Entrepreneurship

America celebrates liberty and the world is the beneficiary

July 4, 2022 by Jim Blasingame

Seven score and nineteen years ago, in his inspired speech at the 1863 dedication of the Gettysburg Cemetery, President Lincoln delivered these immortal words: “…our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

Four score and seven years earlier, one of those “fathers,” an inspired Thomas Jefferson (with suggestions from no less an able editor than Ben Franklin), authored what is arguably the most momentous secular document in history. The second paragraph of America’s Declaration of Independence begins with this passionate passage: [Continue Reading]

Why you should have a close – and profitable – relationship with failure

June 7, 2022 by Jim Blasingame

In my reading over the years, I’ve consistently been drawn to autobiographies of people who took great risks and found greater success. Of course, you can’t go wrong reading about the great intellects and leaders like Washington, Lincoln, Churchill, etc. But my favorite autobiographies have been those who are/were alive during my life because I could identify with the issues they were up against.

Contemplating why I’ve been drawn to this genre, eventually I realized it wasn’t because I was in awe of their celebrity, riches, or other success markers. It was because in every honest autobiography there is a heaping helping of examples of how that person failed. Modern failures. [Continue Reading]

We interrupt the pandemic transition to bring you a Memorial Day message

May 30, 2022 by Jim Blasingame

This is my traditional Memorial Day column with a post-pandemic component, which we’ll get to in a minute. But first …

Reasonable people disagree on the exact origins of what is now called Memorial Day. But most accept that the practice of decorating the graves of Americans who died defending their country began in earnest by women of the South during and following the Civil War.

On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, National Commander of the Army of the Republic, was the first to make Memorial Day official. With General Order No. 11, he stated in part that “the 30th day of May, 1868 is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country.”

Since then, [Continue Reading]

Do you – and your company – need a vacation this year?

May 24, 2022 by Jim Blasingame

Could you use a vacation this summer? You know – like for an entire week.

Well, according to our most recent online poll, over two-thirds of respondents allowed that they’re going to take a vacation for at least a week. Pretty sure this is close to a record on this topic, and it’s probably some kind of a pandemic-in-the-rearview-mirror reaction.

It must be said that, for small business owners, a vacation isn’t just for the rest and relaxation. Most of us realize time away gives any leader a better perspective upon returning. This brings us to what for entrepreneurs may be a better question: Could your business use a vacation from you? Of course, it could. Your absence will reveal organizational weaknesses that need attention, as well as strengths you may have overlooked.

Regardless of your motivations, here are four ideas to help you consider taking more time off. [Continue Reading]

Who’s Doing The CEOs Job In Your Small Business?

May 3, 2022 by Jim Blasingame

Every business has specific assignments that must be performed by the Chief Executive Officer, a.k.a CEO. Not the founder, owner, or manager; the CEO.

It’s not difficult for a small business owner to understand the role of general manager, because that assignment comes preloaded with day-to-day operation stuff, which is always chock full of actions and reactions. But it’s another matter to get that same person to isolate a CEO’s strategic foresight assignments from a manager’s tactical tasks required to open the doors and serve customers today.

A CEO’s job is to carve out and commit to the time, energy, and assets to develop the strategies that make sure the business’s doors are still being opened next year and the year after. Let’s look at the three focal points of the job of CEO. [Continue Reading]

Change Will Happen, With Or Without Your Input Or Guidance

April 25, 2022 by Jim Blasingame

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every purpose under heaven.”

On its face, this well-known King Solomon wisdom from the 3rd chapter of Ecclesiastes delivers hopeful encouragement. But implicit in this passage is a somewhat hidden, and often troublesome, paradox: A time for everything also implies nothing can be forever, and therefore, change is inevitable.

In the abstract, we accept the reality of change, but in practice, we regard it as the medicine we know we need but don’t want to take. And knowing change is inevitable doesn’t make the pill any sweeter.

In the marketplace, it was challenging enough to implement a change when we had the expectation of not having to do it again anytime soon. But in the post-pandemic 21st century, the bitter pill of change has acquired an unfortunate new characteristic: a frighteningly short duration.

Organizations that enjoy consistent success will make change an abiding element in their business model, rather than an intrusion into “the way we’ve always done things.” They’ll create a culture and environment where change occurs when necessary, without creating a casualty list.

Rick Maurer, my friend and author of Beyond the Wall of Resistance, surveyed organizations that have implemented change. He identified four things they did to create a culture compatible with change. Here are those findings, followed by my thoughts. [Continue Reading]