The coronavirus is of concern to the entire world. We’re not only just hearing about it in some far off city in China but it’s reach our boarders and the CDC says we should expect it to increase in the USA. Many of use are concerned about how this virus could impact our family and us personally, but what about coronavirus and businesses – your business. What should businesses do? What should your family do? Coronavirus and Businesses Based on what I can gather there’s a few things we should all consider. Don’t panic. But be prudent. Stock up on […]

One of the first things I do when I want to learn more about someone or a business is going to that person’s or business’s website. That’s why I was shocked to learn in a recent survey that only 60% of small businesses have websites, and the reasons they thought they didn’t need them. Wow! That means that 40% of small businesses don’t have websites. If you are in that category, please allow me to share some ideas and resources with you. Cost and Value of Websites First, let me address the elephant in the room — cost. Gone are the […]

So many times companies focus on giving their employees raises to show appreciation but there’s so many other things they can do, that might matter more. Often times it’s not money that keeps an employee (or freelancer team member) wanting to working with you, it’s just them knowing that you care and appreciate them. For the last year, I’ve been focused on this more for my own team. Sure, I’ve started four companies and sold two of them, but only more recently have I really been doing more to show APPRECIATION. My intent is not just to pay my team […]

You’ve got the hot lead, or several of them. They’re really interested in your service. 2 weeks later, you look at your desk and realize their business card is still on your desk and you’ve not connected with them. Sales follow up is essential to driving more profit and revenue in your company. You see the potential client at the next local Chamber of Commerce meeting and they tell you they went with another company. Listen to the discussion below or on Stitcher or iTunes   Sales follow up is essential This happens all the time and Bob Sullivan of […]

Ryan Westwood is a man on a mission to spread leadership principles to his team, his one page business plan is one of the keys to his success. Simplus founded by Ryan, is a successful Salesforce technology partner which was just sold to Indian mega company InfoSys for $250 million. Amy Osmond Cook, CMO of Simplus shared with me the “inside” story of how this deal came to be – it’s all about leadership and focus. You’re company might be trying to get to $500,000 or $3 million in sales, the principles Ryan uses can still work. [Listen to our […]

As small businesses work to get their taxes in order before April 15, they should also make sure their online financial information is secure from cyberattacks – after all, tax time is one of cybercriminals’ favorite times of the year. It’s crucial to protect this information from an attack:  A recent survey of small businesses by the National Cyber Security Alliance found that after suffering a data breach, 10 percent of SMBs went out of business, 25 percent had to file for bankruptcy and 37 percent experienced a financial loss. Small businesses can better protect themselves during tax time – […]

For the last few months I’ve been focused on scale and growth.  How to scale your business is something that many people want to do but are not sure how to do it. Sure I’ve started a few companies and sold two, but I find that from time to time I get “lazy” and need to push myself. Also I’ve never really FOCUSED on growth, with purpose. Now I am.  Entre Leadership podcast has been a huge resource of tips and inspiration. Sometimes I get caught up in the hustle of keeping my head down working in my business that […]

Alex Judd, host of EntreLeadership podcast, interviewed Benjamin Zander, founder and conductor of the renowned Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to impacting world leaders and innovators, Zander has also released the musical potential of the best musicians in the world. In this interview, he shares how to overcome negativity and embrace possibility in every situation. These concepts are from Benjamin Zander’s book, “The Art of Possibility”. What is possibility? According to Zander, possibility is a way of looking into the world and it never being at the expense of anyone. Possibility is an open-ended pathway for discovery and it’s always […]

Starting and growing a business day to day is NOT easy. As Mark Cuban references on Shark Tank, it’s a grind that you have to love. I’ve started four companies and sold two of them and know the pain and the joy. Check out this report on a study from Vistaprint. The passion for running a business remains strong amongst American entrepreneurs, according to a new survey by Vistaprint. The study shows that more than half (58%) of U.S. small business owners are more motivated to run their company in 2020 than they were one year ago, compared to just […]

There are different levels of neighbors — there are the people that live directly next to you, the people who live on your block, and then the people who make up the actual neighborhood you live in. Your community of locals tends to visit the same businesses, utilize similar services, and share local news. But how can you connect to this group if you don’t actually know the majority of people who play a part in creating it? Nextdoor is an online community made for this exact reason — to bring together neighborhoods so that they can connect on local […]