During the holiday season, many of us are looking forward to some downtime. As a small business owner, you may not have the luxury of taking extended time off during the year because you are your business. But, the long hours and sacrifice of time away from family and friends have taken a toll and we’re…
It can be argued that small businesses are the backbone of America, the ultimate expression of the American Dream. Many companies, though large today, started as a mom and pop store in the middle of Smalltown, USA but grew into the mammoths they are today because of you, our patrons. So, I want to say thank…
About ten years ago, I was working at an affinity marketing firm. From time to time, management would get all associates together in a large banquet hall for the all-employee meeting. You’ve been to those…free coffee and poppy seed muffins. Well, these meetings were often used to tell us how good (or bad) the company was doing and plans…
It’s fascinating to me to watch people network. The smiles and firm handshakes. The warm introductions and business card exchanges. All a necessary part of growing your business and getting your name out there. But I’ve also witnessed the other side of that. The whispers and eye rolls. The brush offs and avoidance. All unnecessary parts of growing your business and getting your…
Let’s be honest, if you’re like me, the idea of social media was scary at first. I mean, it’s one thing to publish a website, but it’s another to create an online presence that draws in people you don’t know and invite them to chat among themselves while you listen in. Of social media I often hear,…
Being good at something will automatically make you successful in business, right? Well, not so but we’d all like to think that. Many of us go into business for ourselves with a particular skill set that we have nurtured and mastered. Now that we’re experts, the next logical step is to start a business. Isn’t it? Here’s the…
“People love romance.” I saw this quote in a recent ad for People magazine and I have to say, I agree. We all want to see the heroine swept off her feet by the ruggedly handsome hero, risking life and limb, to rescue her and win her heart forever. We get lost in 800 page trilogies that pull us…
Being an entrepreneur is the most rewarding, yet unforgiving, profession on the planet. It takes guts, smarts, and money – not to mention a little luck. For those of you who run a one-man operation, it takes even more. While we bask in the glory of setting our own hours and answering to no one,…
Throughout my academic and professional career, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of public speaking. From my valedictorian speech in high school to lunch and learn sessions, I’ve had a chance to chat it up in front of a crowd. I find that I’m at my best when I’m being myself, mixing good…
I’m a talker. That’s a surprise to some, but not to most. But my daughter, a thriving kindergartener, puts me to shame. As soon as she opens the car door, it starts. Talking 100 words per minute, I know who did what to whom, who spilled milk in the lunchroom, who got into trouble – I know…
Entrepreneurs are a different breed. Not everyone can, is willing, or should go out on a limb and risk so much. Being in business for oneself is hard work but the potential reward, in my opinion, is what draws us in. The ability to build something from ground up or to take over something that’s failing and make…
If you ask many small business owners what business they’re in, they will tell you simply what they do. ‘I build websites’ or ‘I distribute promotional goods.’ While these statements are true, you only have a few seconds to make an impression and those statements, in no way, give prospects any reason to pursue the conversation further. I find these…