Author and entrepreneur Michael Gerber was quoted as saying, “Businesses fail not because their dream is too big, but because their dream is too small and too realistic to sustain the life they want.” Simply put, the measure of your success (financial and otherwise) is in direct proportion to how big your vision is. It’s … Read More
It’s no secret that governments (Federal, state and local) are strapped for cash. One of the ways they’re seeking to fill the coffers is by cracking down more heavily on small businesses regarding their use of independent contractors (ICs). Why? ICs are handy way for small businesses to expand and contract their workforce as needed. … Read More
“What are you grateful for?” I ask that question in my pre-Thanksgiving issue of All Systems Go! I said: I’m grateful to all of YOU who read All Systems Go! and reach out to share your thoughts and ideas. Grateful to family and friends for all their support (especially my husband, Joe) in helping me ROCK my … Read More
When I bought my favorite Lee® jeans years ago, they fit like a glove. Just what I needed. As I put on weight, they generously stretched with me. When I lost weight, though, they stayed stretched in the knees and the butt. Not flattering. Holes developed around the seams. The cuffs became tattered. They turned … Read More
As seen in … Kimberly Martinez faced a difficult decision. For lifestyle reasons, she had already chosen to live in Florida, away from the Cleveland, Ohio headquarters of her company, Bonitas International. Now she had step back as not one, but two, parents concurrently fought their battles with cancer. How will the company function … Read More
I’ve worked with many clients who have an online business. They focus on the logos. The sales pages. The product funnel. Conversion rates. But what’s the #1 element they tend to ignore? Their website terms and conditions. An e-commerce website is a business. It just happens to be located online instead of in bricks and … Read More
Some days, you need to work on your business, not just in it. And sometimes, you need to come first. After all, your business can only grow to the extent you grow yourself. So I spent the day with motivational speaker Les Brown at a meeting of the National Speakers Association, NYC Chapter. Les has … Read More
How many times do you need to hit yourself in the head with a hammer before you get the lesson? Over the years, it took me several times (with different types of hammers) to learn to identify my niche market (“sweet spot”) and stick with it. I remember a landlord/tenant matter that my then-law partner … Read More
Now that tax season is done done done, (yes, I filed on extension), I wanted to give a shout-out to the people who made that process relatively painless: my accountants. They have certainly saved my bacon on more than one occasion. By keeping a watchful eye and working with me proactively, we were able to … Read More
Satisfied customers don’t grow on trees, ripe for the picking. Yet without them, your company is doomed. Most businesses models rely on repeat customers, customer referrals, or at least, the credibility of satisfied customer testimonials. If you want your business to succeed and grow, it must attract and satisfy customers. Repeatedly. Seems pretty straightforward, but … Read More
The first time it happened, I was shocked. (Okay–naïve too, but shocked). “What did I do wrong?” I wondered. “Wasn’t the client happy with the service I provided? After all, I swooped in, saved the day, and got them their pound of flesh. What’s going on?” It happened to me several times despite my best … Read More
If you look up the definition of “control freak” in the dictionary, you’ll probably find my picture. It’s not in my nature to delegate—and the same often holds true for business owners in general. Many are fiercely independent … but there comes a point when that ferocity prevents success – if it keeps you from … Read More
