Would You Want a ‘Fool’ Investing in Your Business?

by with No Comment EntrepreneurFundingSmall Business

Recently, in one of the LinkedIn Groups I belong to – Business Owners & Entrepreneurs – Sandra Brevett-Dib posted a link to an article on Forbes.com: ‘Early-Stage Startups Need Friends, Family, and Fools’ by Martin Zwilling.

I posted a comment that, when I talk about the 3Fs, I use the term Fanatics not Fools, because:

“I don’t like the term ‘fools’ when applied to people who are investing in your business – because to me it implies that your business is a foolish one to invest in.  Fanatics are people who love your idea so passionately that they are willing to overlook some things that a ‘professional investor’ may see as dealbreakers.”

That inspired me to talk in more detail here about Fools vs. Fanatics.

Gifts for Your Business?

by with One Comment Advisory TeamsEntrepreneurPlanning & StrategySmall Business

In many cultures this time of year includes a ritual of gift-giving.

When you think about your business, what gift(s) are you giving to it to make 2012 the best year it can be for your business?  Or, don’t you think your business deserves the same love and attention that you give to your other family members?

Maybe you are starting a new business in the New Year; what gifts will you bestow on your new baby to give it the initial boost it needs as it starts out on the road to success?  And, what gifts – gold? frankincense? myrrh? – might others bring?

Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season 2011

by with One Comment EntrepreneurExecutionMarketingPlanning & StrategySmall Business

Today is Thanksgiving here in the U.S. Traditionally, it is the start of the year-end holiday season which lasts through the New Year. Many business owners (not those in retail!) see this as a slower time of the year with people distracted by shopping, holiday parties and vacations tacked around the actual holidays. So, if the customer side of your business is slower, maybe it is a good time to spend more time than usual on planning and improving your business.