We are the Friesen's: Ten Years and Counting....

Welcome....Here's a glimpse of our happenings!

The verses that have REALLY spoken to me (Sarah) lately....

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." Matthew 7:24-25

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. I Peter 5:8-9

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' Acts 17:26-28

May the words of my mouth and the mediation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

So be careful to do what the Lord your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. Deuteronomy 5:32-33

God, our God, will take care of the hidden things but the revealed things are our business. It's up to us and our children to attend to all the terms in this Revelation. Deuteronomy 29:29 (The Message)

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Ten Years and Counting....

Last Monday, the 8th of September, I actually had my 10th (yep, 10th) anniversary as an employee of International Dairy Queen. I wasn't sure I ever would see the day. It has, in all seriousness, gone pretty quick.

When I first took the position right out of college, I was very excited. It was my first "real job" out of college. Plus, it presented the opportunity to travel.

In the last 10 years, I have changed and grown a great deal. This job has allowed me the opportunity to meet many people from MANY walks of life. It has taken me to the west coast, the east coast, many places in between, and even Hawaii.

I have learned a great deal, and it's difficult to even mention everything I have learned. However, I wish to share at least seven of the key principles I have learned about running your own business. Most of these items come directly from small business owners, or the Dairy Queen owners I have worked with...

1) Keep your priorities in line. God, Family, Business -- in that order.

2) Keep your business expenses and personal expenses completely separate -- in separate bank accounts.

3) Don't be afraid of stepping inside your competition -- to see what they're doing. Who cares if they see you do it? You MUST know what your competition is doing.

4) Keep in mind that your employees will treat your customers the same you're treating your employees. So, if you don't treat your employees well, your customers will not be treated well.

5) Two main ways to grow your business are to get your existing customers to return frequently and buy more and to attract new customers. Your business will grow faster by attracting new customers (it's hard to get existing customers to change their ways and buy more). So, each day, figure out how to get at least one more customer inside your business.

6) At the barest of minimums, put together and analyze (and make changes if necessary) the financial statements of your business. Don't wait until the end of the year to see where you are financially. It may be too late to make changes.

7) Teenagers today are not near as bad as everybody thinks. Every generation has complained about teenagers. Think back to the Cosbys, the Bradys, and the Cleavers. The adults in those sitcoms never seemed to understand teenagers. The same goes for today. If you think a teenager has an "issue," (for lack of a better term), look at his or her parents. Chances are, it's how that teenager is raised.