In Arthur Brooks’ book, From Strength to Strength, he references a study that discovered that 70% of workers say that the most important element to a happy work life is friendships at work However, 82% of all businesses in America are now led by solo entrepreneurs, with little opportunity to make or have friends at work. That can make work ...
Every year Gallop conducts a poll asking people how much they trust a variety of institutions. Many of our institutions like Congress, the press, and even the church, rank very low in how much the American public trusts them. A bright spot, however, relates to Small Business. For 2025, Gallop found that a record high of 70% of people ...
Recently, I introduced a couple of young entrepreneurs to Matt, the former owner of a national construction-related business. Instead of discussing national expansion as originally intended, Matt wisely pointed these young entrepreneurs towards what they could do today. With just a couple of simple questions about their daily activities, Matt gave them an idea that would only cost $800 a ...
In this series, we’re discussing seven keys to successful business startups. The final key to success is to be generous. One of the paradoxical concepts in the Bible is that if you generously give away money for God’s work, He, then, can trust you with more, sometimes replacing far more than you gave. Bob faithfully tithed from his personal paycheck ...
In this series we’re discussing seven keys to successful business startups. The sixth key is to know the condition of your business. The owner of a chain of retail stores hired my consulting practice years ago to help their struggling business. This was a $5 million a year operation, yet, when I asked for financial information, they had no answers. ...
In this series, we’re discussing seven keys to successful business startups. The fifth key to success is to trust God rather than lenders for your funding. If God desires you to start a business, He has the ability to fund it in multiple and creative ways. Assuming that you need to borrow money, before exploring other possibilities, leaves God out ...
In this series we’re discussing seven keys to successful business startups. The fourth key is counting the cost. As a commercial lender, very few budding entrepreneurs came to me with an actual budget for their new business idea. Yet, one of the most common reasons for business failure is being undercapitalized and overextended. Most entrepreneurs are overly optimistic about how ...
In this series, we’re discussing seven keys to successful startups. The third key is to under promise and over deliver. Trust is the backbone of commerce. Many new entrepreneurs undermine trust by not being reliable. For the first meeting with a new client, try showing up early. Then, at that meeting, make a commitment to provide your next step or ...
Recently, I was a judge in an entrepreneurial pitch event for college students. My job was to listen to six startup business presentations, ask clarifying questions, then, provide feedback or recommendations. The thought and work of each of these young people was impressive. The event for me was a reminder, however, that the most critical factor in any new ...
Recently, Kathy and I found ourselves impacted by Hurricane Helene. After evacuating from the island we were visiting, we secured a downtown Sarasota hotel for three days. During the height of the hurricane, most restaurants were closed. But one ambitious pizza restaurant owner saw an opportunity due to the weather. He passed out flyers at hotels and became overwhelmed with ...
Equipping Others to Do Work Differently
