Washington Business Spring 2019 | Washington Business | Page 51

washington business
ask questions
One of her biggest early mistakes, she said, was not asking
enough questions of colleagues in the business. She felt at the
time that she would be imposing or overstepping boundaries,
but she now sees the importance of learning from those who
have gone before. She answers questions all the time from
other start-ups, whether chocolatiers or otherwise.
She’s proud to actively help others starting out in
business, even those who have become competitors.
“Pay it forward,” she said. “There’s room for everybody.
You have to be open and collaborative, and we’re all going
to do better if we band together.”
collaborate
T h o m p s o n h a s f o u n d va l u e i n a g ro u p c a l l e d t h e
Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a collaboration group with
186 chapters in 58 countries. Its members come from a
variety of types of businesses, but they’ve all experienced similar
problems with accounting, hiring, and other common issues. It’s a
brother and sisterhood.
“They can offer objective stories that help you learn vicariously,
instead of having to learn the hard way on every single lesson. It’s
a terrific resource for any entrepreneur,” Thompson said.
“Pay it forward. There’s room for
everybody. You have to be open and
collaborative, and we’re all going to do
better if we band together.”
— Jean Thompson, CEO and president,
Seattle Chocolate Co.
start strong
From the first days of a new business, make sure you surround yourself with the right people, she
said. This current period of low unemployment, while great for the overall economy, can make that
hard for businesses.
It’s also easier when a business gets bigger and has more name recognition, because then people
seek you out.
spring 2019
51