As we put away all the holiday gifts and start to look forward to the new year, it’s a great opportunity to start thinking about the kind of small business owner you want to be in 2025. When people talk about new year’s resolutions, we tend to hear a lot of goals having to do with their personal lives, such as losing weight, or spending more quality time with the kids. Those are all great, but what about your business goals? Where do you want your business to be this time nex

​Sales calls are a big part of how I get clients in the door for my business, and as I’ve been shifting some things in my business and doing some realigning lately, I’ve really been increasing my focus on doing those sales calls. ​At the same time, I know a lot of people struggle to do sales calls. They’re usually worried about coming off as too “salesy”, so if that’s something you struggle with, let’s go over some of my favorite tips with you so you can start making more sal

Nonprofits are always trying to make every dollar go further, but I see a lot of organizers missing out on one of the best ways to optimize their funds: software. The right software can help you do everything from gather and implement data on your donors and volunteers, to schedule and promote events faster and more effectively. If you’ve been wondering which nonprofit software you need for your organization, here are some of the first things you’ll need. CRM Nonprofit Softwa

​When you get a job with another company, you usually get an employee handbook, or at least an employment contract, outlining what’s expected of you and what the company will provide in return. There are a set of rules you need to follow and those rules are simple and straightforward. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of starting your own business. ​Sure, there are business success books  that will tell you some of the steps you need to follow to launch and run a success

There’s a myth out there that if we’re smart, and we just work hard enough, success will come to us. And yet, most small businesses fail, and it’s not because of a lack of intelligence or a lack of hard work. Many times, it’s simply due to a lack of business strategy. To help you make sure your business doesn’t suffer the fate of so many other small businesses, I’m going to give you five strategies for building a successful business. Develop a Vision for Your Successful Busin

​You might have heard the saying that we are often our own worst enemy, and as uncomfortable as it can be to admit that fact, there are plenty of times it turns out to be the case. That’s not to say we are intentionally getting in our own way or that we don’t know what we’re doing, it just means we haven’t been taught how to have a success mindset. ​​It sounds simple, right? Just think your way to success. It is simple, but simple is not the same as easy. Retraining your brai

Since we just celebrated our country’s Independence Day, it seems only fitting to take some time to think about independence in business. I’m willing to bet that when you started your business you didn’t have dreams of sitting at a desk all day, foregoing events with friends and family in an effort to tackle a mountain of work that never seems to get any smaller no matter how many hours you spend in the office. ​Unfortunately, that’s the reality many small business owners fac

​Obstacles are part of life, so it stands to reason that they also play a role in business. Every business owner has encountered obstacles at some point in the course of running their business, and there’s no denying these obstacles can take a toll on our self confidence. As business owners, our business is so much more than just a job - it’s who we are, so when things don’t go well in our business, it can be tempting to fall into the trap of believing our lives are over. ​I’

Marketing is a pretty broad term, covering everything from graphic design to web design to social media. You need to get the word out about your business, but if you’re still doing everything yourself, or if your funds are limited and you can’t afford to do all the fancy marketing you’ve seen the big companies doing, don’t worry. It does not mean you’re doomed to failure. It just means you need to be more strategic about your marketing efforts. Let’s go over three ways you ca

​When you run your own business you become a Jack of all trades. It’s a great opportunity to develop all kinds of skills you probably never thought you would need, but it can also be overwhelming and lead to a lot of mistakes as you take on new responsibilities for which you were never trained. Project manager is one of those roles many small business owners take on without any training, so here are some tips to help you avoid some of the most common mistakes new project mana

As small business owners, we all have limited resources. The secret to success is knowing how to make the most of those resources. Marketing and advertising are two areas where it’s easy to waste either your time, your money, or both if you’re not strategic. Rather than telling you where you should be investing your resources (the answer is different for everyone), I’m going to start by laying out the differences between marketing and advertising so you can get an idea of whi

Networking can be a great way to build your business by getting in front of more prospects and referral partners, but networking is a skill, and like any other skill, it takes some practice to get it right. If you’ve been networking, but not getting any leads (or clients, or referral partners) from all the networking you’re doing, it might be time to build up your networking skills. Start by using these tips to network more effectively. Be Strategic About Where You’re Network

I work with a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners who have big goals for their business, but struggle to achieve those goals. There are a lot of things that can get in our way when it comes to achieving our goals, but sometimes it’s the goal-setting process itself that’s tripping us up. Sometimes the goals are not specific enough, making it difficult to tell if you’ve actually achieved the goal. Other times the goals are too ambitious, and people fail to adjust the

Spring is a time of growth and renewal, so if you’ve been feeling stuck in a rut when it comes to marketing your business, it might be time to take advantage of the spring season to refresh your marketing efforts with new ideas and a new energy. Here are some ideas you can use to take advantage of the season and inject a little spring into your marketing strategy. ​Use Spring Colors Color is the first thing people notice, so injecting your marketing materials with all the spr

It’s pretty safe to bet that at some point in the past week (maybe even in the past 24 hours) you asked yourself, “How am I going to get it all done?” We live in a world where we are expected to do more and more, and that goes double if you’re an entrepreneur who’s struggling to get your business off the ground. You have to be your own project manager, marketer, sales manager, etc. You’re working multiple full-time jobs, and if you’re a parent as well, then you have another f

You’ve started your business and now it’s time to get the word out, because people can’t buy your great products/services if they don’t know you exist. In order to let people know all the awesome ways you can help them, you need to do some marketing, but these days, marketing includes everything from blogging to videos to public speaking. You could easily spend all your time marketing and not have any time left for your clients, but I have four tips to help you develop a mark

A lot of small business owners talk about the ups and downs of running a business. Feast or famine. Either you’re very busy and making a lot of money, or you’re twiddling your thumbs while watching all the money drain out of your bank account. But what if I told you it doesn’t have to be that way? That you can have steady income as a small business owner? It might seem like it’s too good to be true, but it’s a very attainable goal if you have a business development strategy a

You’ve probably heard this phrase so many times it’s stopped meaning anything to you. It’s too easy, right? Gaining clients and growing a business can’t be as easy as following up with someone after we’ve already had a conversation with them.But it is! Because here’s the thing: it takes an average of 6-8 touches  to convert a lead into a sale. That means people need more than just hearing your elevator pitch to want to work with you. They’re going to want to get to know you f

It’s the beginning of a new year and people everywhere are making all kinds of resolutions to be better versions of themselves, and if you’re a small business owner, chances are good that at least one of your resolutions this year is to grow your business. But it’s one thing to say you’re going to grow your business, and another thing to actually achieve that goal.If you’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the what and the why, but you get stumped on the how, I have a few i

You’ve probably heard the saying that people like to work with those they know, like, and trust, but have you stopped to consider what that really means? What is required to get people to know, like, and trust you? The answer is that you need to focus on building your relationship with them before they’ll be willing to work with you. Building relationships is key to achieving success, but it’s often overlooked. Let’s stop glossing over this very important skill and talk about