Wyoming Entrepreneur Blog

Think Outside of the Bulb

Guest Author-Brent Hardy, Extra Space Storage, manages sustainability programs. The Worcester self storage facility has been retrofitted to use solar lighting and motion sensors to reduce its energy consumption.

In today's economy, every penny counts. Whether you're a business owner maintaining multiple facilities, or simply trying to cut costs at home, effective lighting techniques are crucial -- and that goes beyond just switching to the curly-cue CFL bulbs or the newer LED options.

These simple, cost-effective tips will not only help with the electric bill, but will ensure cleaner, greener facilities.

Consider de-lamping
"De-lamping" refers simply to the removal of excess bulbs or tubes within specific light fixtures. This basic technique can save a bundle on energy consumption, and costs little or nothing to carry out. Of course, a variety of factors must be considered. Existing natural light, color schemes (see below), and task/purpose of the space should be taken into account. The IESNA (Illuminating Engineering Society of North America; www.iesna.org) has developed a set of comprehensive guidelines, which should be consulted before carrying out such a task. In addition, it's always a safe bet to consult your specific manufacturer for details on the type of ballast your light fixture contains.

Pay attention to your color scheme
When considering how to maximize output from a light source, reflectivity plays an important role. For this reason, the color of a room is crucial. White rooms naturally reflect more light, thus requiring less output from a light source. If white just doesn't suit, try to stick with bright colors. Also, do your best to take advantage of whatever natural light might be available – a white room plus sunlight equals savings.

Install motion sensors
It's amazing how much energy from a light source is wasted. In addition to cutting back substantially on this waste, motion sensors are efficient, inexpensive, and easy to install.
These can be picked up at most hardware stores or ordered online. The installation is surprisingly straightforward and rarely more difficult than putting in a light switch, although an electrician could easily take on the task. Whether used outdoors or in, day or night, motion sensors are bound to save you big bucks in the end.

When it comes to lighting efficiency, it never hurts to think outside the bulb. These cost-efficient, energy-saving practices show how a little effort can go a long way.

Consider all the factors of your unique facility. Compare ideas with those who share a similar vision. Look at what changes you can make, put some of them into place, and see how much of a difference it makes to your monthly utility bill.

Your retail store CAN create an amazing holiday marketing campaign!

The holidays are just around the corner, but you still have time to plan and deliver an amazing marketing and sales strategy for the busy season ahead. Small town shops CAN compete with big box and online stores! That power comes from greeting your clients personally, giving them a positive, memorable shopping experience and helping them find other stores in the neighborhood that share your “hometown experience” philosophy.

Revisit the principles of retailing and remember why you have chosen to share your products in the public marketplace. Present your retail space in the best possible light by appropriate merchandising. Merchandising is an art that communicates the image, lifestyle or value system for your products. Examine your store from the perspective of a customer. Is the window inviting? Is the glass sparkling clean? Is the interior of your store clean and organized? Are decorations tasteful and music appropriate? Is lighting pleasant and targeted, especially as the wintery days get shorter? Lighting is the key to creating drama and proper lighting has been shown to increase sales by 25%!

Ensure that your employees are prepared for the busy days of greeting customers, offering assistance in providing the kindest, most helpful, and most professional service to enhance your brand and reputation long after the holidays. A couple of tips… When engaging customers, greet them in the front third of the store. Make eye contact and smile…offer to answer questions and then allow the customer to browse. Whenever possible, it is best for sales people to face the entrance, allowing them to acknowledge new shoppers, even if they are engaged with another customer at the moment. If you are offering sales or specials, make sure your employees are aware of the specifics. Also be clear and consistent on return, refund and warranty policies.

Now is the time to develop relationships with other stores in your shopping neighborhood that offer products that complement your merchandise. For example, if your store sells evening gowns, mention that the store across the street carries tuxedos and the shoe store next door may have the perfect pair of dressy heels to complete the ensemble. Customers appreciate recommendations that validate their purchases… and appropriate recommendations will help them save time, money and resources. The business relationships that are forged can be the best line of defense as you promote the value of shopping locally. Each business will be looking out for their neighbor, differentiating your neighborhood as a positive shopping experience for their customers.

Finally, engage your customers with a carefully designed follow-up campaign after the holidays. Holiday sales present an opportunity to gather email addresses and collect a fan base that will allow you to inspire your customers to remain connected with their community and local retailers all year long.

Wishing you and your retail store a wonderful holiday season!

Success?? When can I dare to say my business is successful?

It’s that time of year when Wyoming takes the opportunity to showcase our awesome entrepreneurs who have accepted the challenge of opening their own businesses across the state by sharing “Success Stories” in the upcoming annual WEDA (Wyoming Economic Development Association) publication. As we invite our clients to share their stories, they often say, “Give me a little more time. I’m not sure I fit into the Success category just yet.”  My response? “Success comes in many forms. The bottom line of your financial statements only tells a fraction of your story.” Every time an individual steps out on the edge, takes a leap of faith that they can sell their product or service and begins down the path of entrepreneurship…another Success has been charted. Whatever the reason or dream that initiates that journey, we see passion and excitement of people who are following and nurturing their dreams. The follow-through that transforms a dream to reality is the very foundation of Success.

 

One successful Wyoming entrepreneur began his career by working for a local electric company, but knew he and his wife could build their own business by taking their experience and creating a positive customer experience for their own clients.  The business has been open for less than a year, but is growing steadily by word-of-mouth, website presence, and superior workmanship. Now he is able to drop his young daughter off at school, they are expanding the scope of their projects, and are learning time management, bookkeeping and scheduling, in order to grow the business to the next level!

 

Take a moment to ask yourself, “What makes my business successful? What am I able to do in this business that gives me great joy? How am I sharing my success with customers, employees, family and friends?

 

Your answers will set your business apart from your competition and will clarify your goals. As we approach the Thanksgiving season, take time to consider and express your appreciation to those who have encouraged and believed in you as you moved forward… and consoled you when your business roadmap took an unwanted turn.  Are you picturing the faces of your family, your banker, your customer, your employees, and your suppliers? I dare to say, “You have an enthusiastic audience on the sidelines, applauding your courage and your Success!”

10 Tips for Family Business Success

I recently read an article from Nation’s Business regarding this topic.  The article, written by Sharon Nelton, was several years old, but had some interesting insight into family business from David Bork, a consultant who has been advising family businesses since the late 60’s.  Here are some of the qualities he feels are essential for families in business together.

1)       Shared values – Your family should share similar values concerning people, work, and money.  This way you can have a shared vision for the future of the business.

2)      Shared power – Not the same as “equal” power.  It refers to mutual respect for each other.  Respect of their talents and abilities among generations, spouses and siblings.  Decisions should be deferred to the person with expertise in that area of business.

3)      Traditions – The family should foster new and renew old traditions that bond the family together and sets them apart from other families.

4)      Willingness to learn and grow – The family should be open to new ideas and new approaches to solving problems within the business.  Problems are only new opportunities to learn and grow together, even when you might have differing opinions.

5)      Build relationships – Take time away from the family business to have fun together. The enjoyable times can help you survive the hard times and will help sustain family relationships.

6)      Genuine Caring – You should express your feelings of concern for family members openly, to let them know that you do care about them.  Sometimes it’s the little things you do that will say that you “really” care about another family member.

7)      Mutual respect – You must have respect for one-another to be able to do business together.  Knowing that your family can depend on you and that you can depend on others builds trust and mutual respect.

8)      Support for each other – Even if a family member is having struggles, family members should assist and support one another.  During times of grief, pain or even shame, you should be supportive of family members.

9)      Respect privacy – When you are in business with family members there is a lot of togetherness.  Be respectful of one another’s individual privacy and that of each family unit within the extended family.  Don’t step over the line.

10)  Interpersonal boundaries – A common family business related problem is conflict between two family members.  Resist getting caught in the middle of a conflict that really needs to be resolved between the two family members.

According the Bork, understanding which of these traits you have, or need to work on, will help strengthen your family bonds and the success of your family business. What do you think?

Intellectual property and small business

WYOMING BUSINESS TIPS

A weekly look at Wyoming
business questions from the Wyoming Entrepreneur Network, a partnership of
business assistance programs at the University
of Wyoming.

Intellectual Property and Small Business

Karen Kitchens, Intellectual Property/Documents
Librarian, Wyoming State Library, [email protected]

Knowledge and ideas have always been a powerful force in economic development.  As a small
business owner, Intellectual Property (IP) is a key consideration in your day-to-day business
decisions.  IP is an important component of the United States economy, and the U.S. is an acknowledged global leader in the creation of IP.  According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, “Americans are the world’s leading innovators, and our ideas and intellectual property are a key ingredient to our competitiveness and prosperity.”[1]

Unfortunately, businesses often fail to protect their valuable IP because IP is not tangible property.  IP has no physical form.  Examples might be a method of doing business, an Internet domain name, or a company’s marketing material.  Often, this intangible property is more valuable than real or personal property. The commercial value of IP comes from the ability of its owner to control and exploit its use.  

The term “Intellectual Property” might sound a bit pompous.  But in reality, it is a very
good description for the proprietary interests of individuals and businesses, protected by the laws of IP.  The United States Patent and Trademark Office defines IP as, “Creations of the mind -
creative works or ideas embodied in a form that can be shared or can enable others to recreate, emulate, or manufacture them.”  Globalization of the world’s economies has significantly increased the need for information about IP.    

There are four ways to protect IP - patents, which pertain to pragmatic innovations; trademarks, which relate to commercial symbols; copyrights, which concerns artistic and literary works; and trade secrets, which consist of valuable business information that is not generally known and is subject to reasonable efforts to preserve confidentiality.  Some IP rights – copyrights and trademark rights are granted automatically upon creation or use of the IP assets without any action needed by the creator.  Other IP rights, such as patents, require action on the part of the creator in addition to considerable expense. 

This series will review the four types of IP rights and how each may affect your business.  For example, developing and protecting your IP assets and rights can give you an edge over the competition by discouraging unscrupulous competitors, developing new revenue sources, and increasing the
value of your company.  IP is a valuable business asset that must be managed and protected like any other asset.

 

For more information about the
services of Wyoming Entrepreneur, or to ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194,
e-mail wsbdc@uwyo.edu or write 1000 East University Avenue, Department 3922,
Laramie, WY 82071-3922. Additional help is available on our website www.wyomingentrepreneur.biz.

 The Wyoming
Entrepreneur partnership program is funded in part through a cooperative
agreement with the U.S.
Small Business Administration. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming.

---

[1]Special
301 Report Finds Continued Progress But Significant Improvements Needed. 2004.
Office of the United States Trade Representative Archive. 30 May 2012 <http://www.ustr.gov/archive/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2004/May/Special_301_Report_Finds_Continued_Progress_But_Significant_Improvements_Needed.html>.

 

 

 

 

I am a graphic designer who is considering joining a “coworking” space. Why should someone choose this, instead of just working from home? - Cindy in Lander, WY

Coworking spaces attempt to capture the best of different workspaces where freelancers and independent workers get things done— the flexibility of a home office and vibe of a café— and bring them together with an emphasis on collaboration and building community.

The benefits:

Greater motivation. Productivity spikes when you’re working alongside other entrepreneurs. Coworkers join their coworking spaces because they find that the environment, in one form or another, satiates their own psychological craving for a community of like-minded entrepreneurs.

For many, it’s about the energy boost of being around other people. Alan Pinstein, who runs his real estate software service Neybor out of Ignition Alley, tells us, “We can all learn from each other and meet new people. It’s great, especially for people coming from a work-at-home situation where they need the social interaction and need to see people around to feel some energy in the room.” Alan compares the experience to the energy of being in a large metropolis. “I used to live in New York City and [coworking] brings that energy you find in the streets of New York to your office environment. To me, being here you get to feel everybody’s energy everyday.”

Graphic designer Judi Oyama’s experience at NextSpace told us that one of the core attractions of coworking for small businesses is that it enables you to get things done by filling in any gaps in skills and needs. When you aren’t stymied and stonewalled by things you can’t do, you feel motivated to launch new projects and try new business ventures.

Quality social encounters. Coworking gives you more social interaction. Join a space and get out of your pajamas and out of the house. Industrial and graphic design expert Anthony Grieder exchanged his home office where he had run Alloy Design, Inc. for over a decade for coworking space Boulder Digital Arts after coming to a realization that he wanted more people around him. “I had been in a home office for the past 12 years, and needed to get back into a more social situation.”

For others, being around people is a necessity for their business, especially for those in the creative field. Graphic designer Johnny Bilotta says that he turned to coworking at Indy Hall to test ideas and get immediate feedback. “One of the things I lost by working at home was the social aspect of going to an office. I couldn’t bounce an idea off of somebody, and being a designer, I need people’s opinions on things. I like to get people’s opinions on colors, for example. Even if it’s just waxing philosophical over a cup of coffee about a different design philosophy or something— I missed that from working at home.”

A professional venue— and outlook. Going to a coworking space disciplines your approach to your independent work or business. Franchise business consultant Kyle de Haas, a member of Cospace, likes how coworking puts him in a professional, ready-to-work frame of mind. “There are too many distractions at home that deter me from being as efficient as I’d like when I work,” he tells us. “I’ve learned over time that I respond well to getting dressed and going someplace to get work done. It promotes a healthy work-life balance.”

Instructional designer Lisa Van Damme marvels at how coworking at Boulder Digital Arts provides the right incentives to do her work in a more professional and balanced way. “There’s something to be said about getting dressed in the morning and leaving the house versus working in pajamas ten steps away from the bed.”

‘Accelerated serendipity’ galore. With coworking, communities can be very diverse, and you never know whom you’ll bump into in an encounter that could change your business forever. Freelance writer Kevin Purdy tells us, “I gained at least ten successful Lifehacker post ideas from working at Coworking Rochester, if not more. Personally, I’ve picked up post ideas and topics galore from Coworking Rochester for my freelance writing projects.” He also says that “problems I’ve had with my personal website, or even my out-loud ‘I wish I could…’ queries, have been tackled with enthusiasm whenever I’ve coworked.”

Action Alliance for Children’s Lisa Shulman Malul, a member of The Hub Bay Area, explains how crucial this exchange of ideas is in keeping their organization relevant, their ideas fresh, and their energy levels charged. “I think in any field you can get used to talking about your issues or the things that you cover within a narrow spectrum. The idea of interacting with [different audiences] on an ongoing basis gave us opportunities to hear more about how other people understand our work.”

Shared resources (from equipment to expertise). If you need to get things done on the cheap, coworking spaces are the place to do it. Instead of shouldering the cost of office space, Wi-Fi, the coffee machine, copier and printer, you split the cost with the other members of your space. You can also leverage better prices for other equipment or subscriptions with group deals.

And then there are the human resources— the people that can be sourced for team projects and group ideas. Members benefit from classes and lectures given by fellow members at many coworking spaces. Alongside being able to seek out your neighbor by dropping by for a chat at his or her desk, you can also seek out formal channels of skills exchange at hosted events where members take turns giving classes.

Companies hiring from the available pool of freelancers is commonplace at Gangplank. “In Silicon Valley, the joke is that you can change your job without changing your parking space. We say at Gangplank that you can change your job without changing your desk,” says co-founder Jade Meskill. “We've had people who wanted to get out of the consulting business and work for a product company, and be hired directly by one of the other companies inside of Gangplank.”

The price is right. Jason Richelson, a former member of Hive at 55 says that coworking makes it easy to save money, especially for the entrepreneur just starting out his or her business and trying to reach a sustainable operational level. “You just don’t want to commit to a lease in the initial stages of a new company, so going month-to-month is the only way for startups. And with coworking you don’t need to think about furniture, Internet, printer, etc. because it is all there.”

Expansion opportunities and an impressive ROI. The expenses incurred (monthly dues and commuting expenses) are generally outweighed by the gains. In the first Global Coworking Survey held by Deskmag, 42 percent of coworkers said that their incomes increased since joining a coworking space— probably from having access to wider social and professional networks and securing better job opportunities.

The downsides:

Little privacy and too many distractions. Sometimes the nature of your work is not compatible with the openness needed to make coworking work. Lawyers or accountants with secretive clients, for example, may need their own private offices that can be secured at all times. Even coworking advocates are not immune to the distraction that comes with the free flow of people in a coworking space. Software developer and cloud computing expert Adam Lindsay, a member of Coworking Rochester, tells us that prospective members should be warned about potential distractions when considering a space, which can affect productivity or be stressful when you have too much on your plate on a certain day. “If a person is easily distracted, coworking might not always be good. Make sure the coworking environment has quiet spaces you can escape to.”

Not the right crowd. Sometimes the chemistry really doesn’t work out, between you and the rest of the coworkers in the space. You may have different expectations, and the coworking space just didn’t meet them.

::::: Genevieve DeGuzman is the co-author of ‘Working in the UnOffice: A Guide to Coworking for Indie Workers, Small Businesses, and Nonprofits’ (Night Owls Press, August 2011).

Reprinted with permission from an article by Genevieve DeGuzman The entire article originally appeared in Deskmag http://bit.ly/r34StT on 2011-10-21.

For more information about the services of Wyoming Entrepreneur, or to ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, e-mail [email protected] or write 1000 East University Avenue, Department 3922, Laramie, WY 82071-3922. Additional help is available on our website www.wyomingentrepreneur.biz. The Wyoming Entrepreneur partnership program is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Additional support is provided by the Wyoming Business Council and the University of Wyoming.

Is your sustainability message a bit stale? Spice it up and make it memorable!

Even though we are heading into warmer months of spring and summer, here’s proof that your sustainability messaging doesn’t have to be boring: In late January, the World Wildlife Fund launched a website (sweaterday.ca) for National Sweater Day (February 9). The premise? Canadians were encouraged to lower their thermostats a few degrees and put on a sweater to stay warm – thereby making grandmothers happier all over the country.

We spend a lot of time in the Shelton creative department discussing creative strategy and the best way to make things “stick” with customers – what makes a campaign memorable and what makes people act sustainably. Some of you might recall former President Jimmy Carter’s famous “sweater speech,” in which he encouraged everyone to minimize their energy consumption and break out the cardigans. Thirty-two years later, the same request was made of Canadians through a completely different approach – and without political agenda. Let’s take a look at what this new sweater campaign did right.

First, “The Granny Call Centre” took a request for sacrificing one’s personal comfort (which we know is a huge motivator for consumers) and put a fun, positive spin on it. Its approach was human and universal  – most of us have a beloved grandmother, and most of us have received an overdone/overblown/oversized sweater from her at least once. It even made the sacrifice seem downright cozy, if not a bit tongue-in-cheek: as one Scottish granny says, “Don’t be ornery – just put on your sweater!” By taking an age-old, grandmotherly adage and marrying it with an accepted societal joke, the campaign became a prescriptive instrument of engagement and awareness.

Secondly, the campaign has the potential to create change by going viral. This fun, buzz-worthy campaign can be passed along to friends and family to create change through subtle peer pressure – people wearing sweaters and lowering the thermostat not because of kind, rosy-cheeked grannies, but because their hipster Canuck friend Dan found a fun, slightly loopy campaign online and decided to play along.

Regardless of how folks get there, the end result is positive. Wonder if any of those grannies are familiar with the term ‘win-win’?

Guest article by Stephanie Alexander, Senior Copywriter for Shelton Group, LLC

Why Family Businesses are Special Today

Family-owned businesses are stable and optimistic, even in times of economic uncertainty. A recent national study by Kennesaw State University, the American Family Business Survey of family-owned businesses, studied the strengths, challenges and changes since a previous study done in 2002. It found that family business owners:
1 | Are optimistic about future growth - Even during some generally depressed business conditions, family business owners express optimism. Figures confirm that family businesses are better able to weather economic hardship and stabilize the economy than their non-family counterparts.
2 | Lack a sense of urgency about retirement and succession planning - Family businesses face some significant succession challenges. Over forty percent of business owners expect to retire in the next ten years, but many are less certain about retirement. Almost one third have no plans to retire, ever. Nearly another third report that retirement is eleven or more years away. This means that many owners plan to die running their business, which is not beneficial to their family, the business, its employees or its customers. Furthermore, nearly one third have no estate plan beyond a simple will.
3 | Select women as leaders - There has been an almost five-fold increase in the number of women leaders in family businesses in the last decade, far more than the increases seen in non-family businesses. The trend indicates that increased female leadership of family businesses should continue.
4 | Hold themselves and their employees to a higher ethical standard - Since family businesses are family and relationship oriented, they operate more ethically. Family owners have a major influence on their business and their values are emphasized in the business. Family orientation seems to translate into more ethical behavior and the resulting actions contribute significantly to their family’s identity in their communities.
5 | Expand on traditional management - There is a misconception that due to the relational nature of family businesses they are less professional. In one way this may be true, with only a few businesses having a written strategic plan or formal planning process. This is only one higher level of professional behavior. Despite the lack of formal strategic planning, they use other types of planning tools. Buy-sell agreements, business valuations, boards of directors, formal recruiting, performance appraisals, and benefits administration indicate their professionalism.
6 | More unified family values - Family unity and cohesion are critical to family business success and an important goal. Family members that agree on values, attitudes, and beliefs exhibit that unity and cohesion. The practice of these values result in increased levels of employee loyalty, commitment, and organizational citizenship. Similarity of values between family members in business and their customers can also improve relationships and foster economic stability.
7 | Place their trust in family members as key advisors – Overwhelmingly the business owner’s spouse is seen as their most trusted advisor, followed by their accountant, a business peer, parent, lawyer, and financial advisor.

Putting sustainability into practice

Guest blog by Karen Barnes, VP Insight, Shelton Group.

http://www.sheltongrp.com/

I love a good theory as much as the next girl. But you know what I love even more? Seeing a theory come to life in the real world. A great idea put into practice, creating change.

Here are two examples from my recent travels. First, this is a really smart, very sustainable way to reduce the number of barely used bottles that get trashed by hotel cleaning crews every day, compliments of Hampton Inn. This is a great example of a nudge. By only providing these necessities in a self-serve, use-only-what-you-need fashion, Hampton Inn has made the desired behavior the default. If you don’t like this model, well, you can always opt to bring your own toiletries, so personal choice is still available.

No more wasted soap bars. No more tiny little plastic bottles in the landfill.

And other travelers are noticing additional benefits as well. Here’s a comment about the Skokie, ID, Hampton Inn. “I loved the bathroom dispensers for the shampoo and conditioner because we never ran out (I had 5 other girls in my room).” Not only is this solution more sustainable, it’s also more convenient — a huge driver for mainstream consumers!

Last week, I traveled to Washington, DC where I stayed at the Helix, a Kimpton Hotel, one of my very favorite boutique chains. Of course, parking is at a premium everywhere in the nation’s capital, but if you drive a hybrid to the Helix, you get a reward. Your parking is half-price!

If you’re a hybrid driver in the DC-area, you can also zip along in the HOV lanes and avoid the nasty traffic snarls. In other words, you get special rewards – really good ones at that – for doing the sustainable thing. You save money. You save time. Oh, and you can help “save the planet” at the same time.

For marketers, think about how you can reward your customers for doing the right thing. Can you give them ongoing rewards? Can you make something simpler, less expensive, or more convenient for them? Can you partner with other companies to extend or encourage the rewards? Since sustainability is rarely, if ever, the primary reason anyone purchases anything, rewards need to fill those primary needs in order to keep encouraging the desired behavior.

If you’re seeing examples out there or actually practicing some theories that are resulting in behavior change in the real world, we’d love to hear about and see them. Post ‘em here folks!

Note: Thank you, Karen, for allowing Wyoming Entrepreneur to re-post your article in our weekly blog!!

Process mapping?

By Anya Petersen-Frey, Regional Director, MBA, PhD (abd), Certified Global Business Professional

What exactly is process mapping?    Bob,  Torrington

This is a great question, and timely, since I just finished a process mapping project with a local organization.  Here is a very brief overview.

Process mapping is usually considered a quality management tool with an overall goal of improving a process by looking for gaps in service, waste (time or product) or other issues. You may have heard terms such as "Six Sigma", "Lean Six Sigma"  or the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program all which provide tools geared toward maximizing efficiency while maintaining control over a process - be it manufacturing or service related.

Process mapping provides business leaders the opportunity to clarify how processes are actually being performed. It reveals problems such as bottlenecks or variations in how the process is carried out by different groups or individuals.  Put simply, process mapping strives to improve business performance by optimizing the efficiency of connecting activities in the creation of a product or service.

A process map is a tool - a means to an end, not an outcome in its own right.

The final output will, hopefully, be an  improvement in the way that the business process works.

 There are two main process models:

• The "current"  model which outlines the current process as it is performed now
• The "future" state model which defines the way the process will look when changes or modifications have been implemented - or the way it is desired to be.

The goals of completing this process are to create value for the customer and to reduce costs for the company

There are many ways to approach creating a process map.  Optimal is to have people at all levels of the organization involved, even in a very small firm. The starting point is to identify and map out a particular process for a "current" state.  If you don't know where the gaps or delays in a process are it can be difficult to identify and correct them. 

For example:  Imagine you own a carpet store that sells carpet as well as offers delivery and installation.  What is the process, from the customer perspective, of purchasing and having carpet installed?  The starting point might be "customer comes into store to look at carpet". Then what?  What questions are asked that direct the next step?  Walk the steps as though you are a customer including communication, time involved, etc. Note where delays occur, or where decisions have to be made.  This can be a messy process as different input creates a map with many divergent paths.  That is ok. 

This may be a simplified example but can give you a hint of how to take a step back and objectively view your business process.  It is important to understand what each person does - so ask them.  The map should have no personal names but rather only list the processes and the differences in how different people handle them.

There are many flow chart and process map examples on the Web as well as software to help you build your final map.  You will notice some standard symbols used to delineate "decisions", or "delays" - these can be helpful but the map can be created in a way that meets the needs of your organization.

It can help to have an objective facilitator guide the original data collection using input from various people in the particular process to get an accurate view of what is actually happening, but again, a business owner can begin the process on his own.

The key goal in using this type of tool is to maintain a competitive edge.  Don't become complacent and fall into the age-old "this is the way it has always been done" trap.  There are times when the an original method is still the best; but many times it is time to re-evaluate and institute more efficient processes.