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Jim Blasingame

Business futurist, award-winning author, speaker and columnist

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The CEO Paradox: Getting Out Of Your Own Way

January 14, 2021 by Jim Blasingame

Paradox: when two associated things – words, traits, situations, etc. – seem illogical and/or contradictory, but may, in fact, be true, compatible, or justified. Examples: “You have to spend money to make money” or “less is more.” Here’s a digital transformation example: “Using artificial intelligence to get closer to customers.”

Contemplating the paradox is fascinating, but never more so than how paradoxical humans are. Consider these human paradoxes:

  • Your intense personality can seem aggressive, but the other side of your paradox is an outgoing nature with a handy sense of urgency.
  • You’ve been called a workaholic, but the rest of the story is that others benefit from the fruits of your labor.
  • You may seem unorganized, but your creative paradox sees order in clutter.

We humans are at once a sweet and sour but always spicy Brunswick stew of paradoxes. But most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it because paradox sounds negative and we don’t like dwelling on our negatives – just the good stuff. And there’s the rub.

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Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, Ethics / Trust, Leadership

The Small Business Mission Statement

January 11, 2021 by Jim Blasingame

On August 8, 2020, the unprecedented Paycheck Protection Program closed, even though there was over $130 billion of unused funds.

This money was appropriated specifically to help small businesses that were struggling to survive through no fault of their own, but rather due to the one-two punch of an unprecedented pandemic and unprecedented political shutdowns. Since that date, the ugliest and most shameless display of partisan politics has been afoot, with Main Street operators being used as the football.

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Filed Under: Coronavirus, Government / Politics

Eight Rude Truths Of Interfacing With Customers In The Digital Age

January 7, 2021 by Jim Blasingame

For the list of “Most Annoying and Pretentious 21st-Century Terms,” surely “Let’s Interface” qualifies.

It’s annoying because it grates against the way most analog humans express connection requests. For example: “Got time for lunch?” “Gimme a call,” “Text me,” or “I’ll email you.”

“Let’s interface” also furrows the brow because it sounds pretentiously geeky, which is oxymoronic since the pretentious are usually not geeks, and geeks are typically not pretentious.

But who says that, anyway? Well, before you look around, indignantly denying you ever did, the answer is …

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Filed Under: Customer Care, Cybersecurity, e-business, Management Fundamentals

The New Regular: PPP Update #4 – New Money And Rules

December 30, 2020 by Jim Blasingame

This is the 23rd edition of my New Regular series, which didn’t begin as a series because no one on the planet imagined Main Street would still be getting hammered by two very dangerous forces: a deadly virus and state/local politicians. So, welcome to 2021 when, apparently, Normal has checked-out for another year.

Since last February, your humble correspondent has been reporting on what I’ve named the “Three U’s of the Apocalypse”: an Unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, precipitating an Unprecedented economic shutdown, necessitating Unprecedented direct government assistance. Now, in my fourth report in this series to focus on that last “U,” let’s bring you up to date on the “Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act’’, or PPP2, for short – which is at least five months late.

This is essentially the availability of another round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds, with new money and new rules that update the original CARES Act of March 27, 2020. The new law also delivers some excellent new provisions that you’re going to like.

Here’s the essence of this new PPP cupcake with new sprinkles.

[Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Coronavirus, Finance / Accounting / Taxes, Government / Politics

Inside the head of a small business owner – during a pandemic

December 25, 2020 by Jim Blasingame

Here is a running conversation millions of Main Street business owners have every day – mostly with themselves – while operating on the edge of existence during a global pandemic.

Eep … Eep … Eep … Eep …

5:15am: A small business owner touches the snooze button on his phone alarm
“Man, I gotta change that obnoxious alarm tone. Big day – should hear from the bank about qualifying for the next round of PPP. We really need it – can’t cut any deeper and stay open.”

6:47am: Rolling. On a call (hands-free, of course) with his remote-working accountant
“Listen, if the PPP money doesn’t happen, and the bank won’t make a gap loan, how tight will cash get next month? Mmmm! Worse than I thought. Okay, we should get a decision on ACME today. If they accept our proposal, that should get us past next month, right? Well, get on those aging receivables. Lemme go. Gotta take this call from James (warehouse manager). It can’t be good at this hour.”

[Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship

In Defense Of The Misunderstood Scrooge

December 17, 2020 by Jim Blasingame

This is Jim’s traditional Christmas column.

Some say I’m a scrooge. They might be right.

The following exhibits (excuses) are placed into evidence in my defense of this indictment:

A.  The early part of my career was spent in retail. Retailers know what that job does to your holiday spirit. There’s a survivor syndrome for everything else, why not one for retail survivors? Let’s call it RPTHSS: Retail Post-Traumatic Holiday Shock Syndrome.

[Continue Reading]

Filed Under: Work-Life / Balance

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