like staff relations, or I'm dealing with someone. Who's got a payment issue I'm in Accounts Department now, and. It was just so, so. So difficult to actually. Get. Things done, but as well for everyone to do things effectively. Cuz a lot of the time the, question didn't actually need, to be asked to me but because I was there and available so. I'll just ask, keep motor starts charlie like he's right there but, here's the boss but ask him versus, going well actually using, some strategic. Thinking or just going okay cool like maybe, actually google, it maybe I should look it up in our systems, like area maybe I should do this and. Start looking at something like other ways to get the answer, versus. If I am there, because I also I, traveled. A lot more but I used to travel a fair bit I was, trying I was like guys like when. I'm here like, I know you want to ask me more questions but, like, I just said like just pretend that I'm away right, I'm not here but obviously I'm sitting right there so that did lasted, like half a day. You, got half a day I was expecting half an hour yeah. Kim I know you're not here but I'm like oh gosh that. Was a terrible example yes, but so. From. There like it was literally as I said because we have so many of us on top of each other and night you know probably. I hope give us a little bit of credit we probably had some things, done. Better, than most when they first started out however, like, yeah we were definitely running a big time and. I don't daycare center and flying by the seat of our pants for sure yeah. Well it's just not sustainable and, I think you highlighted, something, really important there it's a massive, robbed, of productivity. He's, like it's actually you know taking you the business owner the effectively, the most expensive, asset. Of the business and making, sure that your productivity, like plummets, through the floor so, I would, ask you a question because I put an opinion on this but, it's like what, do you think created. The adult daycare center. How did you end up there. Well. I created, it to be honest like I, like. One, of the big things I think we did this we talked about this a little bit at the start of the year which, is, hope. Like setting, and holding, and, we're. Great to reference back to the episode like, sitting in holding expectations, of what you allow it's, like what you allow but also what you don't allow and saying if I allow myself do.
You Ask hundred questions in a day that's. My fault right, if I don't set those things up properly and we'll cover this when we go through some of the solutions, too but like, I'd purely, just said well I'm here like of course ask me a question and at the start being very open and friendly with everyone and I, think it. Probably works when it's like you, and one person, right. It's like well of course like who else you can ask, cause she's gonna ask me so, I was like because I very quickly went from like zero to one to two to five to seven like the, team very much expanded very fast and, I had the same attitude an approach where they had one. Person on the team as I did one had ten there's, a very different. Expectation. Level and just like energy, level that it takes to deal with that and but, what, about yourself would is there something similar or slightly, different on how you created yours very. Very similar so first up I'm aware, I created, like. I definitely made the mess alone. Oh. And. I love that you took ownership of it too because it is the truth, of how we ended up there but, when I really, think back to it and I look in that situation, is, I had an expectation on, other people in my business to behave like me as. The business owner is like I would work things out myself and you know come up with ideas and solutions and. I thought in hiring people they, would be able to do that as well but instead, I created an environment, where they, thought they could offload their thinking and ask me things constantly, and then. We turned it into a habit because I answered, it, so. I you know as you said enabled, and then I became habit and then it was just the way we operate it and then the, next thing in that is that. As we, grew and brought more people into it is I didn't learn or adapt, any people management skills or anything, like that I was still operating as if I was that solo, person and you know very short-term thinking of just you know hiring the next person and like working it out along the way over. To you know setting a structure or putting things in place that we'll discuss shortly they, could have made all the difference, you know but hindsight's interesting. Because, I'm sure we can both look back and say what have done things very very differently if, I don't know then but, it's honestly those experiences. Or running the adult daycare center, that kind of makes you go right I have to learn this stuff because, this isn't how I want to operate in the world yeah. And as you said like it's very quickly it, gets frustrating, for you and obviously. And it probably is to be honest frustrating for their. Staff as well because they're going well the, only way that I'd like to only perceive, solution I have is is everyone else telling me I could ask chart a Charlie or Kim I've got to ask them that's, the answer to my problem and then, like we very, much get pissed off at answering then questions from our timers we should like, shouldn't, really be pissed, off to respond to your to, your to him any helping you grow your business right. I mean, I call like figure it out for yourself like. But. I've gotta charm something in there I actually. Think that I mean I have never worked for another small business like I've always had my own so, but. What I find from talking with other small businesses, and what I see you know even in our community, and everything else is. Not. Many businesses, have got this stuff worked out might even. If you hire an employee there are expectations in, for maybe working at another company is the same I don't see a lot of businesses doing this fantastically. Well. No. I would say under presented the truth and yeah even though thinking back to some of the jobs I've had there always had to be, like. I probably did. More. Than most, but I would I even remember when we used to have tax returns getting done and like. They would get and. Everyone would have to go and do reviews, with like they're like the headache out to the owner of a company so, it's like cool get your 35.
Questions Together and, then they'll sit down and go through and ask each question as opposed. To it's like for, me when I did my stuff is like I kind of like finished, it and then just made some assumptions, and said like and then I was like cool like is, there any problem if I'd if I just put this through a night like because I did like company setups and trusts and structures and stuff it's, like well if it's from, what the client said and it's all good then no you're all fine like go ahead and. You know or I would just again as well it says waiting, to ask the. Boss who, then it says to ask the client I'll just call the client be like hey I need your place, of birth can, I get that as opposed to going to lay out like do, I call the client asked for the place of birth or do you know the place of birth my all just give the client a call right now take me two minutes. Well, keep looking for, a job that's the type of initiative, I look for in my companies. But. I think that's an, interesting point of view but you can see that that's. Probably why you did well in those companies and they're the type of behaviors that serve you well but just in that moment you could have just as easily turned, your workplace, in that example into an old daycare center for your boss yeah. So. What, we're going to do now is me, and Kim have actually done some prep work for this episode because we, didn't want to come and talk about an adult daycare center, and I know some people out there will be experiencing. This in some way shape or form we, wouldn't bring solutions to the table of how to deal with this if you've got a adult, daycare center and you need to change that and also, if you're growing your team what, you can put in place and do before so you never have to experience the, adult daycare center. All. Right so, we're gonna go through a number one and we're gonna talk about oh sorry we'll go through them all there are four we've picked out here that I think are the most useful I'm, gonna go through each of them and talk them through a little bit so the number one that come up in, here, is onboarding. It's when, we start, people, and I. Think this is a huge, one this can make the difference from, day one so. From, my point of view if you on board someone, and you're setting, the expectations. That they'll need to be able to work on certain projects, on their own and you're. Also training, them and giving them the things at, that point, in time so, they can do it they're. Gonna be a lot less reliant, on you and I know this is a fact because I've just on boarded a new person in my company and I've, barely heard from them and they're producing amazing work I feel like I have to check in on them like a day here so, it's been crazy, good so that's number one from my point of view is there anything you want to add to that Kim yeah.
I Mean I'll briefly touch on like it makes such a difference when, people, know. Like. How the four words and as well like. Who was actually respect. So the. Biggest roblem that we had when we had new people come in they will just come in and we'll just run off to the races and we're, talking about this before and we actually implemented the. From, the Hubbard management system, Astrix Scientology. The. Board. So there's org chart which a lot of people know about the organizational, chart and the flow and the top-down was. This board basically allowed you to go cool well in. Each division and, you may be across several do this like seven divisions in a company in each, division who, is responsible, for that division but then also then, who do they like there's a there's a structure there going well cool if I'm actually in the Accounts Payable division, and I'm wearing the hat of this, which is like invoicing, great, as I care this is like a policy. And process for that but it's well I know that if I have a problem I don't go and speak to Kim if, I've done the best I can then the person who's responsible for the area is Kristie, so I going to speak to Kristie about if she sushi that escalates, to Kinmen has a chat with him if there's something that is to happen and. Even if, I'm. Responsible when I might be at the top of each area and then allows people to go well actually I have my like I'm in Division two at the moment sorry I'm like I'm there I'll come back to you so for us when it came to onboarding, and understanding, and having that going ok cool if you come in this, is where you slowly in versus okay great you can run ads or build funnels sweet, do that Thanks like we actually had like a nice. Outline, for them to understand it was really really powerful for us when it came to onboarding, I love. That I think the org chart or, the org board should be a part of everyone's onboarding. Experience so, they know who they can go to to get help on certain things because if you don't set that guess.
Who They come into here. Absolutely. And I'll take them right now is like I'll bet, majority, of the people out there are the majority of the employees, haven't had that experience about, what a difference it could make yeah. Ok, so number two and this is my. Favorite, systems. And processes I think, this, is essential to, all, businesses. There's no, exemptions. On that one and very few actually, have them and quite. Clearly if you've got a documented, how your business works. And you've got it stored somewhere fantastically. Online these days there's so many great tools like system, hub it's, like if someone needs to learn how, to do something or needs to know how something works within a business you. If you've got a document and that's where they can go to work out how to get done what they need to do get done it, also acts as their training log library, so they can perform their role really, really well so, if you haven't already systems. And processes can, make a huge difference with the autonomy, of yourself, yeah. I remember I think it was that I think it was that me the Peter Moriarty, I might have been jacked a loose or something talking about systems one time, cuz, I know that they did a lot of stuff with Google Sites and and putting, systems in there and I was like anything that you do more than once gets. Systemized. And puts a process and procedure behind it and it. Was like I remember I was like laughing I was like I hear like cool that's that's funny but then it's like we had we've, had two incidents with our coffee. Machine with, people using it that I hear all the time and they use and then something like happens, like they screwed up or they put like their and a way to put the pod or something, like that and I'm like oh okay it makes sense now so yes they shouldn't be as like cool if you're using this, espresso machine or whatever it is here's, how you do it like this this this this and like it it actually, makes a tangible difference absolutely. And this pulls into that category of it's something I certainly didn't appreciate in, the early days of my business but, I like to think it's you know it's taken me or almost, 10 years to, get, to the appreciation where I won't even do a project without the systems and processes because.
I Know how important it is and, I find I don't know if you find this as well as like if I talk to business owners and they've been in in a long time they. Tend, to be more into systems and processes people, have been doing stuff a long time they appreciate. And do systems. And processes. Yeah. 100% otherwise. It's like it's, too boring for people then it's like when, you've been in it for a while like oh yes this is actually exciting because it's gonna give me more. More. Freedom, and more availability, within the business as well as soon as I systemize something I think. And one, of the mistakes in the marketing, of systems, and processes is I think it's kind of been marketers oh it's something you need to do when you sell your business but. It's like it's never really spoken about no it's something you need to do so your team functions. Really well and they, don't destroy your life like that's, really. The purpose of systems and processes now. The next one is and Kim misses when you added to the list which I absolutely agree, with it I think is so important, but, team, meetings so. Regular, team meetings so, did you want to elaborate on this one yeah. Because so before we had our the, means that we would have we'd have our like start of the week meeting we'd and then we started doing an end of the week meeting where we would have liked, our close off our wins and kind of share with each other we'd normally do that over lunch on a Friday then. However we're. Having the problems like cool we get in and work in a slight gray everyone starts 8:30 it's like a 35 hey Kim 9 o'clock at this this and it's like not only with myself but back and forth with everyone else so, we started implementing a 15-minute like stand-up team huddle where everyone, would come together even, their virtual assistants call in and everyone, stands so, it's like you can see it's funny because they've got like their laptops and it's like they're like dressed like Giants, over the top of their laptops because they're all standing up in there I have, the team huddle in the morning but, it allows, like literally 15, minutes late communication, flow where's they call if you have anything to bring up we go through not. Only going cool there's anything that needs to be brought to anyone's attention urgently. We, go through our overarching. KPIs for that's like all our client accounts like. Their ad accounts going, okay our sales numbers, our marketing, numbers and then we look at our capacity, out. Of 10 we go cool 10 means that you're dying 1 means that you have absolutely nothing to do where do you fit on that spectrum because, there as well if someone goes great like actually. Kim I was gonna ask you about all these things because I'm at. 10 today so, great well Charlie's, at 1 so, you, and Charlie get together you, distribute your tasks to Charlie he will help you out with what he can and then we're all good and then it avoids halfway. Through the day going Oh Pete, what's happened to all those like ads of fun was all this like shred usual min to put together so go I'm snowed on that so okay well like, well, great well we already know now we've only got four hours left in the day so.
It. Really allowed us to alleviate. And then also like cross. Cross. Utilize capacity. For it's probably a very long exposure but, yeah distribute, capacity to where I need to be done like throughout the team as well that's. The King Barrett system right there I like that cross-pollinate. Capacity, that's what we're gonna go with but. It's a really interesting one I think so important, so recently, and I'll even confess, on this is I mucked around with my team meeting structure and, we only had one team, meeting a week on. A Tuesday, and I. Thought that was going to be enough you, know with all the other communications, and honestly I could. See that things became, more reliant. On me because of all the extra communication it, created, out of the meetings and. We've gone back to a Monday Thursday structure. With, the daily voice. Message. From, the team and. It's made a huge impact, into having, all the information we need those, times and everyone being in the same page so that there's so much less communication, outside of, that and in my time and, I think is a business owner it's like, when. We know we've got a team meeting in the day so we know right I've got a team meeting from 9:00 till 10:00 and that's when you have it and you're expecting, it you're, really engaged and involved and you probably, enjoy it a little bit what, you don't like is when someone's pulling you aside when, you're doing other things so. Where, this becomes a double, win when I think about it and you can space your meanings out in, your company any way you like as long as it works but, when you have a structured. Meeting and times, to discuss things that, becomes, when you can block it out and plan from it and it's less like oh can you come and help me with this of what a question with this because they know that is when the meetings are going to be happening so super. Important, for reducing the need of the. Adult day care is running those means so everyone get on the same page and then don't do their work for the day, yeah. Make such a big difference and yeah, like it's. Trying. To do it without like now I would struggle, dramatically. Absolutely. I really. Think again, it's like one of those things it's like in the beginning we didn't appreciate. Meetings. That's. Time we're not making, Bank yeah.
Maintain. Citizen evading, where, are our babies I'm. Gonna joke but number number four and I think this is another really, good one and I tell you what what, I even. Say this point in, the last 12 months the things that have become available to, us to do these is astronomically. Awesome like I don't know how companies did these 20 years ago so. Let's look at is improving. The quality of communications. We have between. Each other and the team so. Give an example and then I'll let you elaborate. The. Example man Kim spoke about before this episode is you know if you're emailing, each other that's, a really you know emailing and text that's a really poor form of communication, and it's really hard to keep track of and it creates, the need for a lot more communication, but, in, these days in age if you're using a project management software like, asana or, Basecamp. Or a variety of ones that are out there or Katya and then you're using, video. Used, from tools like loom or, recording, great voice messages, is that this levels, things up you're communicating so. Much more information, so. Much more quickly clearly. That, it reduces, the need for more it actually makes things a lot better so. Did you want to elaborate on that one Kim yeah. And I remember. When I first started. Thinking about this a lot as I went to Facebook's. Office in Singapore and I. Was there I was talking to the guys walking around that cool so like what, sort of like cool technologies. You guys used for your like team communication, do in slack, project, manager Bob was like no we just get up and like talk to each other. And. I was like wow yeah. We have like a team meeting at the style of day and then it's like if we need something we'll have each other on the shoulder he's like we alleviate it's like pretty much it's almost like without. Being it's like internal, emails pretty much banned it's like we don't do internal email because it's such a waste and I was like it. Makes like a lot of sense because it's like literally why would you email someone if they're like they're like it's, like hey but. Then you know so that was something that we started looking at here it's like well we, shouldn't need to and this is like after hours or for dick forwarding an attachment or something like that we shouldn't need to internally, email each other, tweedle. Distinct. I live is voice because. As well I can do on not only as a better communication, than email I can, convey my convey my tone I can like so, often even now people. Would like I mean group chats with people in business and then it's like I have introduced, a lot of people as JVs and they come to me that art Kim such-and-such. Said, this and it's like and they put a tone on it I'm like hang, on you, don't know that they're like. Yeah. You don't know that they did it with a high-pitched voice like that so, what, do you have a voice message with them and see what happens and so Foster said I know it's so good they're all good I'm like yeah cuz you assume you, put everyone puts in their head and you know it's like the day that when. You read something it's like although they must have been feeling like this or that so. At least so, true, sorry. Worse. Like. Everyone. Thought you were you were being a dick to them oh sorry right. I'll. Tell that story in a second but the first thing is I'll just do an example it's, a really big difference between Oh Christie you did a really good job which, I know Christie's in your office and we love Christie and it's like Christie you, do a really good job he's, like you know almost like it's, the negative it's the same exact words but just how you pronounce, it can be so a difference and. I want to I want to quickly tell this story because it's hilarious is, I, was, having trouble at the time with, the outsourcing, angels team the management team and.
The Reason was is, because, I when. I type and quite, blunt, apparently, and quite direct and the. Management team and outsourcing angels and I'm you know not, being. Sexist or anything from there but we've got some females that might, little bit emotional at times or they have a high EQ than I do so, when I type something they take it really seriously, and you know I understand, that and I try not to do it so what I found out is that the. Whole outsourcing. Angels management team thought I was an asshole actually. Thought I was just a rude prick and. I was like I really don't mean, it like I'm not trying to be that at all like I might be a bit short but you know just because I don't use 50 emojis, doesn't mean I'm an asshole. And what. Actually fixed, the management, communication. Was. Facebook voice messages, because. All of a sudden when I was at intoned two things they. Were, all understanding, each other so much better so I just think this is an absolute winner on all fronts and just, like you Kim I'm all about the voice messages, yeah. It makes such a difference and, that's why so we go we, use workplace, by Facebook which, allows us to do voice of issues it keeps everyone away from their own distracting, Facebook including myself and we can do voice messages, live video in there because like you mentioned before loom and things like that as opposed, to having 35 back and forward emails say cool hey Kim blah. Blah blah give me all the info and then I can respond there's like one communication. Process, versus, like 35 emails, and it just makes it so so so so much easier and that's the same as like if I ever see a problem and like that's why it's like as you said like loom is like a godsend. It's like cool client. Today freaking, out I was like cool send me a recording like there's send me recording I was like great like soon as I sort of recording was like this is the problem did a record him back that. Would have taken like six, years to solve on email first it's like five minutes in with a loom video like you had done and it was brightened as well I can put her on because, she speaks a little bit so I could put her on two times speed and my browser so if it goes really fast my, great cool thing, is like a ten minute video it took me four and a half minutes. Excellent. I think that's an absolute winner I love hey thought about that so guys and that is the four things you can do to make your team, less reliant, on you and operate with more autonomy, and not, only that prevent, you from running, the adult, gate and sorry, I don't daycare, center so, I don't know quickly revise, these and go through them so we've got number one is onboarding, number, two is getting your systems and processes, number, three is team meetings, regular. Team meetings I should say and then number four is improving, the quality of your commune occations through the use of video, especially. Things like boom and then voice messages, through great tools like Facebook workplaces, or slack or Skype or whatever you use but, definitely take advantage of them, so. Kim, is there anything you want to add on to the end of this episode. No. I just think that if if you. Are feeling like you're running a daycare, center, like, listen. To this episode again like if you got through it in this site okay like and then just you build yourself an action plan cuz, I very. Quickly you can turn it around you know absolutely, takes doesn't, take a year to fix it it's like well you can start straightaway, yeah. Definitely agree to that I honestly think it's not a big thing to change if, you've got a long time team you might find some resistance, but this is something that's easily achievable, for, every business owner with the team. All. Right guys this has been confessions. Of a business owner and a huge focus on how, to get the autonomy, out of your team thank you so much for joining me Kim, Baron. You.
2018-08-25 02:37
