Latest Blogs and Articles

“Shop small.” “Small Business Saturday.” We hear all kinds of chatter about the benefits of running and supporting small businesses. Plus we hear people say small businesses drive our economy. But what does that term really mean and how do these organizations fit into their surrounding communities? A Numbers Game The United States Census Bureau…

We hear a lot about charitable giving, the importance of philanthropy, and why we should support nonprofits. But what do those terms really mean? Let’s take a look at what constitutes a nonprofit and how you can get involved with causes locally. Defining Nonprofit As with nearly everything, the classification of nonprofit relates back to…

How to Create an Open and Honest Work Environment Companies that operate based on facts rather than ego fare much better in the long run. They’re more productive, have a healthier team culture, and overcome setbacks more easily. To talk about work-related issues, employees have to feel comfortable sharing positive and less-than-desirable situations. That means…

Mandatory Fun and Other Faux Pas Is your party planning committee already discussing ugly sweater contests and company picnics? In recent years, there’s been a lot of discussion about how “forced fun” events at work can actually harm morale. People’s priorities have shifted with the pandemic. Many people prefer to spend time with their friends…

Every business wants to hire the brightest and best employees. But how do we make sure we find them? Expanding the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) of your workforce might not seem like the direct answer. But, in an increasingly diverse general population, studies have shown it’s critical to future success of attracting and retaining…

Which Numbers Matter the Most? We talk a lot about tracking data points, but how do you know which numbers matter the most? Of course, every small business owner should know where they stand financially at any given moment. After all, you need to know you can cover operating expenses or an unexpected bill.    …

Level Up Your Goals We’ve talked a lot about planning and goal setting. Recently, your business has achieved one of those strategic goals. Congratulations! Take a moment to celebrate. But then, get ready to level up your goals. Experts say you should set goals that scare you. You need to smash through your comfort zone…

How to Do Good While Doing Well It feels good to do something nice for others, right? Especially when we have a lot of contact with the people benefitting from our good deeds. Small businesses have a longstanding tradition of charitable giving within their communities. In fact, small businesses give 250% more than larger businesses,…

Trailing and Leading Indicators When you’re running a business or building its strategies, you have to measure how well you’re doing against your goals. Leaders use key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress on where they’ve been and where they want to go. They’ll use both trailing and leading indicators to monitor their success. Trailing…

Why Am I Doing This? You have big goals, but willpower will only get you so far towards achieving them. If you want to see traction on those goals, you have to break them up into manageable bite-sized pieces. This keeps you engaged with the bigger vision. We recommend taking some time out to ask…