Small Business Advice

6 Benchmarks That Gauge Success

By Deborah Shane - Dec 6, 2011 - 15 Comments

How do you measure and gauge your success today? Is success all that you thought it was cracked up to be? By definition, success is a noun: "the favorable outcome of something attempted." The answers to the two questions above are tied into the lens we look through at any place in our … Read More

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone: Negotiation, Honesty, Strategy

By Jamillah Warner - Nov 27, 2011 - 4 Comments

Getting what you want often requires you to do things that you have never done before--to step outside your comfort zone. In order to do that in a manner that consistently makes sense to you, you have to get clear about what you want. John Mariotti says, “All of life is a negotiation.” … Read More

How (Small) Heroic Acts of Kindness Will Grow Your Business

By Jeanne Bliss - Nov 24, 2011 - 1 Comment

Zane’s Cycles Is Deliberate About Becoming Their Customers’ “Go to” Place Picture a dad on a Saturday morning toting a bike with a broken chain and a disappointed kid. Dad’s already been to the hardware store, with no luck. Two stops later, exasperated and increasingly frustrated, … Read More

The Truth Will Make You Sick, Then Set You Free

By Jamillah Warner - Nov 22, 2011 - 4 Comments

Have you ever reached that place in your business where you feel like you’re doing everything you know how to do, and still you’re in the same spot? A better question may be, "How many times have you reached that place?" And what did you do about it? Did you stay there with that sad … Read More

Answering the Lifestyle Question: How Do You Want To Live?

By Jamillah Warner - Nov 20, 2011 - 4 Comments

Every small business owner has to address this question: How do you want to live? For some, it’s enough to own your own jobs. But for others, freedom means passive income and creating something they can pass on to their children (without making the children pass out from overwhelm and … Read More

Everything You Really Need to Know About Workers’ Compensation

By Ryan Hanley - Nov 16, 2011 - 2 Comments

If you have employees, then I don't need to tell you that workers' compensation can be a nightmare if not properly managed. If you don't have employees, please trust me: If not properly managed, workers' compensation can be a nightmare. Maybe the term nightmare is a little strong, but … Read More

7 Business Leaders Worth Looking Up To

By The Young Entreprene… - Nov 14, 2011 - 2 Comments

Every young entrepreneur needs an example to look up to--someone whose story resonates with your own and inspires you to reach even greater heights. Whether it's a personal encounter with Jack Welch or reading a biography of Steve Jobs, you can find inspiration from multiple sources. We asked … Read More

Your Business Depends on 2 Promises, 1 Principle and You

By Jamillah Warner - Nov 13, 2011 - 4 Comments

It was an idea worth dreaming. You believed in it enough to put your money and your energy behind it. You believed in the business, in the needs, in the demand and in the solution. You built an organization and a team around that belief. Now it’s time to do a little more. 2 PROMISES #1: … Read More

Fall Cleaning: Tackle Some of Those Big Ideas

By Jamillah Warner - Nov 10, 2011 - 2 Comments

It’s time to knock some of those big ideas off your lists. Let me tell you what I mean. Thanksgiving is coming up, Christmas will follow close behind it, and then the New Year will be here before you know it. The holiday season is upon us. This is the perfect time to tackle some of the … Read More

9 Tips for Finding the Right Mentor

By The Young Entreprene… - Nov 10, 2011 - 10 Comments

No man is an island, and every entrepreneur needs a support network. While it's important to have a network of peers, friends and family, it's equally important to have a mentor to act as a sounding board, hold you accountable and be the voice of reason. But finding the right mentor is about more … Read More

7 Ways to Keep Your Process on Track

By Deborah Shane - Nov 9, 2011 - Leave a Comment

"With the pace of change accelerated for most people, the importance of following a process becomes an important, critical and really effective tool. The process is as important as the results it produces." ~ Deborah Shane How does anyone navigate change, be it business or personal? Whether it's … Read More

The Paradox: Doing (or Not Doing) the Work to Live Your Dream

By Jamillah Warner - Nov 6, 2011 - 6 Comments

A paradox is a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory. If something is a paradox, then it’s a puzzle, a mystery, an enigma, an inconsistency. … Read More