Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Rudd.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in a family business – a steel fabrication firm. I come from a long line of engineers and accountants and have always been interested in how things worked. My favorite classes in high school were accounting and auto shop.
After obtaining my BA in Business at Whittier College in California (where I grew up), I worked in various positions in corporate America. I started out in sales, moved into small business office management, and then into accounting. I worked for both small firms and huge corporations and I noticed a trend in each company I worked for – there were always ways that they could run more efficiently. Either some systems were broken, or there were missing systems.
With the birth of my eldest daughter, I decided that I wanted to be in control of my days, and felt I was better in a consultancy role. I started out working with Real Estate agents, and after moving across country and then from New Jersey to Massachusetts, I felt I was better suited for small businesses that were ready to grow by taking on more clients or hiring staff.
I have been in business for over seven years now, and I will say while it can be challenging, it has been a fantastic ride. I love the trajectory of my business now that I have three little ones and am going back to school for my MBA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (via their new iMBA program).
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Building a business is tough, especially when you are both the person in charge and the one who does most of the work. It can be difficult to switch hats, especially when you are up against deadlines. When I first started out, I was so excited that people would pay me money for my time that I started to take on any work that came my way.
There was that one time when I even hand addressed and stamped mass mailings. I pitifully undercharged for my time, and I was so annoyed with myself. I have also learned the value of contracts and being clear about the scope of projects.
Business is no place for generalities and vagueness! The more I have created boundaries and processes, the more effective and profitable I have become. I always look back at the end of each year and am utterly amazed at how much my landscape has changed each year, so I know all of the learning experiences I have gotten have only made me a better business owner.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Grow With Jen story. Tell us more about the business.
As my friend likes to tell me – I have a system for everything. The more systems there are, the easier it is to do all the things you need to do – in both life and business.
I work with small business owners who need more structure in what they do, need to be able to copy themselves a couple of times over to grow their business or those that need to be more efficient in managing their teams.
I help them create processes – consistent ways to handle a client, service, product, marketing; you name it! – and systems – tying together software and tasks to help better transfer information. This process can be as simple as creating ways to spend more time selling to leads than trying to keep track of them or making it easier for potential clients to contract and pay.
It can also be as involved as taking an application a prospective employee fills out online and having all that information get sent to the right department in the right software for processing. Any business can benefit from having a clear understanding of HOW they run their business and finding ways to replicate those things that have to happen 1,000 times per day.
Putting systems in place removes the need for the redundant administrative tasks, so that team members are doing things that bring money into the business instead of pushing paper. There are a few reasons I feel I am different from those who do similar systems architecture.
First, I focus on the business case for improving a business. Sometimes people want to automate tasks, and it just doesn’t make sense to automate it. Sometimes the only thing you can automate are reminders to follow up with leads and check in on proposals instead of just sending out an email follow up automatically one week after you send it out.
One of the biggest reasons is that I want to find the best answer. It may take some time to find the right mix of software, processes, and structuring a business but I always work to find the correct solutions for my clients – not just picking software I have used before and like. And frankly, I like just to dive in and figure things out. Putting the puzzle together and watching it in action is pretty freaking cool.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I feel we make our luck. I have gotten some “lucky breaks” over the years, but they were because I worked my butt off to get into position to “receive” that luck. I feel strongly both in business and in my personal life that things don’t happen “to” you. Things happen, and how you respond to situations determines your trajectory in life.
This thought process isn’t to say I haven’t had sucky days or months, but every challenge I have come in contact with has resulted in some fantastic opportunities. A lead that didn’t close opened up space for an even better long-term client. “Slow” months gave me more space with my family or to find ways to be more inventive in marketing strategies.
There is a quote that I love by Pema Chodron and always have on my phone for those bad days when everything seems to go wrong – “You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather”. Remembering that the only constant is YOU help put things into perspective – that even though you are in the middle of a storm right now, there are beautiful blue skies just beyond the clouds. It is ALL temporary. Have gratitude for good days and weather the bad.
Pricing:
- Systems Consult = Evaluation of your current business systems and recommendations on how to streamline operations – $325
Contact Info:
- Website: http://GrowWithJen.com
- Phone: (508) 293-1469
- Email: hello@jenrudd.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/growwithjen
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growwithjen/
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/yourbusinessecosystem/
Image Credit:
Sara Maida Photography
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