Be Thankful for Lots of Family

This Thanksgiving we were with close friends and some of their extended biological family. It was fun and comfortable because we have been through so many life events together. While no one person around the table thinks every other person is perfect, we accept that fact and enjoy counting our blessings for our fabulous country and all of the prosperity we see spread out before us.

Those of us who own a business think of our customers and employees as family. This is the secret to our success. While there are always family squabbles, when you are family you work it out and your bonds strengthen.

Take five minutes to meet the founders of Maine Gold and learn how to build a family of customers.

Greed has Hurt Subprime Borrowers

Bloomberg reports today that as many as 450,000 subprime borrowers may lose their homes over the next three months.

I say that the people who sold these people their mortgages were probably greedy and being greedy is never the right way to approach building a sustainable business. If your goal is to make as much money as fast as you can then you are probably not thinking of relationships you are probably only thinking of yourself.

Pamela Rodgers, owner of Rodgers Chevrolet, works hard to only sell people what they can afford. The head of her finance department told me that she is more a counselor than a sales person because she helps the customers evaluate, even in a worst case scenario, what they can manage to pay monthly to meet the loan obligation.

Selling is never about you -- it is always about your customer. You can learn plenty about ethics, respect, fairness and putting the other person first from our favorite car dealer.

Owners Take the Lead in Going Global

In today's Denver Post you can read, "Japan America Society of Colorado recently recognized Bob and Joanna Sakata, owners of Sakata Farms in Brighton, with its inaugural Pioneer Award for their significant contributions to the development of good relations between Colorado and Japan." We are not surprised that Bob and Joanna Sakata are doing good things to build relations with Japan because the strong business owners in this country take the lead on everything.

As small business owners, we are the best at product development, the best employers, the best at giving our time and money to local causes and now with the world getting smaller and smaller, we have become the best at doing business and promoting business on a global scale.

To learn more about Bob, visit Small Business School.

A Salute to our Veterans

I grew up in San Diego surrounded by the Navy and the Marines. My parents taught me that this is a good and noble nation and the public schools back when I was a kid reinforced this. Bruce is from Boston and he grew up on the streets that were home to many of our founding fathers. Even with our high-on-America belief system we weren't prepared to cry when we met Don Dzekciorius at the Statue of Liberty.

Don is a first generation American who told us about how his mother kept him and his brothers safe by following in the path of American soldiers as they liberated Europe from Hitler's grim grip. Don's family traveled at night and for nearly three years they lived in constant fear. Their goal was to get to America and they finally did.

Americans died so that Don could live and he tries to say thank you everyday. As an immigrant to this country, he believes in and epitomizes the American dream in this great land of opportunity. This one free and happy man has created hundreds of jobs and generated millions in sales over the 25 years he's been in business in Albany, New York.

We offer up a salute to our veterans today and to the troops who are saving and protecting the good people of the world.

You Can Grow With a Tasty Idea

Yesterday we were traveling from Orlando to Palm Springs and had to change planes in Dallas. I love that airport because I know Anne Beiler and I can buy her tasty pretzels at one of two Auntie Anne's locations. I like the original but I can't resist the cinnamon and sugar.

Is your product so tasty that customers crave it? Is your service so satisfying that customers would never consider buying from your competitor?

Customers who can't live without your product will grow your business. You can learn how Anne made her pretzels tasty and irresistible at Small Business School.

Join Your Local Chamber

We are in Melbourne, Florida today because I spoke at its business summit yesterday and we attended a wonderful gala last night. The chamber of commerce here is very powerful in the community because hundreds of businesses make it so. The party last night was packed with hard-working people who were laughing and having a great time. They obviously enjoy each other and some of them were being recognized for their contributions to this great place to live and work. As I write this, I can hear the Atlantic ocean crashing on the beach and see the bright blue sky and water.

Cape Canaveral, now called Kennedy Space Center, is just up the road from our hotel. As we leave to go back to California, we will visit this site that has been famous to me since it was the scene of a satellite launch in 1962. Now you can guess how old I must be!

If you are not a member of your chamber of commerce, you should be. It is the perfect place to find mentors, customers and friends who all want to make your community better. It is also the perfect place to volunteer. You might think you don't have time to be involved but I bet if you give it a try, you'll find that the time you spend will come back in both intangible and tangible rewards to you personally and to your business.

Albert Black joined the Dallas Chamber of Commerce at the same time he opened for business in 1982. Today his business is generating $75 million in annual sales and he gives much credit to his participation in his chamber. At Small Business School you can learn more about how Albert's volunteer efforts caused doors to fly open for him.

Most every link from this blog goes to the related, streaming-video clip from the television show.

The Chinese Brand is Suffering

Products made in China, from pool ladders to air pumps to toys, are being recalled. These blunders will set it back on the road from poverty to prosperity.

The world really doesn't understand that the US economy is built on transparency and honesty. Even some Americans don't realize that wealth is created when a customer is served, not poisoned, killed or maimed after their money is extracted from them.

It is possible that some of the Chinese mistakes were truly mistakes but some of the problems are caused by cutting corners to bulk up the bottom line. This never works over the long haul and the time-tested small businesses that we study prove this point over and over again.

The Chinese would be smart to study the writings of theologian and writer, Michael Novak, as he explains how this country has become the super economic power that it is.

You can learn from Mr. Novak at Small Business School (link goes to his key idea - streaming video).