Latest Articles from Jim Blasingame

Business Interruption: Are You Prepared For It?

Jim Blasingame — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:54:21 Z

It’s doubtful that American small businesses have ever been impacted by as many potential business interruption events as we’ve seen in the past 20 years: beginning with the Oklahoma City

Do You Prefer Success Or Achievement?

Jim Blasingame — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:20:46 Z

What’s the difference between success and achieve? Webster is unable to define either word without the other. If there’s no difference, why don’t we use achieve more to describe wealth, fame,

The truth about small business retirement planning

Jim Blasingame — Fri, 03 May 2013 21:36:32 Z

One of the most intuitive ways to think about the experience of small business owners as they start, run and grow their businesses is to compare it to raising a teenager. A small business is

Use the power of storytelling to grow your small business

Jim Blasingame — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:28:15 Z

Cogito ergo sum . French philosopher Rene Descartes proposed this idea in 1637, which translates to “I think, therefore I am.” Certainly the power of abstract thought is what separates humans

Managing The Three Clocks Of Small Business

Jim Blasingame — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:34:06 Z

“Time Is On My Side,” is the title of one of the classic rock ’n’ roll songs performed by Mick Jagger and the legendary English band, The Rolling Stones. This bold statement works in a

A community bank is not a little big bank

Jim Blasingame — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:49:59 Z

Wall Street’s too-big-to-fail banks were the parents of the 2008 financial crisis. But one-size-fits-all reform reaction to the crisis by Congress and regulators is turning Main Street banks into

Business Ownership Comes With Privileges

Jim Blasingame — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:57:17 Z

The military has produced many acronyms, one of which is RHIP, which stands for, “Rank Has Its Privileges.” RHIP is the unofficial way to point out when a person accrues some benefit by virtue

Are you an Internet dynamo or a dinosaur?

Jim Blasingame — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:39:52 Z

Sometime during the spring of 1995, you and I were given access to the Internet for the first time. Since then, related innovations have produced a new marketplace where businesses of all sizes

Four small business lessons from big business mistakes

Jim Blasingame — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:52:06 Z

Here is a true story from which several business lessons can be learned. A while back, I needed to reach a friend who worked in the local office of a national company. Searching the phone book

You're The CEO Of Your Business, But Are You Doing The Job?

Jim Blasingame — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:14:28 Z

The hardest job in the marketplace is the Chief Executive Officer of a small business. So how could it be harder to be the CEO of Excel Supply, LLC, than the CEO of Exxon? Let’s look at the

How do you define success and happiness?

Jim Blasingame — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:45:58 Z

Congratulations, your small business is successful. But has what kind of success has it produced? There are times when being one with your business is not only a good thing, it’s essential. But

What’s good for small business is good for the world

Jim Blasingame — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 02:45:56 Z

Recently, we learned that GDP went negative in the fourth quarter of last year. One negative growth quarter is serious since that’s half of the definition of a recession. There are many factors

7 New Rules For Prospecting In The Age Of The Customer

Jim Blasingame — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:33:51 Z

As described here previously, control of the three primary elements of the business relationship has shifted as the Age of the Seller is being replaced by the Age of the Customer. The buying

Does America need another Presidential Jobs Council?

Jim Blasingame — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 02:31:41 Z

Unemployment just went up – to 7.9%. The economy just went down – negative growth in the 4th quarter 2012. Consumer confidence (Conference Board) and small business optimism (NFIB) both are down.

Why Phil Mickelson should be praised for his comments on tax rates

Jim Blasingame — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:06:31 Z

In America, there are 20 million small business owners who can be further classified as independent contractors (IC). These entrepreneurs are sole proprietors, consultants, freelancers, or