“I’m barely surviving,” one frustrated business owner told me recently.  “Keep it to yourself,” I fired back quickly.    Yes, many of us are being challenged by the state of the economy today.  We’re tightening up expenses, finding creative ways to promote ... Read more

7 Great Affirmations for the Unemployed With Practical Tips You Can Apply Today By Paul & Tracey McManus Authors of The 7 Great Prayers: For a Lifetime of Hope and Blessings Lost jobs. Lost homes. Lost hope. It’s in the headlines, it’s on the news, and it ... Read the full post ... Read more

Issue of the Week Many of the folks asked to join your company will think like entrepreneurs from the get-go. But not all will. People you hire for their must-have knowledge and skills may be clueless about working for a small business. Think computer geeks and shipping mavens, for example, ... Read more

The Back to Basics Book of Selling A Guide to a Successful Sales Career 25th Anniversary Edition By John R. Ingrisano www.TheFreestyleentrepreneur.com Paperback, $19.94 Reviewed by Bill Willard Selling is a numbers game, a thought perhaps best expressed in the famous 10-3-1 ... Read t ... Read more

I’m a draft horse.  I can plug along for hours upon hours when put to a task.  My brother, on the other hand, is off running the Boston Marathon this weekend.  I admire him and others who work and sweat and train their bodies so they can actually run 27+ miles.  I love them because they ... Read more

Let’s not confuse small business owner with entrepreneur.  Yes, by definition, an entrepreneur is a business owner.  However, I think of entrepreneurs as wildcatters who roam the landscape looking for investment and business opportunities.  Most of us aren’t all that glamorous.  You could ... Read more

“The beautiful part of being an SBO in these times is that you will not get fired, laid off, downsized. You may be dead broke but you still have a job to get up for, and probably many more dragons to be slain.” Jim Truckey Entrepreneur www.nautical-gifts.us ... Read th ... Read more

The award goes to Badger Wholesale in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Here’s why:   I was chatting with Dean Tenor last week, when his phone rang.  Dean is the owner of Dairy Deans, a small ham ‘n egger eatery overlooking Lake Michigan in Algoma, Wisconsin.  Dairy Deans is the kind of pla ... Read more

The Issue At a time when landing new customers may be at the top of our SBO agendas, ignoring existing customers can soon become a self-inflicted, perhaps fatal wound. What I Think : Last summer, Sue and I purchased 30 feet of sliding glass doors for our waterfront Clearwater, FL con ... Rea ... Read more

Some businesses have an atmosphere of quiet competency, confidence and professionalism.  You can walk in the door and almost feel an overwhelming sense of purpose and belonging.  Everyone, from file clerk to CEO, looks as if he or she has an important, clearly defined and respected place in the ... Read more