America began with freedom, liberty was made manifest, entrepreneurship flourished, and the world is the better for it. Thank you, Founders.
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When you take a photograph, the resulting product is two-dimensional: tall, wide, and flat. But in most cases, you want the photo to show depth, where images in the foreground and background are al...
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The best way to be successful AND happy is to define success in many ways, including having a life that’s balanced with richness outside of the business.
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Growing up on a farm provided many valuable lessons that transferred beautifully to my life in the non-farming marketplace, because before there were cities, farmers were discovering and sharing po...
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On Memorial Day, amidst picnics and other gatherings, we honor all who paid the ultimate price in service to this country – including small business owners and employees – in defense of our freedom...
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The new prime differentiator in the Age of the Customer is not the competitive model, but rather a customer’s appraisal of how relevant a seller is to them. In today's marketplace, small businesses...
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Education and instincts are important, but it's the relationships you build with people that will ultimately lead to your success in business. Meet Dave Longaberger.
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Each New Year deserves to have the maximum opportunity to be successful, so have the discipline to set up your New Year for a clean and fast start, while pushing the current year over the goal line...
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Thanksgiving in America celebrates one of the great moments in the annals of serendipity: Squanto and the Mayflower pilgrims working together to become a critical part of the foundation of the most...
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Thank you to ALL who swore the military oath, served honorably, and made themselves available to a grateful nation. Happy Veterans Day!
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Smart small business owners understand the direct link between motivating employees to be successful in their assignments and the success of the business. Here are six motivational best practices.
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With the increasing global instability and society running off the rails, people of faith wonder whether it may not be a matter of if, but when the "sorting out" will be taken out of the hands of h...
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In the last of a three-part series covering The Five Financial Mysteries of running a small business, you'll learn about the relationship between vendors and customers, and why profit is important,...
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In the second installment of the Five Financial Mysteries for Small Businesses, Jim explains how you can be profitable and not be cash-positive, and why cash in hand isn’t profit you can spend.
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Do you know the difference between cash flow and accounting? Hint: Cash and profit are not the same. Avoid becoming a business mortality statistic by becoming an expert on the relationship between ...
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With a GDP of $25 trillion, a national debt of $33 trillion and growing, political in-fighting, and our national representatives not doing the job for which they were elected, Jim posed this questi...
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In response to a recent poll question on the younger generations' ability to take possession of and manage America's business, Jim comments that there is hope.
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Successful professional salespeople are gold miners. And the gold they seek is in the heads of prospects. So, remember, selling is more profitable and more fun when the prospect does most of the ta...
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This is the third article in a series about Blockchain technology and its implications. The first, in June, was an introduction, and the second, in July, was how Blockchain works and its role in cr...
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Operating our small business, we get so wrapped up in slaying the dragon that we risk losing our grip on what really matters. So, to quote the late, great Warren Zevon, "Enjoy every sandwich!"
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China may not be our primary enemy - the biggest threat to the U.S. may be radical liberal activists who use children to advance their issues and the media that gives them a platform.
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In a national customer satisfaction index, the average customer rating was less than 60%. So how has such a level of un-service become a 21st-century norm? Because customers have become sensitized ...
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The U.S. banking system has been challenged this year with the collapse of three large “regional” banks and some experts have predicted there will be more going forward. Smart small business owners...
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Are Hunter Biden, et al, and Donald Trump, et al, guilty of all of the things being alleged? Regardless of your political leaning, keep in mind that as we’ve known since Henry II’s 12th-century leg...
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Analog trust was handy in the Analog Age when most interactions occurred very close to the humans involved. But the more we employ global digital leverage by merely pushing an “Enter” key, the more...
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Both Tour de France athletes and small business owners exhibit superhuman traits and have four common elements required to compete successfully in both tours.
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As the CEO of your business, if your enterprise is to survive and flourish you have to deal with each alligator that pops up. So remember, a well-nourished spirit = starved alligators = a greater c...
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If you want to be more successful, network for referrals –receiving and giving – early and often. It will make business easier and life simpler. And remember the motto of Ivan Misner, founder of BN...
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No question, cloud computing is an example of technology increasing business efficiencies and leverage. And for small businesses, it’s been a godsend. But like all high-tech tools, there’s an assoc...
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From “too big to fail” to the uniquely American independent community banks, the U.S. banking system has evolved to successfully fill up the vessel we call the marketplace. But not all banks are a ...
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As the CEO of your small business, being surprised and unprepared for the next disruption is unacceptable. Strengthen your business so it has the maximum opportunity to withstand business interrupt...
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If you want to be close to success, you first must have customers, vendors, and employees longing to be close to you. The good news is these are all things small business owners do better than anyone.
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Are you interested in owning a business, but don't want to start from scratch? Here's how. Hint: millions of Baby Boomer business owners are at retirement age, creating an inventory of available sm...
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The revenue growth of fast-growing companies depletes cash dramatic, but predictable ways. So, remember, growth-funding fundamentals must be monitored for sustainable growth, because it is possible...
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With all of the cloud power available, every small business should become more aware of how to use cloud-based services and seek these options to operate more efficiently, competitively, and profit...
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Some of the great actors, like Sir Laurence Olivier, overcame extreme stage fright and became legendary. Today's small business salespeople can also become legendary by overcoming call relutance.
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Entrepreneurs think about the world differently. They consider challenges, imagine outcomes, appraise risk, project potential, and measure all of that against their resources and themselves. And wh...
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After this last installment of the three-part series covering The Five Financial Mysteries of Small Business, you should have a better handle on the relationship between cash, profit, accounting, a...
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This is the second of three articles on how to prevent your firm from becoming part of the increasing mortality statistics of U.S. small businesses. Hint: Profit and cash are not the same things.
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This is the first article in a three-part series on how to prevent your operation from joining the increasing mortality of U.S. small businesses. Remember Blasingame's 1st Law of Small Business: It...
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Jim challenges us all again, as we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, to make a difference by focusing on our shared humanity instead of our differences.
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Jim makes the case to define military veterans as all who swore the military oath, served honorably, and made themselves available to a grateful nation. Happy Veteran's Day.
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Entrepreneurial impatience can be channeled into organizational excellence, but it must be coupled with strong and effective communication skills. After all, your employees aren't mid-readers.
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What’s behind an entrepreneur’s decision to take a risk? It's a combination of due diligence, faith, and, sometimes, a little serendipity.
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Ever wonder why we're increasingly anxious about technology? While digital leverage is sexy and compelling, it’s simultaneously disrupting our analog expectations and troubling our requirement of t...
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Even though you can never really eliminate fear, you can minimize it through performance. But performance only happens when you use fear-fighting tools.
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In the Age of the Customer, the advantage small businesses have over big boxes is that they can deliver what customers want, not what they need. Blasingame’s Law of Difficult Customers explains the...
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In the Age of the Customer, everything a small business sells is a commodity. As a Main Street business, you have only one differentiator: the positive personal experience customers attribute direc...
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For generations, corporate culture contributed to organizational productivity and sustained success. Has that once-immutable concept become just another victim of the pandemic?
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A reflection on the events of September 11, 2001 and what we've learned since.
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Small businesses represent over 98% of all U.S. businesses and produce over half of the U.S. GDP. Plus, we sign the FRONT of the paychecks of over half of all U.S. workers. So why don't we have a n...
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If your small business needs capital and it's bankable, try to get a loan with a local, planted-in-the-ground, financial institution. But if that's not an option and you're considering online alter...
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Professional selling skills are more essential now than ever because in the Age of the Customer, the Relevance Firewall has moved and cold calling is dead.
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Thanks to a new crop of Internet Geniuses, small businesses have an embarrassment of riches in communication options. So, why does email continue to be the workhorse of choice by serious profession...
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Ever wonder why some people are more effective than others? In a word: cousciousness. And with the honest practice of self-analysis, you can achieve the same level of consciousness as successful hi...
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Why do you want to own a business? It's true, there are many positive aspects to being a small business owner, but there are also some some misconceptions. So, for maximum success, don’t fall prey ...
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The gold professional salespeople seek is in their customer's and prospect's heads. And the most powerful gold mining tool of a successful salesperson is the ear, not the mouth.
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Just like competing in the Tour de France, a successful small business must have a high-functioning team, communicate well, achieve a high level of preparation, and maximize technology.
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The American experiment forged the blessing of freedom and the ideal of liberty into that very American alloy: entrepreneurship. It’s the energy that’s powered the American Dream at home and became...
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Negotiating is a process of communication between two or more parties to reach an agreement – like purchasing a small business, leasing an office, hiring an employee, selling a product, or trying t...
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Parental love is a paradox, simultaneously delivering the expectation of safe harbor with the consequences of discipline. Mothers occupy the pinnacle of parental love, but there’s a uniqueness abou...
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In the 20th century, sellers controlled information about their products, services, and innovations. But in the 21st century Age of the Customer, your customers not only have access to the informat...
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Thomas Edison called failure, “successfully discovering what doesn’t work.” It’s true, you learn more from failures than you do from successes because when you succeed, you’re not inclined to be in...
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Recognizing America's militia, Jim reminds us of the origins of Memorial Day, and how the coronavirus pandemic should make us all even more reverential to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to p...
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Could you use a vacation this summer? Could your business use a vacation from you? Here are four ideas to help you consider taking more time off.
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As the CEO of your small business, it’s your job to acquire, manage, allocate, and maximize all sources of capital. Blasingame's 3 Laws of Small Business Capital will help guide you through the pro...
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Whether the unemployment rate is zero or 10%, good people are always in demand. Find and keep the best people by correctly answering these three human resource (HR) questions. The success of your s...
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A small business CEO’s job is to carve out and commit the time, energy, and assets to develop the strategies that ensure the business is sustainable and successful. Who's doing that job in your com...
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In the post-pandemic 21st century, change has acquired an new characteristic: a frighteningly short duration. Small businesses that enjoy consistent success will make change an abiding element in t...
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Is it possible to love your small business too much? In the 21st century, the answer is yes, which is why successful small business owners follow Blasingame's Law of Business Love.
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In the economy and in small business, information can become dangerously disconnected from reality. Avoid creating or getting caught up in Availability Cascade by spending less time listening to ta...
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Being passionate about a small business is very important, whether it’s a startup or an established company. But successful entrepreneurs understand that passion and ego must be tempered with resea...
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Buying a business is likely the most important transaction you’ll ever make, So be patient, conduct the proper due diligence, and remember these four critical elements.
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If you're thinking about buying a business, here are a few principles you need to consider. And don't forget, information, an orderly process, and patience are your friends.
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With rising inflation, you’re not only justified in raising prices, you must raise prices. But be sure that action is based on a pricing strategy informed by your actual and projected numbers, and ...
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In the Age of the Customer, a successful brand message meets customer expectations, an unsuccessful one may cause customers to leave negative reviews or social media posts. Remember, User Generated...
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A CEO’s primary job is to determine the long-term direction of the company, but unfortunately, most small business CEOs spend too much time managing and too little time on executive thinking.
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Small business owners and Olympic athletes are both worthy heroes. They are dedicated to what they love, work hard, take great risks and seek excellence, against all odds.
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As the 16th U.S. President, it’s generally accepted that Abraham Lincoln’s leadership was a profile in courageous genius. But look at the list of his setbacks and you’ll see that the difference bet...
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It’s easier to keep a customer than find a new one – everybody knows that. The bad news is, with all of the mega-corp algorithms, online competitors, and cyber-clutter, keeping the attention of eve...
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Storytelling is humanity in words. And since small businesses are the face and voice of humanity in the marketplace, we have a great advantage in the Age of the Customer. No market sector can execu...
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In Part 2 of this series, Jim discusses Level Two CWCS, which only afflicts managers and is more troubling and organizationally more devastating than Level One, because it occurs at the top, where ...
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In his traditional holiday message, Jim acknowledges being a Scrooge, submits evidence in his defense, plus offers two challenges to us to make the world a better place.
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Do you worry about the competition? In the Age of the Customer, an obsession with the competition can result in an unfortunate and dangerous condition Blasingame calls the "Customer? What Customer?...
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Millions of small businesses sell personal services instead of tangible products and because the pricing isn’t as intuitive, many service businesses too often don’t charge enough. Don’t make the pr...
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Professional salespeople are the most important players in the marketplace. But professional selling is as hard as it is important, so the last thing salespeople need is to be fighting call relucta...
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Each New Year deserves to have the maximum opportunity to be successful, so don’t saddle it with last year’s obsolescence, waste, and bad decisions. Have the discipline to set up 2022 for a clean a...
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Get your small business off to a good start in the New Year by incorporating these ten fundamentals into your management practices. And, remember, there’s a reason some things are fundamental. They...
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A written business plan is an assembly of facts, ideas, assumptions, and projections about the future. Planning is measuring your business motion against the baseline of assumptions and projections...
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Jim challenges us all, as we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, to make a difference by focusing on our shared humanity instead of our differences.
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If your sales effort isn’t getting the job done, it’s probably not because your team isn’t working hard enough, it’s because in The Age of the Customer, vendors are being ruled in or out before the...
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You’ve no doubt seen the classic Jeff Foxworthy act where he says, for example, “If you have more than one car jacked up in your front yard, you might be a redneck.” Just as Jeff got rich deliverin...
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Since World War I, America has honored its military veterans. Again this week, we recognize all who have taken the oath to protect and defend our country, including those who served in the National...
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Fear and greed are the two primal emotions that have propelled human civilization, but they are not our only productive motivators. Six others have not only contributed to human development, but al...
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For a small business to find success in The Age of the Customer, Naisbitt’s Razor must be at the heart of your business strategy: “The more high tech we have, the more high touch we will want.”
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At this moment, we’re in the middle of a shift from our analog past to our digital future and our ethics are being challenged by digital leverage, which isn’t just AI, it’s every person at a keyboa...
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Whether you’re dreaming of being a business owner or are actually working on that dream right now, one thing is the same: You don't want your dream to become a nightmare. So, remember Mr. Miyagi’s ...
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When the jury was still out on your business’ survival, you probably didn’t want to enter into a permanent location obligation. But if you think you’re going to make it, now might be a good time to...
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Personal self-analysis may be the most valuable skill you can employ to become a better person and small business CEO. And organizational self-analysis is essential to sustained success in the mar...
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We began with freedom and liberty was made manifest. We began with freedom and entrepreneurship was born. This week, we celebrate and honor the American spirit.
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Jim Blasingame reflects on the events and emotions of September 11, 2001.
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Sales has been and always will be a numbers game. But in the Age of the Customer, it’s increasingly becoming more of a quality prospecting game. Consequently, how much revenue you draw from your sa...
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When a partnership works, it’s a beautiful thing; when it doesn’t, it defines ugly. If you’re considering a partnership structure for your small business, ask yourself, and your potential partner, ...
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The classic financial benefits derived from small business ownership typically fall under two categories: earned income, like a salary, and unearned income, like distribution of profits. But there ...
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The bad news for small business is the Price War is over and we lost. But the good news is the Trust War is on, and establishing trust as a best practice with all the stakeholders in your small bus...
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Jim challenges us all this Thanksgiving to make a difference by focusing on our shared humanity instead of our differences.
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The post-pandemic marketplace will impact the growth of your small business differently than ever before. Here are six articles of faith you must believe to successfully grow your business in the N...
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Like Olympic athletes, small business owners dedicate countless hours over many years in search of excellence, taking great risks at all odds, usually at their own expense, and the world is a bette...
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As you know, human brains have two sides, each controlling different thought processes. And although one side or the other is dominant in most people, a small business CEO has to perform like a who...
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Every business sale is a unique transaction, and likely the most complicated transaction you’ll ever undertake. To help you begin this long process, consider a few early questions to ask a prospect...
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As the shift from the Age of the Seller to the Age of the Customer plays out, two types of sellers — Hidebound and Visionary — currently exist in parallel universes, but not for long. Which one are...
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Recently, Jim was interviewed by podcaster Alan Belniak with Alignable.com on the challenges of operating a small business in the 21st century. Here's what they discussed.
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Business referrals have always been there for the picking, but many salespeople and organizations don’t have a referral strategy. And even though getting referrals is fall-off-a-log easy, there are...
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In the marketplace, productive chemistry between people and organizations has long been known to be critical for sustaining successful performance. To achieve the level of success you want, conside...
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Now more than ever, small businesses need to focus on what their customers want, which is customization, and leave the commodities to the Big Boxes, like Amazon.
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In the marketplace, there are actually three different clocks at work that every business uses: one for operating expenses, one for sales, and one for cash. Let’s take a look at how these three clo...
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Retail customers pay at the point of sale, but business customers usually expect an open account relationship. However, when you extend credit, you haven't made a sale, you've extended a loan. Here...
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Whether you’re a veteran steeped in Old School or a New School newbie, employ these 11 timeless, THE School fundamentals to reset your post-pandemic small business.
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An unfortunate reality that small business mariners experience on their marketplace voyage is a condition Blasingame named professional scurvy, which can be cured with Professional Vitamins. And th...
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The success-to-failure ratio of small businesses has historically been more tenuous and dramatic than for Big Business because of The Law of Small Business Numbers: "Whatever you need, there usuall...
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A small business becomes the size the founder wants and wills it to be. Here are four fallacies that must be considered in every business-growth plan.
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President Biden recently announced his plan to raise taxes on those reporting over $400,000 in income. Because most small businesses are Sub S corps, they may once again be disproportionately harme...
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Seeking perspective for the past 12 months, Charles Dickens’ perfectly paradoxical preamble of "A Tale of Two Cities" continues to serve, as his 19th-century words overlay our 21st-century reality:...
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The coronavirus arrived in our lives at the speed of analog organic, but created digital disruptions traveling at the speed of light. Businesses that survive and thrive post-pandemic are those who ...
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Every day, small business owners are having go/no go conversations with themselves. Whether you’re a marketplace veteran or contemplating a startup, check your position by answering these hard ques...
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Trust and all its proxies are a small business’s most powerful competitive tools. But you have to install it in your digital offerings and deliver it ut prius. It doesn’t work post hoc. Wait. What?
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Success in games, life, and business requires that you understand the rules, even if – especially when – you’re bending them. Here are five that are especially relevant post-pandemic.
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There are many reasons why the federal government shouldn’t be in the business of setting wages between businesses and employees, but mainly because it disproportionately hurts small businesses.
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Make your bank your business’s best friend by showing them that you understand and support what they have to do to help you. Improve your loan chances by understanding the Six Cs of Credit.
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Since 1997, U.S. GDP has quadrupled while CO2 emissions have risen less than 2%. In an intellectually honest world, we’d be able to have a productive climate debate that recognizes and builds on th...
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Selling is about elbow grease, shoe leather, and perseverance. It's also a numbers game. If you want to work smarter, not harder, focus on your referral strategy and ask the Magic Question.
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Your small business cannot sustain successful growth without the Founder’s control being balanced by the CEO as delegator. Find that balance with paradoxical thinking.
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Small business survival in the post-analog, post-pandemic marketplace requires you to complete your business's digital transformation to stay relevant to your customers.
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Here's an update on the “Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act’’ – or PPP2, for short – which includes some excellent new provisions for small businesses.
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Here is a running conversation millions of Main Street business owners have every day – mostly with themselves – while operating on the edge of existence during a global pandemic.
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In his traditional holiday message, Jim Blasingame admits he might be a scrooge, explains why, and defends that position for all of his fellow scrooges.
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Every small business owner has to move back and forth between two universes every day: the marketplace and the business's operating tasks. Here are five critical operating tasks required for long-t...
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Want to start the New Year fast and clean? Take these proactive steps to help your small business get ready for a quick start in 2021.
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Jim Blasingame reviews his 2020 predictions and reconciles them with what happened, including Main Street optimism and the economy.
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America has honored its military veterans since World War I. Again this week, we recognize all who have taken the oath to defend our country, including those who served in the National Guard and Re...
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Since the end of March, Congress appropriated $659 billion for the PPP which helped small employers make payroll during the government shutdown. Since March, the rules have changed several times. H...
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As noted in Part I, prior to every presidential election since 2000, Jim has compared the two major-party presidential candidates based on their performance and promises regarding top small busines...
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Prior to every presidential race since 2000, Jim Blasingame has compared the policies and performance of the two major party presidential candidates based on what keeps small business owners up at ...
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No doubt you’ve heard the maxim “Fear and greed drive the marketplace.” But, there are many kinder and gentler emotions and motivations that drive our marketplace. Here are seven.
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One of the markers of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic is its disruptiveness, both on society in general and the marketplace in particular, illuminating the need for more redundancy. To help you budge...
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The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to redefining the value proposition by accelerating e-commerce expectations by five years. Is your business ready for the new Moment of Relevance?
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As a small business owner, you’ve accrued a rare pandemic present arising from the increased velocity of the New Regular economy: Trust is now more valuable and more powerful than ever. And since s...
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The already accelerating shift to more IP leverage was punched into overdrive by the coronavirus pandemic. Main Street businesses that survive and thrive will blend the two types of intellectual pr...
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In a year that now defines unprecedented, we risk losing our grip on what really matters. Jim offers advice on how to maintain perspective during a pandemic.
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Every Main Street business owner had a business plan when they opened in January 2020. But now they’re going to need a new one. Here are tips to help get you started on your post-pandemic business ...
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The coronavirus pandemic has required small business to adapt to marketplace adjustments. Make sure you differentiate between those adjustments that were inconvenient - some extremely so - and thos...
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Even when operating a business is fun, it usually isn’t funny, except when we're laughing at ourselves. But perhaps we can learn something from the simple truths that are foundational for all good ...
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On Main Street, a niche is your customers’ evolving expectations looking for a home. And if there were ever two things perfectly suited for each other, it’s the niche and small business. Does your ...
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As you relaunch your business post-pandemic, brainstorming could be the essential difference between surviving and, well … you know. Here are some tips to quickstart your team's creative juices.
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Blasingame’s 2nd Law of Small Business states: “It’s redundant to say undercapitalized small business.” With limited financial resources the potential for bankruptcy is always hard by. To gain a be...
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Small business owners have managed stress and challenges since the marketplace began, but things here are different. Neuroscientists have coined the term "COVID Brain" to describe this 2020 phenome...
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In the past several months, small businesses have been affected by the three Us: an Unprecedented pandemic, precipitating an Unprecedented economic shutdown, necessitating Unprecedented direct gove...
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The American experiment took the blessing of freedom and the ideal of liberty and created entrepreneurship, the energy that has powered the American Dream for centuries. And the fruit of that entre...
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In the New Regular of the post-pandemic economy, where the unimaginable and unprecedented have become our reality, every small business CEO knows he or she must establish and fund risk mitigation i...
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The only force in the universe that comes close to a mother’s sweet/fierce love is a father’s tough/courageous love. On Father's Day, we celebrate the parental toughness of fathers.
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Small business owners must use their leadership platform to be voices of reason against the defunding police movement and expose it as a canard for a political agenda that’s more about destabilizin...
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Your success in the New Regular, post-pandemic economy will be determined by how well you manage the intersection of the two binary codes: high tech AND high touch.
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Small business owners must use their leadership platform to be voices of reason against the defunding police movement and expose it as a canard for a political agenda that’s more about destabilizin...
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As we break our businesses out of coronavirus hell, there will be changes, but just as your computer has default settings, so does operating a business in the marketplace. Restart with a reboot to ...
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Today, in the middle of unprecedented circumstances, we should feel even more reverential to the heroes who gave their lives in defense of our freedom. And we owe to their sacrifice, the perpetuati...
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The wake of the coronavirus pandemic will offer opportunities previously unrevealed, just as the plague gave birth to the eras of Reformation and Enlightenment. Here is 2020 perspective clarity fro...
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As we pass through this mid-pandemic wormhole into whatever's next, marketplace paradigms will shift all around us. And, as we know, when a paradigm shifts everything goes back to zero. Are you pre...
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Business owners on Main Street are experiencing a New Normal because the coronavirus pandemic moved their cheese. If you plan to be in business in 2021, you'll need to make adjustments based on new...
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Just as our Patriot entrepreneur forebears anxiously managed personal and financial risk over 200 years ago, small businesses today are faced with managing a comparable risk. We can’t out-social-di...
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America is fortunate to have two marketplace sectors that also happen to be unique in the world: 28 million small businesses and 5,000 community banks. This is a story about why we’re all even more...
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The anxiety every small business owner is justified in having right now, betrays an essential entrepreneurial trait: pathological optimism. That's why "surviving is winning” is a fundamental attitu...
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Jim reveals what’s happening where the rubber-meets-the-road for Main Street businesses, and lays out the steps to take advantage of the financial assistance the government is offering during the p...
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Last week, Congress passed the CARES Act, which provides for relief to small businesses adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the Fed and the SBA need to offer guidance and ease the ...
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America's small businesses are experiencing a global challenge with the COVID-19 pandemic and our government's response. Here are some thoughts to help keep it in perspective.
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A small business startup searching for investor capital must have their corn flakes together because the process is more complex than just writing a business plan. Don't make these common mistakes.
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America's small businesses are experiencing a global challenge with the COVID-19 pandemic and our government's response. Here are some thoughts to help keep it in perspective.
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It’s true that capitalizing a startup isn’t easy. And even though outside investment sources are more robust and multi-faceted than ever before, the process can be complex. Don't make these mistakes.
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Beyond what your small business customers need, there are things they also want. Your success depends on discovering what that is, deliver it, and charge for it.
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In the marketplace, a company's special sauce isn't what's on a McDonald's Big Mac. It's a level of performance that manifests beyond standard expectations and is produced by highly engaged employe...
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As the CEO of your small business, it's your job to prepare for being impacted by the next Black Swan – whether local or global – and develop a contingency plan. Are you ready?
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In the marketplace, a company's special sauce isn't what's on a McDonald's Big Mac. It's a level of performance that manifests beyond standard expectations and is produced by highly engaged employe...
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Abraham Lincoln, like small business owners, was a risk-taker who has inspired generations as an example of courage, character, and diligence to persevere. Read on for more about how his determinat...
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Small business customers - like the electorate - have evolving expectations. In the 21st century, politicians and businesses can fall in love with what they do, but not how they do it. Here's why.
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Would you like to grow your own Leadership Tree? Here are four cardinal leadership questions that will help set you apart as a great leader.
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Instead of making New Year's resolutions that may not stick, why don't you cut your business some SLACC, a Strategic Look At Critical Components, which contain the three elements essential for effe...
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Regardless of the size of the business, the ultimate responsibility for success lies with the CEO. If you're a small business owner, that's you. And the most critical CEO tasks lie in the knowledge...
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Jim Blasingame offers his predictions for small business trends for 2020, plus for the economy - both global and U.S. - technology, demographics, and his prediction for the NCAA Championship game.
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Small business owners and entrepreneurs are different. They're all in - against all odds - and wouldn't have it any other way. Here's why.
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Jim Blasingame, an admitted scrooge, explains why, and defends that position for all of his fellow scrooges.
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Jim Blasingame reconciles his 2019 Predictions from a year ago – his 20th edition – with what actually happened. Up to now, his accuracy is 73%.
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Each New Year deserves to have the maximum opportunity to be successful, so have the discipline to set up your New Year for a clean and fast start, while pushing the current year over the goal line...
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Growing up on a farm provided many valuable lessons that have transferred beautifully to my life in the non-farming marketplace. Here are four of those timeless lessons.
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Individuals demonstrating the best traits of humanity - Jim's traditional Thanksgiving message.
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For a small business, being competitive is still essential. But in The Age of The Customer, relevance is a Customer’s prime expectation. Is your company ready?
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America has honored its military veterans since World War I. Again this week, we recognize all who have taken the oath to defend our country, including those who served in the National Guard and Re...
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Small business stakeholders helped Donald Trump in 2016. To find out why you should expect that to happen again in 2020, read on.
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Smart business owners know there's a direct link between motivating employees to be successful in their assignments and the success of their business. Consider these six motivational best practices.
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This is the final installment of Jim's 3-part series revealing the answers to small business's five financial mysteries. In this article, you'll get a better handle on how to manage your cash, acco...
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Do you know the difference between profit and cash? If you don't and you think you could use a little help with your financial management, read on. This could be just what you need.
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This is the first of a three-part series on how to prevent your company from joining those who are driving the increasing mortality of U.S. small businesses. In this installment: the demystificatio...
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For most of the 20th century, Americans enjoyed what Jim Blasingame calls The Golden Age of Customer Service. Sadly, based on recent research, it appears we're in the Plastic Age.
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As the Founder of your small business, you were likely the first to do every task. But your business can’t grow until you become a delegator, and you can’t delegate until you stop chasing the illus...
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Successful professional salespeople are gold miners, and the gold they seek is in the heads of prospects. So, why do so many salespeople spend so much time running their mouths? Here are three tips...
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NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg reports the Uncertainty Index rose four points in August, and the lack of qualified workers is still the main impediment to growth.
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The 18th-century Irish philosopher, Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." In a post-9-11 world, there is no greater army of good people than ...
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Entrepreneurs unite! As the signers of the front of paychecks, it's time we had a day to honor small business owners.
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Small business ownership has privileges that are real and compelling. Are you taking advantage of these benefits?
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As the CEO of your business, if your enterprise is to survive and flourish, you have to deal with each metaphorical alligator that pops up. Slay your alligators by practicing business fundamentals,...
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The new prime differentiator in today's marketplace isn't how competitive you are, but rather a customer's appraisal of a seller's relevancy. So, does this mean that sellers no longer have to be co...
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The careers of at least a billion Earthlings still working today have spanned carbon paper to cryptocurrency. And, unlike the younger generations, they have had to adapt not with baby steps, but by...
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Education and instincts are important, but it's the relationships you build with people that will ultimately lead to your success in business.
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Some form of digital trust technology, like blockchain-type applications, will ultimately become ubiquitous. Make sure your small business is ready for its close encounter of the first kind.
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The more we employ global digital leverage by merely pushing an "Enter" key, the more we need digital trust, like Blockchain technology. Read on to understand the role of this technology in the fut...
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This is the first of a three-part series about a technology called blockchain that's likely to create a level of disruption, unlike anything we've seen. Will your business be ready?
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We began with freedom and liberty was made manifest. We began with freedom and entrepreneurship was born. This week, we celebrate and honor the American spirit.
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Small business success requires two kinds of passion. Do you have what it takes?
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We began with freedom and liberty was made manifest. We began with freedom and entrepreneurship was born. This week, we celebrate and honor the American spirit.
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Being a father is a tough role to play. Jim Blasingame compares a father's love and a mother's love.
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The best way to be successful and happy is to define success in many ways. Having multiple touchstones of success, not just money and stuff, helps keep the rough patches in business and life in pro...
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Recognizing America's militia on this Memorial Day, Jim Blasingame talks about how the meaning and importance of Memorial Day has constant and abiding ties to America's small business owners, past ...
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Being a small business owner is one of the hardest jobs in the world because they "live by their wits." Here are lessons learned from three decades of small business ownership.
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Are there any circumstances under which you should alter the legal structure of your business? Here are three organization and operational triggers that will indicate you need to make a change.
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When self-directed, impatience is perhaps one of our redeeming entrepreneurial attributes because it’s borne largely from a quest for excellence. Unfortunately, personal excellence to us can look a...
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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act gave big business a permanent tax cut and some, but not all, small businesses a temporary tax reduction. What's wrong with that picture?
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Beware Blasingame's 2nd Law of Small Business: It's redundant to say, "undercapitalized small business," which is especially true for fast-growing companies because revenue growth depletes cash in ...
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As you leverage and profit from all the efficient high-tech, speed-of-light customer connection tools, don't forget that the best option might not always be in the cloud.
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How can you tell if you or someone in your organization has a debilitating level of call reluctance? You'll find it in the numbers. Read on to find out how to recognize this condition and tips on h...
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Ever wonder what’s behind an entrepreneur’s decision to take a risk? Jim Blasingame says it's a combination of calculation, foolhardiness, faith, and sometimes, one more thing that may surprise you.
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Ever wonder why we're increasingly anxious about technology? It's because digital leverage is troubling our analog requirement of trust.
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Even though you can never really eliminate fear, you can minimize it through performance. But performance only happens when you use the fear-fighting tools.
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The only positive to accrue to the Main Street economy during the lost decade (2007-2016) is the unprecedented financial strengthening of America's small business sector, which, just last month, br...
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Remember Blasingame's Law of Difficult Customers and don't put your business in jeopardy by not charging customers what their level of service requires, whether it’s delivered to a customer who’s a...
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Small business fundamentals are good habits that are fun because they work – every time. Practicing bad habits is the opposite and essentially a business death wish, which isn't fun. Everybody know...
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As a small business, you have only one differentiator: the positive personal experience the customer attributes directly and uniquely to your business. Which won't happen if your employees blow a v...
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If your small business is bankable and you need a loan, you'd go to a bank. But, Jim Blasingame warns, if you aren't and are considering online alternatives, be sure you fully understand the requir...
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In the 21st century, Professional Selling Skills (PSS) are an essential, non-negotiable business fundamental. Here are three key components.
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Current headlines may lead you to think the economy is slowing dramatically and small business optimism is declining. Jim Blasingame challenges you to put the news in context and be a more discerni...
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Email continues to be the workhorse of choice by serious professionals of all industries and disciplines. But in many ways, it’s the killer app that never got the disruption respect it deserves.
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Jim Blasingame reveals how, through self-analysis, highly effective people see what they do well and capitalize on it, as well as recognize and evaluate what they don't do well and improve or minim...
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What do some businesses have in common with supersonic transportation? Jim Blasingame reminds business owners to remember the lessons learned from the Concorde Fallacy.
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NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg reports small business optimism is virtually unchanged this month, but finding qualified workers is still the biggest challenge.
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Jim Blasingame reveals his 2019 predictions for small business, the economy, technology, and more. Stay tuned - last year his predictions were over 85% accurate.
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In the economy and in small business, information can become dangerously disconnected from reality. Jim Blasingame reminds us to spend less time listening to talking heads and more time listening t...
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Jim Blasingame shares the reasons for his scrooge-ness and advocates for making the holiday spirit of giving last all year.
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Jim Blasingame reviews his 2018 predictions and reconciles them with what happened, including the economy, the new tax law, and whether the stock market is in a bubble.
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It's true there are many positive aspects of becoming a business owner. Jim Blasingame dispels some of the myths of owning your own business.
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Millions of small businesses sell personal services like consulting, website development, or janitorial services, instead of something tangible. Unfortunately, pricing a service is not as intuitive...
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Fourteen hundred and forty -- the number of minutes in a day. Since we can make more money, arguably the greatest challenge of any small ...
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Jim Blasingame tells his annual story of one of the great moments in the annals of serendipity: Squanto, the Mayflower pilgrims, and how the two working together set history on an important path.
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Jim Blasingame compares responses of the latest exit strategy poll with a similar poll done in 2013 and gives his thoughts on the results.
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Jim Blasingame reports on the origins of Veterans Day as it changed from Armistice Day and a poignant and practical way to define a veteran.
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Mining for gold in the marketplace? You may find it in the unlikeliest of places. It’s in the head of your prospect and, if mined properly, will come right out of their mouth.
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Need a business loan? To improve your chances of approval, do your homework and arm yourself with the answers to these three questions.
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Small business expert Jim Blasingame reveals three questions to ask before you approach your lender.
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Small business expert Jim Blasingame reminds small business owners that the best way to make the world a better place is to advocate for our businesses first.
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The hiring process doesn’t have to be a hit or miss undertaking based on intuition and luck. Organizations can easily implement a number of measures to better systemize their hiring and assessment ...
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Small business expert Jim Blasingame explains that negotiating is a process of communication and offers three questions you should ask yourself before any negotiation.
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Small business expert, Jim Blasingame, discusses America's small business segments including how they rank by number of employees, type of business and how they think about growth.
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Small business expert, Jim Blasingame, remembers the Financial Crisis of 2008 and warns that, regarding another global financial crisis, it's not if, but when. Forewarned is forearmed. Prepare your...
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Small business expert, Jim Blasingame, reminds you that if you want to connect with customers competitively – and stay connected – you have to produce more written words than ever before. But not j...
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Jim Blasingame encourages you to channel "Warren Zevon sandwich clarity," and live in each moment. Don't lose sight of what's really important while building your business.
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Jim Blasingame reminds business owners that, while running the technology race with the big guys is important, so is "high touch," and that's something only you can offer.
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This is Jim's traditional Labor Day message. He makes the case for a national Small Business Day to honor those who represent over 98% of all U.S. businesses and produce over half of the U.S. $17 t...
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Jim Blasingame reports on the fact that small businesses represent 98% of all U.S. exporters, and discusses the results of two polls regarding the impact the Trump trade/tariff strategy is having o...
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Jim Blasingame reminds people of the Great Blackout of ’03, and compares the latest Small Business poll concerning business interruption with a similar poll taken five years ago.
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Jim Blasingame offers four ideas to help entrepreneurs consider taking more time off, including define success, hire quality, delegate, and leverage technology.
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Rick Lepsinger reveals four conflict creators that seem to come up most often, including facts, methods, goals and values as well as several steps and practices to use when resolving and preventing...
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Jim Blasingame shares his 3 Laws of Small Business Capital so that CEOs may acquire, manage, allocate, and maximize all sources of capital.
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Rick Lepsinger reveals four conflict creators that seem to come up most often, including facts, methods, goals and values as well as several steps and practices to use when resolving and preventing...
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Jim Blasingame asks three human resource (HR) questions, and how you answer could reveal something about your business.
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Jim reminds us of similarities between the courage of America's founding fathers and the American dream of entrepreneurship.
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Jim Blasingame discusses the domain of the CEO and a handy way to find answers to “Where are we going?” by applying what he calls the Big Four Factors: Bricks, Clicks, People, and Capital.
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Outsourcing major tasks and special projects can be powerful in helping a growing business.
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Jim Blasingame reveals research that indicates four findings from research into what it takes to accomplish change successfully, and how to convert those findings in your business.
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Jim Blasingame answers the lyrics to Tina Turner's, "What's love got to do with it?", when it comes to Main Street.
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This is Jim’s traditional Memorial Day column.
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Jim Blasingame shares the lyric," I know what I was feeling”, but what was I thinking?" for small business owners looking for a new venture.
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Jim Blasingame shares reasons why you should allow your babies to become entrepreneurs.
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Jim Blasingame continues to share critical factors to consider when acquiring a small business.
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Jim Blasingame reveals a few principles when considering ownership.
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Jim Blasingame shares two ways to not lose your best employees.
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Jim Blasingame explains why the user-generated content is word-of-mouth on digital steroids.
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Jim Blasingame explains the role of a Chief Executive Officer of a small business and how it may be the hardest job in the marketplace.
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Jim Blasingame shares ways to increase the depth of field of your customer photo.
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Jim Blasingame shares why "Follow me home" is a good buying signal for your business.
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Jim Blasingame shares three of the American Dream components that might be the next version of someone else's.
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Jim Blasingame shares why your prospects and customers expect mobile convenience from your business.
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Jim Blasingame shares how storytelling is the most successful way to touch customers.
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Jim Blasingame explains how much call reluctance is costing you.
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Jim Blasingame predicts four headlines for 2018 influenced by the new tax law.
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Jim Blasingame discusses Abraham Lincoln's accomplishments and setbacks that will inspire you.
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Jim Blasingame gives his part two on The "Customer? What Customer? Syndrome".
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Jim Blasingame shares why an obsession with the competition can result in an unfortunate and dangerous condition I call CWCS.
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Jim Blasingame considers a few of John's words.
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Jim Blasingame gives his "How to get your business off to a good start in the New Year" column, without any resolutions.
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Jim Blasingame gives his 2018 predictions; which are 73% accurate.
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Jim Blasingame analysis the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) primarily concerns all businesses and how they might use tax savings in the economy.
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Small Business Advocate and self-described "scrooge" Jim Blasingame explains why being a scrooge during the holidays isn't always a bad thing.
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Jim Blasingame gives his 2017 predictions, reconciled against what happened and recap at the end.
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Freedom is a state of mind anyone can assume. But liberty is a contract we bestow upon and expect from each other. And from that contract, American entrepreneurship was born as the child of liberty.
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Jim Blasingame on whether elaborate or simple, a written business plan is an assembly of facts, ideas, assumptions, and projections about the future.
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This marketplace transition is, by definition, a Biblical proportion paradigm shift from the original, 10,000-year-old Age of the Seller, to the new Age of the Customer.
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When the courage and convictions of one group of individuals converged with the humanity of two others, something special happened: A critical part of the foundation of the most benevolent nation i...
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Jim Blasingame celebrates 20 years of The Small Business Advocate Show on November 17, 2017.
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Here are five cloud-based resource categories that help your small business operate more efficiently, competitively, and profitably.
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Just as Jeff got rich delivering this comedic routine, you can benefit from his cause-and-effect logic by applying it to your small business. Except unlike Foxworthy, it won't be funny if you resem...
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There are many tasks every small business owner must handle personally, but none is more CEO-specific than allocation of capital. Because the only thing more precious to a small business than capit...
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Fear and greed, it has been said, are the two primal emotions that have propelled human civilization. Of course, both have their dark side, too.
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Naisbitt's Razor - high tech AND high touch - makes it imperative that you blend the sexy digital power of mobile computing, with the compelling humanity of a handshake.
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While striving mightily to make a profit, the following facts cause small business owners to regularly ask the proverbial question: “What’s wrong with this picture?”
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If you don't like making decisions, small business ownership will not be your cup of tea.
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I’ve covered the direct ownership issues and advantages quite a bit recently, but let me remind you of a few key reasons I consider it to be the stealth benefit of business ownership.
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When it comes to ethics, the so-called professionals have lots of help. Attorneys, CPAs, doctors, architects, investment professionals, etc., have established and published very specific ethical an...
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This is Jim's traditional Labor Day message. He makes the case for a national Small Business Day to honor those who represent over 98% of all U.S. businesses and produce over half of the U.S. $17 t...
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These CEO foresight tools will help you track trends for opportunities and disruptions in areas such as: demographics, customer behavior, society, production/supply, politics, technology, and globa...
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A qualified prospect has answered enough questions – directly or through research – to allow you to determine that they will likely purchase what you sell from someone in the forecastable future.
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The good news is that as your business grows, you can look forward to delegating your off ox work to an employee whose oxen are opposite yours. But as the leader, the small business reality is that...
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A business partnership should be entered into with a healthy dose of reality about the human element involved. My friend, David Gage brings sunlight to this reality in his book, The Partnership Cha...
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Whether you're dreaming of being a business owner, or are actually working that dream right now, one thing is the same: You don't want your dream to become a nightmare. And one of the best ways to ...
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I accept that my small business will face challenges every day. As I begin my day, I will assume the attitude that, regardless of the number of challenges, the degree of difficulty, or who caused t...
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For most of the history of the marketplace, change progressed at a pace slow enough to allow the creator of a model - a product, strategy, skill, etc. -- to make a living with it for a lifetime, po...
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Combining my admiration for both of these types of super-humans, I've identified four required elements to be successful competing in the Tour de France or in the marketplace.
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The first Plantagenet king of England, Henry II, is important to contemporary small business owners because he's considered the founder of a legal system to which entrepreneurs owe their freedom to...
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Contemplating the current economic and entrepreneurial conditions out here in Main Street America, I keep thinking about this perfectly paradoxical passage from one of the great literary masterpieces:
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A human father’s love, on the other hand, is more often associated with words that are unfortunate, like “tough” and “discipline.” Here’s a warning no one has ever heard: “Just wait ’till your moth...
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There are many advantages to being a small business owner. But the most dramatic hidden benefit, which often has the most wealth creation potential, is for the business owner to also personally own...
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In the marketplace, productive chemistry between people and organizations is has long been known to be critical for sustaining successful performance. If you're not having the level of success you ...
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To help you get started, consider a few questions to ask a prospective business seller, suggested by my friend and business-buying expert, Russell Brown, each followed by my thoughts. And while I'v...
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Building online customer communities is how a small business transcends being competitive and achieves relevance. In a world where everything is a commodity, value is the threshold of a customer co...
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The small business sector is very excited about the prospects of tax reform, both at the personal and business level, as long as pass-through entities are treated the same as big corporations.
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In the marketplace, there are actually three different clocks at work that every business uses: one for operating expenses, one for sales and one for cash.
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In 2053, when Amazon’s headquarters moved to the island once known as Manhattan — now New Bezos – most Earthlings received what they needed in life from some combination of the tech giants. By 2060...
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Smarter people than I are forecasting a Wall Street correction if, for example, there’s no tax reform this year. My concern is having already clipped its coupons on the post-election exuberance, a ...
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Small businesses survive with a kind of "I GOTTA make it" resolve, but resolve alone isn't enough. To overcome the reality of their numbers they have to combine grit with a focus on operating fund...
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Giant sequoia redwood trees grow very tall. Bradford pear trees, not so much. It's all in the genes. But there’s no genetic code for a business, which can become whatever its owner makes it. And th...
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Once, small business growth meant expanding across town. But new technologies and demographic shifts have made expanding outside America’s four walls increasingly compelling.
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In The Age of the Customer, where value is now presumed, the prime differentiator is no longer competitiveness, but rather relevance. Today the question every business must focus on when they go to...
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Investors and job creators of all shapes and sizes are all dressed up, looking for a place to go. We’re thinking economic expansion, but unfortunately, what happens next is not up to us.
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The Barbell Effect occurs when entrenched, legacy practices are disrupted by forces like new technology, innovations, and shifts in demographic behavior, like when people stop going to malls.
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When customers are empowered, businesses are disrupted and barbells are likely.
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Networking is the professional version of the gregariousness of humans – we just like doing it. Done right, networking is a commitment to what’s best for the person on the other side of the handsha...
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Quality service can create a hit to cash flow so quickly it’ll take your breath away: “OMG! Get out there and fix this!” Lots of drama. A quality process is commitment to profitability, requiring d...
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With 9 of the top 10 small business concerns associated with the government, members of all three parties -- Democrats, Republicans and Trumpicans -- now know where to start to help small businesses.
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Small businesses will receive four letters from their corporate customers – two that have been sent and two that will be. Set yourself up for success by taking action now.
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Jim makes his predictions for 2017. Pay attention -- he's been making annual predictions for 16 years and his overall record is 73%!
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Small business success requires two kinds of passion. Do you have what it takes?
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Jim Blasingame reflects on his 2016 predictions.
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Small business advocate, Jim Blasingame, talks three critical disciplines to help entrepreneurs prepare for the 21st century.
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Jim Blasingame, the small business advocate, gives five tips for you to start this month working on the New Year.
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Reasons why small business falls under the radar with the president. What small business owners can do to get involved with politics.
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A reflection on what it means to be truly thankful.
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A reflection on what it means to be truly thankful.
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How one person, choosing to do good, can make a difference in the lives of many: a reflection on cause and effect for Thanksgiving.
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Can you operate a business that you have the entrepreneurial vision to create? Here are five areas that are critical to your operating success.
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Can you operate a business that you have the entrepreneurial vision to create? Here are five areas that are critical to your operating success.
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A report on the likelihood of each of the two main party candidates, Clinton and Trump, to offer policies that address the big concerns of small business owners.
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The marketplace increasingly has more opportunities for small businesses that fill and serve niches.
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Jim explains the basics of the new federal Overtime Rules requirements that will take effect December 1, 2016.
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Jim reveals the results of a recent online poll on the traits of a great leader.
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Establishing trust as a best practice in your small business will not only create customers for life, but also increase your bottom line.
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Jim reflects on the life and legacy of Arnold Palmer, both on and off the golf course.
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With the resources and technology available today, teleworking may be a solution for some of your employee dilemmas.
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Jim poses four questions small business owners should ask themselves about how they value of their intellectual property - and the future of their business.
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Commentary on the future of the Internet as the U.S. prepares to transfer governance of ICANN to a global, multi-stakeholder community.
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Jim makes the case fora national Small Business Day to honor those who represent over 98% of all U.S. businesses and produce over half of the U.S. $17 trillion GDP, AND sign the fronts of paychecks.
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Jim Blasingame offers four important lessons on customer expectations small businesses can learn from a destructive big business scenario that really happened.
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Jim shares an interview he did recently with Alignable.com podcaster Alan Belniak on the challenges of operating a small business in the 21st century.
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Jim Blasingame reveals why 21st century small businesses have reasons and resources to expand opportunities beyond local markets, including international trade, and specifically exporting.
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Jim Blasingame compares the courage and commitment of Olympians and small business owners.
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Small business expert Jim Blasingame reveals the three most important stakeholders small business owners want to be close to, plus tips to keep them close.
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Jim Blasingame explains the difference between a sale from which you collect payment immediately, and a sale/loan when you extend credit terms to your customer.
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Jim Blasingame offers six easy -- and no-cost -- steps anyone can do to grow their small business through referrals.
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Jim Blasingame offers tips to fostering productive and innovative brainstorming sessions with your team.
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Jim Blasingame writes an open letter to President Obama disagreeing with the President's statements that the US economy is not only doing well, but Americans are better off than when he took office.
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Being a father is a tough role with a long-term ROI. Jim Blasingame compares a father's love with the primal force of a mother's love.
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Jim Blasingame offers tips to help your small business compete with both Big Box and online competitors.
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From telegraph to Twitter there is one connection option whose relevance has borne witness to every one of the others: in-person contact. Face-to-face is the original social media - make sure you u...
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On this Memorial Day, as we honor all who paid the ultimate price in service to this country, let’s also remember the long tradition of America’s militia, including small business owners and employ...
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Small businesses may have new tools, but the Old School fundamentals of running a business still apply.
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What is organizational special sauce? It's an engagement sweet spot that produces results beyond expectations and projections – quantum leap performance. The question is, how is it achieved?
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The second of a two-part series: Jim Blasingame offers more tips to consider when finding and acquiring investor capital.
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In the first of a two-part series, Jim Blasingame offers tips to consider when finding and acquiring investor capital.
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This is a story about three small business owners who had one thing in common: a wise man named Luther. Oh, by the way, Luther is their janitor ...
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Jim Blasingame reveals what customers want of businesses in The Age of the Customer, and what a small business must do to foster customer loyalty while potentially increasing profitability.
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Jim Blasingame reveals how you may have the elements of a business plans in your head, and why you should convert it to paper.
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Jim Blasingame explains how to recognize call reluctance and overcome its challenges to accomplish sales goals.
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<p>No one could believe it – Radio Shack let thousands of people go and they did it through email! Most people dislike delivering ...</["p"]>
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Jim Blasingame offers six networking thoughts to improve your networking skills and increase your chances of success.
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Jim Blasingame tells Republicans, Democrats and small businesses: You can fall in love with what you do, but you can't fall in love with how you do it. Like the electorate, customers and the market...
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Jim Blasingame offers advice on how to think of time as a commodity and how value your it by breaking big projects into small tasks to end procrastination and get more done.
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Jim Blasingame reveals results of a recent Small Business Advocate Poll on local economies and small business sales.
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Jim Blasingame offers questions to ask yourself and your staff in order to answer the Outsourcing Power Question: Must this task be done in-house?
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Is anyone else tired of hearing buzzwords? Joanne Black, author of "No More Cold Calling" suggests removing overused phrases from your vocabulary.
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Jim Blasingame reveals the four Power Questions that will help you mentor your employees to become leaders in your small business.
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Jim Blasingame explains the 6 fundamental underwriting elements lenders will use when considering a loan proposal for your small business.
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Rick Lepsinger, OnPoint Consulting, offers 5 tips to help you leverage the talent and experience on your team to make your team smarter.
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Jim Blasingame explains the business values of service and giving through examples of Rotary International and Business Network International.
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Jim Blasingame offers tips to help prevent your small business from suffering a disaster operationally, financially, and in cyberspace.
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Jim Blasingame explains the relationship between the US comsumer economy as a main driver of GDP, the decrease in fuel costs with no uptick in spending, and the continually lagging economy, as a po...
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Jim Blasingame reveals the most critical small business CEO tasks that result in success or failure like in the knowledge and practice of financial management fundamentals.
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Jim explains why small business owners are different than other people on the planet in how they view the world and think about risk and opportunities.
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Here is the 16th edition of my New Year predictions.
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Anyone who has contemplated forsaking the perceived, if not real, security of employment to start a small business has come face-to-face with the fear of failure.
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Some say I’m a scrooge – they might be right. But here are three exhibits in my defense:
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Here are my 2015 predictions and what happened. My prior 14-year record is 73% accuracy.
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In my last column I revealed four reasons why the economic recovery since 2008 has produced fewer startups than those in the past, and the implications of that decline on economic growth. This week...
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As the financial crisis was being resolved in December 2008 I heard someone say, “Wait ’til the startups get going – they’ll end this recession and crank up the economy again.” Of course, this maxi...
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This is Jim’s traditional Thanksgiving column.
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English foxhunters once dragged a red herring in front of their hounds to distract them from the scent of the little furry guy. In time, this practice produced the metaphorical “red herring,” which...
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Veterans Day has its origins in Armistice Day, which was first acknowledged by President Wilson in 1919. The first anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles took place “in the eleventh...
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When describing what influences the behavior of individuals as they pursue their lives, you would likely include concepts associated with goals, plans, passion, desire, ego, personality, etc.
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Let me tell you a story.
A boss gives an employee a project on January 1st that could easily be completed right away. This project had significant financial implications for the company.
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For centuries, prolonged service at sea resulted in sailors contracting a malady called scurvy. Those so afflicted bruised easily, had joint pain, gum disease, tooth loss — you get the picture.
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“Eminent domain is wonderful.” This is a recent quote from presidential candidate and billionaire developer, Donald Trump. It’s a position he’ll have to defend within and without his party.
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Growing up on a farm provided many valuable lessons that have transferred beautifully to my life in the non-farming marketplace. Here are three of those timeless and universal lessons.
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A quarter century ago a list called “Rules For Being Human” really caught on.
Without the benefit of the Internet, “The Rules” (there are ten) circulated around the globe. Unfortunately, the a...
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Labor Day began as an idea in the mind of a 19th century labor leader — some say Matthew Maguire, others say Peter McGuire — who cared greatly for a very important segment of the marketplace, its w...
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Historically, one maxim was that the stock market condition was a six month leading indicator of the economy.
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Are you familiar with the term "dysfunctional family?"
The simple definition is, a family whose members don't work and play well with each other. Such relationships typically create emotional, ...
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Contrary to what you've heard, selling is the oldest profession in the world, because “In the beginning,” the serpent sold Eve the apple. You might say she bought wholesale and then sold the apple ...
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Smart business owners know that there’s a direct link between motivating employees to be successful in their assignments and the success of that business. Want a good example of why you should be o...
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Since most businesses have been deleveraging post-2008 financial crisis, you could be forgiven for getting rusty at how to ask for a loan from bank. But as the economy picks up and you need growth ...
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One of the markers of this post-recession, so-called recovery has been the practice of deleveraging. Across the economy, from consumers to businesses large and small, debt has become something to g...
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Dave was the fifth of twelve children during the Great Depression. His father worked at a sawmill and was a part-time basket weaver.
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Here's an article that plays out in the marketplace every day in Small Business, USA:
"My business is really growing these days," a small business owner confides to his friend, "but we're stil...
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Dave was the fifth of twelve children during the Great Depression. His father worked at a sawmill and was a part-time basket weaver.
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<p>The first Plantagenet king of England, Henry II, is important to contemporary small business owners because he’s considered the ...</["p"]>
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<p>Before any product or service is offered to customers, the price must be determined. The foundational element of this calculus are costs ...</["p"]>
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This is Jim's traditional Father's Day column.
<p>As the father of an adult daughter and son, plus the grandfather of four knucklehead ...</["p"]>
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When congressional allies of major retailers began advocating that a complicated nationwide Internet sales tax be imposed, it was a bad idea that Congress rightly rejected. Now they’ve come back wi...
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Small business expert Jim Blasingame reveals poll results that suggest the American Dream is in jeopardy.
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Small business expert Jim Blasingame explains how to replace unnecessary worry with outstanding business performance and customer service.
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Small business expert Jim Blasingame explains why getting fired could be the best thing to happen to your career.
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Is doing what you love going to bring in the big money? Not necessarily. Read on to find out what Tom Asacker suggests.
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Small Business Advocate Jim Blasingame outlines how and why mobile devices will become important for small businesses in the new Age of the Customer.
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Small business expert Jim Blasingame discusses the difference between cash and capital, plus growth management guidelines for both.
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Small business expert Jim Blasingame offers tips on how small businesses and banks can speak the same language.
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Jim Blasingame, The Small Business Advocate, says it's time for Wall Street to come back to Main Street.
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Brain Trust member and frequent guest to The Small Business Advocate Show Rick Maurer offers a few simple tips toward keeping your audience focused and happy during a webinar.
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Communications expert Bonnie Low-Kramen why having a back-up plan will help your business succeed.
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Small Business Advocate Jim Blasingame addresses the negatives associated with a consumption tax for America and America's small businesses.
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Small Business Advocate Jim Blasingame reveals his secret to sales success.
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Brain Trust member and frequent guest to The Small Business Advocate Show Rick Maurer offers a few simple tips toward keeping your audience focused and happy during a webinar.
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The Small Business Advocate Jim Blasingame explain how small business owners can utilize the powerful tool of paradoxical thinking.
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Brain Trust member and frequent guest to The Small Business Advocate Show Ellen Rohr explains age really is just a number.
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Is your company functioning to the best of your ability? Small Business Advocate Jim Blasingame can help.
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Leading a group of natural leaders can be tough, but Brain Trust member Bill Treasurer can help
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