Last night was one of the biggest ever on American Idol.

So who knew that the focus wouldn’t be on the Idols or the judges? I mean, they didn’t even send anyone packing. Like an office without paper, it’s a serious break from tradition.

The “Idol Gives Back” show generated sixty million dollars in online and telephone donations for charitable relief in Africa and America.

But, by design, the show certainly didn’t run commercial free…au contraire! 

In fact, it drew more viewers than ever, as network execs deftly blended the contestant countdown with an appeal for audience support.

So on top of raising big bucks for charity, the big advertisers reached a very tuned-in audience.

But the business of giving back isn’t just for the big boys and girls.

There are more than a few examples of small businesses that have a new take on what it means to turn a buck, as well.

In the case of Lisa Honig Buxbaum and her company Soaringwords, making a living is synonymous with inspiring life in others, specifically sick kids.

You think maybe that’s a line of work someone could feel good about every day?

With gas hitting $4 a gallon, the environmental and political climates heating up, and rage-infused Alec Baldwin voicemails hitting the airwaves, sometimes it can all be a bit too much.

But when all is said and done, it’s nice to know that both big and small business are figuring out that helping others is a great way to make a living.

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Your regular dose of entreprenurial inspiration, served up fresh right here at Grow My Business. And for all your small and home business software needs, check out Blue Squad and Avanquest, the company that brings you the biggest software bang for your hard-earned business buck.

A new study finds that the salary gap is alive and well…in 2007, no less!

There’s lots of explanations for why this is the case, and plenty of blame to go around.

But the bottom line is that in this business day and age there is no excuse for endorsing or continuing this kind of disparity.

It is simply surprising that in the era of the Internet - a time when sexism, racism and discrimination of any kind are not only socially unacceptable, but illegal - that wage inequities would persist.

But instead of simply lamenting the situation, there is real opportunity for small business owners everywhere to do the right thing.

And that means doing what you can to keep things progressive.

Of course, if you are in the habit of treating your female customers differently than your male customers, then this bit of advice isn’t likely to make a difference either way.

And what you do for a living isn’t likely to make a difference either way for much longer, either.

But for those entrepreneurs who recognize that the quickest way to sustainable sales is by treating all customers - and employees - the same, this all makes perfect sense.

Which is going to make even more perfect cents in the long run. Lots and lots of perfect cents.

Do the right thing, get rewarded for it. Isn’t that how life is supposed to work?
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Your regular dose of entreprenurial inspiration, served up fresh right here at Grow My Business. And for all your small and home business software needs, check out Blue Squad and Avanquest, the company that brings you the biggest software bang for your hard-earned business buck.

Every small business person already has plenty to think about, but the tragedy at Virginia Tech has renewed important debate about mental health, gun control and community safety.

It is also offers the truly sad yet nonetheless important reminder that chaos and threat can sometimes strike in the places we usually feel least vulnerable, like school, home and work.

Even though we’re all typically preoccupied with issues like our online presence, the new quarter and accounts receivable, there are some business fundamentals that everyone needs to take stock of.

Take a few minutes to consider: are you and your small business prepared for the worst? What have you done to gear up for emergencies? Do you have a disaster plan? Do your employees know how to respond under emergency situations?

Do you?

Every local fire and police department in the nation has community safety liaisons designed to help educate both residents and business owners to be safe in normal and not-so-normal situations. The services are free - our tax dollars at work.

And not only do they help you anticipate crisis situations, they help communicate to your workforce that you care about their health and well-being. Nothing boosts morale and culture like an understanding that we’re all in this together.

It’s never to late to prepare for the worst, and it’s never too early to get started.

Be a smart small businessperson: plan ahead to ensure that your best laid business plans can weather any storm.

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Your regular dose of entreprenurial inspiration, served up fresh right here at Grow My Business. And for all your small and home business software needs, check out Blue Squad and Avanquest, the company that brings you the biggest software bang for your hard-earned business buck.

So many things in the world of small business have nothing to with staying small.

There are always more products to sell.

There are always more customers to acquire.

There is always more money to make!

It’s all part of the master scheme to ensure that your small business idea can go the distance.

But it can be all too easy to forget that big business can sometimes mean a lot more than big success.

It can also mean big inventory.

Which means big overhead.

Which means big accounting.

Which, especially at tax time, can mean big headaches.

Just 20 years ago, Apple was not so small, but now struggles with issues of bigness. Even the current darling of the tech world, Google, isn’t immune.

And, of course, who wants to trade places with General Motors or Ford at present, right?

Still, we all know big risks can result in big payoffs.

But if your small business is doing quite alright thank you very much - you’re keeping your customers, you’re keeping the lights on, you’re keeping your sanity! - then maybe getting unsmall isn’t where you need to be.

Just because you start small, doesn’t mean you have to go big.

In fact, staying small can sometimes be one of the best ways to feel like you’ve hit the big time.

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Your regular dose of entreprenurial inspiration, served up fresh right here at Grow My Business. And for all your small and home business software needs, check out Blue Squad and Avanquest, the company that brings you the biggest software bang for your hard-earned business buck.

The radio world was rocked this past week by hateful language which spewed forth on the Don Imus radio show.

While only the naive would presume that racism and sexism are things of the past, it’s always disappointing to encounter such out-of-date and inappropriate attitudes.

Especially coming out of the mouth of a nationally syndicated broadcaster who’s helped lead an industry for decades.

But his employers responded with necessary and appropriate action: Imus was dropped by both NBC, his radio network, and MSNBC, his TV network.

He’s done.

And based on the revelations that this is not the first time he’s insulted others, it’s clearly long overdue.

What is encouraging, though, is that the business world continues to shed the antiquated perspectives which do nothing to foster stronger personal and business relationships.

Let’s hope the trend continues.

The sad thing is that we’ve all encountered terrible behaviors and unacceptable attitudes in the course of doing business.

But we’ve all done the right thing, correct?

Which is to say, exposed the shameful behavior on the spot and made the necessary changes to our networks.

This includes the people we do business with, as well as the people who do business on our behalf.

If you know anything about today’s world, you know that it has no room for bigotry.

For the small business owners who understand this concept and practice this philosophy, the future holds nothing but promise - and sales success. 

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Your regular dose of entreprenurial inspiration, served up fresh right here at Grow My Business. And for all your small and home business software needs, check out Blue Squad and Avanquest, the company that brings you the biggest software bang for your hard-earned business buck.

If you want to stay in business for long, this isn’t something you spend time trying to accomplish.

In fact, it is exactly the opposite of what successful businesses are tuned into.

That’s not to say that well-meaning businesses - even very big ones - don’t end up trying to do the thinking for their customers.

In other words, everyone makes mistakes. Even, for instance, huge PC manufacturers whose names rhyme with “sell.” Cue the personal inspiration for today’s blog.

On February 15th, I ordered a replacement part for a laptop. Delivery was promised within the week. One month later it still hadn’t showed up, so I complained and was told my order would be express shipped at no extra charge. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Flash forward 3 more weeks. Still no part. Adding insult to injury, I received an automated phone call informing me that due to the backorder status of my part, and by no less than FTC-mandate, my order would be automatically cancelled unless I called in to cancel the pending cancellation. I am not making this up.

I didn’t call back in time, so my order - the order I have already been waiting on for two months - was cancelled. Now I’m back at the end of the line. Adding to the fairy tale nature of it all was the fact that today when I finally got ahold of someone to have my order reinstated, my call was dropped.

Guess who’s still bitter about a retail experience that will not fade from memory - or casual converstation - anytime soon?

Should you ever find yourself deciding for your customers that they no longer want what you’re selling, please consider:

Q: What does it mean to outsmart the customer?

A: Really nothing more than outdumbing yourself. And your small business.

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Your regular dose of entreprenurial inspiration, served up fresh right here at Grow My Business. And for all your small and home business software needs, check out Blue Squad and Avanquest, the company that brings you the biggest software bang for your hard-earned business buck.

If you’re like most small business owners, you spend no small amount of time on the phone.

You’re selling your product, speaking with your vendors, and managing your financials.

You’re growing your business!

But are you really getting all the good business intel you can and should be?

A lot of entrepreneurs do an excellent job of engaging their customers whenever, wherever and however they can.

They’re responsive on the phone, they’re responsive via email, and they’re responsive in-person out on the floor.

This means that they don’t just respond to requests for information about what they’re selling, which is a salesperson’s dream.

It means they are actively probing their customers for information they can use to close the deal.

And it means they are probing beyond the current customer, and thinking about ways to improve their business efforts for all future transactions.

Which is especially true when a sale isn’t going their way.

So don’t just ask the customer if they want to buy.

Ask them how they found out about your business, ask them what they like about your business, ask them what they don’t like about your business.

And definitely ask them if you can get them a cup of coffee.
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Your regular dose of entreprenurial inspiration, served up fresh right here at Grow My Business. And for all your small and home business software needs, check out Blue Squad and Avanquest, the company that brings you the biggest software bang for your hard-earned business buck.