Historically, we’ve seen an increase in individuals exploring franchise and business opportunities from Labor Day through the first week in December. With kids back to school and summer coming to end, we have found it’s a time of year when many start looking at the past year over their shoulders and begin to really focus on their options. We have found that business ownership is always at or near the top of the list.

Typical questions they ask of themselves pertain to resolutions they had set at the beginning of the year, their earnings for the current year against their expectations, and their level of satisfaction in their current job. The ultimate question about starting yet another year in a job as opposed to fulfilling a dream of business ownership is also on their minds.

Considering what has been experienced over the past two and a half years, we’re seeing even more individuals asking about business ownership beyond the typical financial questions. Current conversations are also focusing on freedom and being able to control one’s own destiny. Some are also focusing on business ownership as an income diversification and investment strategy.

So, with all this in mind, I believe it’s a perfect time to revisit some of my previous articles about exploring entrepreneurship, franchising and business ownership. I will share these articles (in no particular order) over the next few weeks.

I believe these articles along with new ones I’ll also be sharing, will provide great value in understanding ALL options available. My goal is to help answer questions while providing the information necessary so interested parties can make informed decisions, and the right decisions for them.

5 Tips for Finding the Perfect Franchise

With the Great Resignation still in full swing, a lot of people are choosing to take control of their personal and professional future by exploring entrepreneurship.

Of those who realize their entrepreneurial potential many choose owning a franchise as the vehicle to take them from employment to entrepreneurship due to the already proven business model and built-in, ongoing support system, among other benefits.

If becoming a franchisee seems like the right path for you, follow the tips below to find the perfect opportunity.

1. Keep an open mind, then focus. No one wakes up and says, “I want to be in the septic tank industry,” but I know someone making a lot of money and meeting his lifestyle goals doing just that. The bottom line is: Don’t rule out a business without learning or seeing what the day-to-day will look like.

It’s important to find a franchise that allows you to reach your desired income, lifestyle, wealth and equity goals. For instance, think about a mom returning to the work force who knows she wants to interact with children on a daily basis. There are hundreds of options that allow her to do just that. Now, she needs to decide if she would like to be hands on as a teacher or if she would rather manage a facility that tutors children in math. Deciding between the two is easy if she considers which day-to-day position she would prefer and how that will impact her other goals.

2. Be proactive with your research. After you’ve determined what role you want in a franchise, it’s important to start scouting different options. Physically visit many different franchise locations to see if there is a void in the marketplace and start thinking strategically about how you could fill it.

Next, browse the web to see what is available in other areas and determine whether or not it will be a fit in your community. For example, if your neighborhood has many well-run restaurants but none dedicated to ethnic food, it may be time to look for Mexican franchise restaurants within your budget.

3. Make sure the franchisor has experience. Before signing on to a franchise, it is essential to ask the franchisor about the executive team and its past industry experience. A potential franchisee should look for a company that has a corporate store — or better yet several — that have seen success that can be replicated. If this isn’t the case, find out if the company leaders have had significant experience at another franchise and are now applying that knowledge to this concept.

4. Reach out to other franchisees. When asking other franchisees about their experience, it’s important to take the good with the bad and to examine a large sample size before making a statement about the franchise in general. I call this the “dilution factor.” If one franchisee says they can’t turn a profit at their store, make sure it isn’t because they refuse to clean the bathrooms and their customer service is lacking. By talking to a wide array of people you can get the best feel for the franchise as a whole.

5. Read the franchise disclosure document carefully. The first thing to look at is how much a franchise would cost to purchase. If the money is there, then check out “item 19,” which lays out the financial performance representation. Make sure you have a financial advisor who can look at that item with you and see the type of profit a franchisee can make on average.

Finally, take a look at the post-termination clause in the agreement. I am a big believer in exit strategies, because sometimes you may later find a franchise is not the right fit and sometimes things just happen. In any case, it’s important to protect yourself should there be a situation where you want to disembark from the franchise.

If you’re considering business ownership for yourself and your family, and want to learn how the choice of a franchise, startup or acquisition can “jump-start” the process and your earning potential, please review the information at one of our new resource sites at https://ownabizness.com/.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

As I had previously mentioned, Sundays at Acceler8Success Cafe are now focused on providing motivation and inspiration for the week ahead. My goal is to provide a positive foundation for the week that will complement the weekday activities at Acceler8Success Cafe, My intent is to do so as an extension of my commitment to helping current and aspiring entrepreneurs achieve and accelerate their success.

Sunday Night Motivation & Inspiration

Here’s a situation that I had personally witnessed six or seven years ago…

While at the grocery store, I had noticed a very young girl shopping with her father. I believe she was 3-4 years old. She was pushing the small kids’ shopping cart while walking behind him. Well, the father turns around and notices that his daughter is making a very scrunched up face. It appeared she was trying her hardest at changing her expression from bad to worse.

After a few seconds of chuckling, he asked her why she was making such mean and angry looking faces? Appearing to be unphased by the question and while still attempting various expressions of disdain, she politely replied that she was just trying to look like everyone else in the store!

Yep, I guess we, as a society do need to smile more because the generations coming up behind us do take notice. We do need to create the best impressions and set the best examples possible because we are being watched and copied!

I believe the same is true of the next generations coming up behind us in the workplace. It’s up to us as leaders within an organization to set the right example, not only with the expressions on our faces, but with our attitudes, our respect for others, and our interactions with all whom we’re in contact with on a daily basis. We must lead by example.

Doing so goes a long way toward ensuring similar efforts will be extended to all whom come in contact with our businesses. It will also establish a cornerstone of developing the right culture within our organizations.

The results will be a ripple effect of minimizing challenges and problems other organizations are experiencing including high employee turnover and dissatisfied customers. Both are key contributing factors to decreasing revenues and profitability. Ones that are extremely difficult to recover from unless there’s a firm commitment and plan to change. By the way, the time to do so is right now!

How will you set a positive example within your organization this week?

Have a great week. Make it happen. Make it count!

Welcome!

We fully understand the importance and necessity for today’s entrepreneur to be educated and well-informed. We also acknowledge that an entrepreneur’s time is limited, and quite valuable.

As such, and as part of our commitment to entrepreneurial success at all levels, we will do the heavy lifting and review podcasts & videos we know will help entrepreneurs achieve their goals. Then, each weekend we will share what we believe to be of interest to our growing list of current and aspiring entrepreneurs, and as a complement to daily editions of Acceler8Success Cafe.

“Here’s to your entrepreneurial success. Make it happen. Make it count!”

Paul Segreto, Acceler8Success Group Founder

NOTE: Please pause video before moving from one to another. Thank you!

Articles from August 22nd through August 26nd

Misperceptions About Entrepreneurship: A Personal Reflection

George Carlin: The Ultimate Influencer

AMEX Small Business Saturday: Franchising (and other business models) – Where do we go from here?

Pursuing & Achieving the American Dream

Marketing to Drive Sales for Service & Product-Service Businesses

Have a great weekend. Make it happen. Make it count!

Marketing today allows for many different approaches to attract and engage customers. Using a combination of social media marketing and content marketing in conjunction with other marketing has proven quite effective.

Add to the mix the old stalwart – email marketing – and it creates a cross-platform, multi-tiered effect that touches the target audience multiple times within a short period of time… and at times, almost simultaneously.

But how does this frequently recommended combination of marketing work for service and product-service businesses?

Before moving forward, let’s understand the difference between the two business models.

Plain and simple, a service business is one that performs tasks for the benefit of its customers. These tasks can include house cleaning, home maintenance, personal fitness, and bookkeeping.

A product-service business has an added twist – product. It is a company that offers a service AND a product as its practice. It can refer to many different types of businesses across various industries, albeit a common defining factor is the integrity of the product being only as good as the quality of service backing the product.

Depending on the type of service or product-service being provided, businesses can work with their customers in person or online, typically performing a consultation with their customers before beginning work. This consultation is essentially part of the sales process.

Jeff Bullas, whom Forbes calls a top influencer of Chief Marketing Officers and the world’s top social marketing talent has written, in the ever-changing world of marketing, businesses are always on the lookout for new, and innovative ways to sell their products to a broader audience. At times, service-centric companies find themselves overlooked in a sea filled with organizations advertising products.

Well, simply put, marketing a service is no easy feat. The most obvious problem being the lack of physical evidence – how do you promote something that isn’t tangible? How do you convince an individual to invest their time and money in an object that they can’t see or feel? The grey area that lies between selling the invisible is precisely where the great conundrum of the marketing world lies.

Marketing a product-service is equally difficult because it has much the same challenges as marketing a service because it is the delivery of [quality] service that is necessary for a customer to enjoy the benefits of the product. However, a product-service does offer distinct advantages such as tangibility, separability, durability, transferability, etc. which a service-only offering lacks.

Whether marketing a service or a product-service, it’s essential to develop a plan that covers everything from determining which media should be utilized to how the plan will be executed to evaluating results to determine if goals have been achieved by virtue of the plan.

As such, service and product-service business owners must:

• Explore the various digital media available.
• Identify their targets along with identifying where they congregate AND communicate online.
• Develop a strategy based upon the targets (which may actually require sub-strategies for each target and their online communities).
• Execute the plan including dedication of financial AND human resources in managing and monitoring activity.
• Analyze and quantify results in order to continue moving forward or adjusting as necessary.

Yes, that’s a lot to grasp but it is essential to developing an effective marketing program, and one that will attract AND engage today’s consumer, one that is more sophisticated and technologically advanced than ever before. They expect a business to have a digital presence.

Basically, what I’ve described is E-IDEA, which is something we utilize religiously in our marketing efforts at Acceler8Success Group – Explore, Identify, Develop, Execute, and Analyze. It really is a great, simple guide to follow.

It starts with exploring digital media that provides the best way to attract AND engage today’s customers. Of course, social media immediately comes to mind, and it should.

But let me be clear, social media is not the silver bullet many want and expect to make the sales process easier, or even to generate consumer interest on its own.

Instead, social media should be looked at as a vital complementing component to be utilized in conjunction with the traditional marketing. It should provide a support mechanism that target audiences can be directed to and that they may also find on their own.

Today’s consumers are also more diligent and cautious than ever before. That’s where the true benefits of social media come into play as it allows them to virtually stand next to a company and experience how that company interacts with its customers, franchisees, etc.

Social media can also be utilized as a way to drive consumers to a specific event like a live on-site event or even to an informative webinar or podcast where the product offering can be explained in detail.

The key here is that one-size-fits-all strategies with social media do not work effectively. An integrated approach is certainly more effective.

However, it’s critical for business owners to ask questions at the onset of utilizing social media related to their own expectations and desired results. This is crucial in evaluating whether or not the program has worked. As important as click-thru’s, insights, impressions, etc. are in analyzing the process and program itself, looking at desired results against actual results is really the true Social Media P&L.

Business is personal.

People want to do business with people. They buy from people. Sure, the business name may get them in the proverbial door, but it’s the person representing the business that they want to do business with.

So, as it’s not uncommon for consumers, especially today’s consumers to check out the company’s presence on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest and/or You Tube. It’s also not uncommon for them to check out social media of the owner or salesperson. Interestingly, they have a keen eye for a salesperson’s name and that of the business owner on review sites.

What they hope to find is are people of experience and integrity. The higher the price tag of the service or product-service being purchased, the more the likelihood of a consumer’s due diligence expanding beyond a cursory look. They prefer to do business with people they believe they can trust.

I don’t think that it can be argued that companies whose key frontline salespeople with strong personal branding wouldn’t be significantly stronger than an organization that is essentially faceless. The same can be said of the business owner, as well. Actually, the more visible he or she is, the greater the presumed credibility of the business.

Success for service and product-service businesses takes considerable more planning and effort than that of other business models – ones that are truly faceless such as a retail store or a fast food restaurant, or even Amazon!

Now, I’m not degrading the efforts of those businesses that obviously strive for 100% customer satisfaction and have processes in place to ensure the same. But with a strong personal brand that reaches into the local community, service and product-service business owners and their salespeople, with a strong marketing plan to attract AND engage customers, would be more successful driving sales for the business than otherwise.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

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I recently read an interesting article at Vox.com about what the American Dream looks like today for immigrants. The article referenced a massive study by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Published in 2019, the study examined millions of father-son pairs of immigrants over the last century. The authors found that children of immigrants have higher rates of upward mobility than the children of those born in the U.S.

More significantly, they found that shifts in immigration policy and country of origin have not altered the pattern — and that it holds true whether the first generation was poor (in the bottom 25th percentile of income distribution) or relatively well-off (in the top 25th percentile).

For those who’ve personally watched upward mobility work within their families, the promises of the American Dream often feel like promises kept. Hard work and education led to significantly better outcomes for their children, with more stability for the entire family.

Immigrants Achieving the American Dream

My grandparents immigrated to America from Sicily with little money and few belongings to their name. They were moved through Ellis Island and settled in Brooklyn. They weren’t provided with government housing or given welfare checks.

Initially staying with relatives and friends of family, some they barely knew, they took menial jobs as they could find them. They saved every penny they could and as quickly as possible they secured an apartment, and then a better one until they purchased a home, and then a nicer one.

My grandfather started as a laborer and eventually became a bricklayer. My grandmother worked in the garment sweatshops, often starting work at 4AM. Literally, working their fingers to the bone. Yet, supper was on the table every day without fail.

Sundays were an open house for family and friends. My grandparents had no education. Nor did they ever own a car. All they wanted from America was opportunity and the chance for their children to have better lives than they did.

Well, they helped my Mom and I as my parents had divorced when I was a young child. We lived in their home with my two uncles. They helped one of my uncles start a business while putting my other uncle through college and medical school. And they never received, nor expected anything from the U.S. government. Yet, I had never heard them complain.

As they sailed past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor they only wanted one thing and that was opportunity. They found it and capitalized on it without handouts, grants, welfare, etc. Truly, they wouldn’t have accepted any of it as they were very proud people. They lived for their dreams, and accepted their responsibility. I’m forever grateful for the foundation they built for our family.

A very good friend of mine, Gustavo Hernandez legally immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico with barely a dollar in his pocket. He worked his butt off, taking whatever job he could find and worked his way through the ranks of the restaurant industry. From doing menial jobs to waiter to assistant manager to manager to restaurant owner, he excelled at each position.

Over the years, he worked to attain U.S. citizenship and did the same for his wife, Betty who had immigrated from Central America. Betty worked at a local hospital as they started a family. Despite all the hardships they had gone through, they were determined to achieve the American Dream, and they did.

Gustavo started a restaurant with his brother. He made sure to bring in other family members along the way. In a relatively short period of time he started a second restaurant and then a third. He and Betty purchased a home, and eventually a second home while keeping the first one to rent to a friend of the family. Gustavo was already helping others within his family and community.

My wife and I were honored to be invited to attend Betty’s swearing in ceremony for her American citizenship. I’ll never forget how proud they were as they were now a family of American citizens. And like my grandparents, they never accepted anything from anyone in the way of financial assistance. I couldn’t believe how much money Gustavo spent to legally achieve American Citizenship for himself and for Betty. It was an insane amount of money!

One time Gustavo asked me why so many people that were born in America were unhappy and why so many had trouble finding and keeping a job. He said he couldn’t understand it as he had hundreds of friends that had immigrated to the U.S. and he didn’t know of any that were unemployed. In fact, some had two, three, and even four jobs!

As Gustavo’s eldest son was preparing to attend college, Gustavo came down with COVID and passed away two months later. The last time I had met with him, just days before he got sick, he informed me he had leased the restaurant where we had first met some fifteen or so years ago. He said it felt like he had come full circle.

Today, the new restaurant is open and his dream continues as his family has stepped up to keep his legacy alive. His son is still attending college. Gustavo’s influence carried on to two of his nieces who have graduated from college with degrees in mechanical engineering. The family continues to carry on Gustavo’s dream as he has helped them achieve their dream… The American Dream!

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

Many people that know me ask why I am so passionate about franchising and it’s minimized participation in Small Business Saturday by American Express. Well, the reason is continued confusion as to perceptions about franchising and that franchises are all big business.

McDonald’s comes to their minds as the typical franchise with large marketing budgets. The perception, as related to me eleven years ago by American Express executives was that the McDonald’s parent company pays for all marketing and that in and of itself creates a huge advantage for McDonald’s franchisees over local businesses. Obviously, this is totally off-course and couldn’t be further from the truth.

In any event, franchising has made some progress over the years as American Express has slowly expanded its efforts to allow franchises to participate in its Small Business Saturday program. Unfortunately, it still is not enough as limits continue to be imposed for franchise brands based upon the number of locations.

The number of locations is irrelevant when determining whether or not a business is considered small business, and a local business at that. It’s all about the individual location’s ownership. It’s about the investment made by the owner. It’s about the risks taken to pursue the American Dream of business ownership.

What is still being missed is the reality that thousands upon thousands of individuals that own franchises across our great Nation are basically in the same position as any Mom & Pop operator up and down Main Street USA. Yet, the majority are excluded from participating in Small Business Saturday events.

At the end of this article I’ve listed links to various articles chronicling my initial efforts to have American Express recognize franchising as small business. My concern now is that in addition to how the franchise business model is viewed by AMEX, how are other business models being viewed?

There’s a plethora of business models that have become quite popular for business ownership. I’m referring to home-based and virtual businesses. All are small businesses with many owned by individuals and families, no different than local Mom & Pop shop owners, the very target of American Express in its Small Business Saturday campaigns. If you disagree, please take a look at the typical image for the event depicting a small business storefront.

Other business models that are small business include sole practitioners offering professional services including real estate & insurance sales, financial planning, and the fast-growing coaching profession (business, life, health, and other areas of expertise). They’re really no different than the small business offering personal services such as hairstyling, massage, manicures & pedicures, and full-service spa experiences.

I am happy to see of late, more attention given to restaurants with #DineSmall but it’s not enough. I’m not sure if that was an AMEX initiative, but it should be, and one that should be expanded to piggyback Small Business Saturday. After all, besides the large company-owned restaurant chains, all restaurants are small businesses. And like other small businesses, restaurants (and bars) are the brainchild of an individual or family or, if a franchise restaurant, they are owned & operated by individuals and families, just the same.

American Express explains its Small Business Saturday campaign on its website. It states, American Express cares deeply about thriving communities and believes small businesses are at the core of every thriving neighborhood. That’s why – in the midst of the recession in 2010 – we created Small Business Saturday® on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to encourage people to Shop Small and bring more holiday shopping to small businesses.

In 2011, the U.S. Senate even passed a resolution to support Small Business Saturday, and participation in the event has expanded to all 50 states. Read more about the history of Small Business Saturday HERE. Momentum continues to build, but is it enough for ALL small businesses?

Investopedia explains Small Business Saturday as an annual event that was created to encourage consumers to shop locally in person and online at small businesses. 

However, I don’t necessarily agree with some of the points made on the site as it specifically states this event is intended to encourage consumers to shop at small and locally owned businesses. That includes retail stores and restaurants as well as other small businesses, such as salons, grocery stores, and service-based businesses. It also extends to small businesses that exist online.

If there is any truth to the latter part of the statement, I’d have to say the efforts to promote the same are just not there, or certainly, are just not enough. To me, it may have been added as all encompassing lip-service.

Further, there is an Important Message on the Investopedia site that reads, Businesses must meet American Express guidelines regarding size and payment acceptance to be added to the Shop Small map.

So, is American Express more interested in driving AMEX card sales, or is it more interested in, as stated on the Investopedia site, to give small businesses a revenue boost during the holiday shopping season. Or, as referred to on various American Express sites, to help local communities thrive.

Please don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the Small Business Saturday initiative. I thought it was great from day one which is why I encourage my franchise clients to participate across all locations. Unfortunately, that is what led to discovering the exclusion (and subsequent limitations) on franchise businesses.

Nevertheless, I still love Small Business Saturday. I just don’t want to see any small business owner left out. In other words, I’d love to see all small businesses promoted. I’d love to see all small business owners have the opportunity to benefit by the program.

As mentioned above, here are links to various articles about my initial efforts to include Franchising in the Small Business Saturday initiative:

11/21/11 Franchising Excluded from AMEX Small Business Saturday Events!

11/25/11 Was Franchising Slapped in the Face by American Express by Accident?

11/26/11 Franchises Excluded from Small Business Saturday – AMEX Responds!

11/29/11 AMEX Reassessing Policies for Small Business Saturday

11/24/12 Franchising Not [Completely] Respected by American Express!

11/30/13 Franchising Supports Small Business Saturday

Please help make a difference and encourage everyone you know to shop at franchises AND independent businesses on Small Business Saturday, as well as before and after this year’s event on November 26th. I suggest that each time they make a purchase at a franchise to let American Express know by using #ShopSmall in their social media activities along with #ShopFranchise. We must continue to let American Express know that franchises are small business, too.

As well, we must let American Express know that other business models should be included. Please stay tuned for my thoughts on how we can make that happen. In the meantime, I look forward to learning about your thoughts and ideas.

We’re all in this together. We must all do what we can to strengthen our local communities and the businesses that support those communities.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

Influencer Marketing Hub defines an “influencer” as someone who has:

• the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with his or her audience.
• a following in a distinct niche, with whom he or she actively engages. The size of the following depends on the size of his or her topic of the niche.

Based upon this definition, I’d have to say that George Carlin was and still is a great influencer. In my opinion, he was and is the ultimate influencer. Even after his death in 2008 (His wife died early in 2008 and he followed her, dying in July 2008), his influence continues to this day as videos of his many stand-up comedy performances and late-night television interviews live on across social media. There’s even a Carlin’s Corner channel on SiriusXM.

Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, singer, voice artist, and comedian, noted especially for his irreverent attitude and his observations on politics, language, psychology, and religion, as well as some taboo subjects. I always find it interesting when I watch one of his routines from 15–20 years ago and knowing what we know now, it’s uncanny how spot-on he was in his comments.

The following was a written piece by George Carlin that popped up this morning in my Facebook Memories. I had first read it and shared it several years ago. After reading it again this morning, I thought it appropriate to share once again today, at a time when quite frankly people could use a dose of Carlin, albeit in something much different than what would have been typically delivered in his trademark kick-in-the-ass messaging.

It is ironic George Carlin could write something so very eloquent and so very appropriate. I find this message to be warm, yet alerting. I believe it’s still very appropriate today, some 14 years after his death. George Carlin continues to live on as one of the greatest influencers of all time. We can and should learn from his eye-opening statements and heed his advice to remember what should really be part of our daily lives.

An observation by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent.

Remember, to say, ‘I love you’ to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

Today is my 65th birthday. It’s hard to believe, especially when looking backwards. My wife, Laureen and I were married 45 years ago this past June. My eldest child will be 43 years old next month. I graduated high school 47 years ago. I was reminiscing the other day about being a Babe Ruth League All-Star in Staten Island, NY – and that was 50 years ago!

My work experience began with me working in my Dad’s beauty parlor business in Brooklyn on Saturdays. I would take coffee or lunch orders from customers and the workers from one of the local delis – Jewish, Italian, German – and the local diner – Greek, of course. Often, they didn’t care where I picked up the order. I was just told what they wanted.

Despite being only 12 or so years old, I remember quite fondly how well I was treated by the proprietors of those establishments. There was always an empty seat at the counter for me. I never had to pay for my own breakfast or lunch. I was obviously recognized (and thanked) for being able to sway decisions toward their establishments. I was responsible for bringing them business. As such, I was treated with respect.

As a young teenager, I worked in a local grocery store/deli owned by a friend’s family. That was quite an experience as it was my first to serve customers in a busy store setting. When I was behind the deli/butcher counter, I was often asked my opinion about a particular cut of meat or the amount of meat necessary to feed a family of five for dinner. What the heck did I know about meat? But, as I was wearing a clean white apron, I was the expert and as such, I was respected.

Summers of sophomore to senior years were spent working in Manhattan as a messenger. The company was located in World Trade Center 5 right next to the Twin Towers. At the time, messengers were a big part of the heartbeat of New York City. Messengers were responsible for picking up papers and packages from one business and delivering to another, often within minutes.

Many times, we were dispatched to some very posh offices on Park, Madison and Fifth Avenues. As well, we spent a great deal of time in the Wall Street Area. And, other times these short trips took us to some really nasty and very suspect office space and light manufacturing facilities. I started to see and differentiate “success” as one might imagine would be the case through a teenager’s eyes.

The following year was spent working in Midtown Manhattan for a health & beauty aids manufacturer’s representative. It was interesting and my first experience working directly with salesmen. They were very much blue collar and definitely grinded through their days. They now remind me of the salesmen in the movie, Glengarry Glen Ross.

Most did not earn much but I did realize that the business owners did. And with it, my first revelation about entrepreneurship. However, I definitely didn’t understand it as such back then.

Hardly anyone was being referred to as an entrepreneur 40 years ago. Actually, I remember being told that being an entrepreneur meant being a renegade, being lazy. It was a common thought that those individuals that labeled themselves as an entrepreneur had an inability to hold down a job. Looking back now, it was certainly an interesting, yet sad perspective to be labeled as such due to misperception and a lack of understanding.

Of course, there were business owners everywhere, but they weren’t referred to as entrepreneurs. Actually, many were referred by their name with their business type and skill attached – Joe the butcher, John the mechanic, Frank the milkman, and so on. Often, their businesses were named after them along with “and sons” or “and family.”

Individuals, almost all being male that commuted into the city were referred to as businessmen. If they wore a suit to work, they were businessmen. Was a businessman an entrepreneur? Was success a criteria? Nope. That just meant being a successful businessman, as I recall my parents and grandparents saying on more than one occasion.

Dreams? Goals? Nope. It was all just looked as ways to make a living. Respectable livings at that but anything more were often frowned upon by mostly immigrant family members. Ironic, huh? The very people whose spirit and desire for freedom drove them toward immigrating to America.

I have often found their misperceptions to be a contradiction but I’ve come to understand that safety and caution were the basis of their thoughts. There’s much to be said about avoiding risk but there’s a lot than can be said of taking risks for the potential of greater good, and to achieve one’s wishes, hopes, and dreams.

At this point, I do wish I had learned about entrepreneurship early on in my career. But I will not cry over spilled milk. It is what it is. However, as entrepreneurship is said to be what will drive our great country from the throes of today’s challenging times, I continue to look forward to working with our younger generations as they seek to learn all they can about entrepreneurship.

To me, what I look forward to as I put 65 in my rearview mirror is helping others succeed as entrepreneurs. I’m especially passionate about helping aspiring entrepreneurs explore the wonderful world of entrepreneurship. I firmly believe that regardless of age, it’s never too early (or too late) to pursue entrepreneurial dreams.

Below you’ll find what I believe is one of the best videos about entrepreneurship. It’s definitely worth its 20-25 minutes. I believe anyone and everyone can benefit by watching this video regardless of chosen profession and/or current status in life and age. I especially believe anyone considering entrepreneurship should view this video as it clearly points out the challenges and potential pitfalls along with the benefits of being an entrepreneur.

A final thought: My Dad was a business owner for well over 50 years. He opened a number of businesses and expanded one across multiple locations. He definitely realized the ups and downs of owning a business. Yet, he continued nonetheless. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t until his death at 97 years old that I thought, yes, he was an entrepreneur. I do wish I would have picked his brain about his entrepreneurial journey, one that I and others sadly took for granted.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!

As I had addressed last week, Sundays at Acceler8Success Cafe previously consisted of a weekly review with links to each day’s article from the preceding week. Considering that each article is already listed at Acceler8Success Cafe, I felt it was redundant and of little value to post a weekly review with links to the same articles.

My thoughts were confirmed as I had asked a number of subscribers their opinions of the weekly review and whether a different direction should be taken for a Sunday article. They agreed to a change in direction and most thought some type of motivational or inspirational messaging would be of value, as well as complement the level of content being delivered each day at Acceler8Success Cafe. It was agreed that Sunday nights would be perfect as many do try to spend some time preparing for the week ahead.

As such, I’m excited to introduce Sunday Night Motivation & Inspiration at Acceler8Success Cafe. Starting tonight and every Sunday evening moving forward, I will provide a positive foundation for the week ahead. My goal is to do so as an extension of my commitment to helping current and aspiring entrepreneurs achieve and accelerate their success.

Sunday Night Motivation & Inspiration

The most effective way to start the week off on the right foot is to plan before the week starts. It’s definitely one of the things I do every Sunday night when my phone is quiet and my email has slowed to a trickle, mostly of spam.

I also believe it’s effective to do so on Sunday evening as it’s one of the few times that I can look at my calendar with more than a glance. It affords me the opportunity to plan and shuffle calls and meetings, as necessary.

Also, as I review commitments for the week ahead, including completion of deliverables, it enables me schedule blocks of time to focus on time-consuming projects and especially ones that command undivided attention.

Here Are 6 Ways to Start Your Week Off On the Right Foot (credit to Inc.com)

An article at Inc.com in 2019 focused on starting the week on the right foot. I’ve shared the 6 ways outlined in the article below:

1. Do a mind sweep.

The first thing is to think about the bigger picture and trying to plan a mind sweep to clear thoughts. This process walks through a list of prompts in different categories, looking for things to be remembered and commitments that have been made. The goal is to get them all on paper. This minimizes distractions so focus may be directed on the day and week ahead.

2. Review the week to come.

The next step is to review the coming week’s schedule. It’s recommended to use a Defensible Calendar strategy, which improves productivity by organizing a schedule into large chunks of time with tasks grouped by importance and urgency. This will make it easier to organize and manage work.

If the plan is not well organized, request changes to free up continuous time in the calendar to create focused time and to optimize travel and logistics. This is also the time to identify any prep work or reviews required for the week.

3. Look forward to three to five weeks out.

Once the week is under control, look ahead three to five more weeks for anything that requires any kind of action in the next seven days. Look for things like travel arrangements, larger project work, and creative development. Doing this prevents surprises that create fire drills for you and/or your team.

4. Reflect on the last week.

Once there’s a good grasp on the future, look back at the last week or two and see if there are any open items or actions from previous events that may have been missed. Look for opportunities to write quick thank-you notes and to confirm any actions or plans coming out of previous meetings. Also take this time to reflect on what went well and what didn’t, and how to improve your schedule and planning going forward.

5. Check your longer-term goals.

Next, check quarterly objectives and key results. Based on where you may want to be at the end of the quarter, check to see areas where progress needs to be made and set tasks for the coming week. Also reach out to people with whom you’ll need to coordinate or collaborate to schedule time or set up meetings.

6. Sort by urgency and impact.

Once tasks and reminders are written down, begin to sort and organize. Make notes on complexity and size and then sort them by two major criteria. First is urgency, which is how critical the task is to this week. Basically, pushing it off to next week will it cause problems for you and/or for others. The second criteria is impact, which is how much value this task creates in the short and long term.

If things are correctly, your schedule will be well-structured and you will have a plan for how the week will unfold. You will have several time blocks for focused work, grouping similar tasks so that you can stay in the same mindset and minimize task-switching.

Of course, life happens, and on Monday morning something unexpected could come up and you’ll need to replan everything. And that’s fine. Just don’t procrastinate making the necessary changes.

Have a great week. Make it happen. Make it count!

Simple, yet impactful words – “just one more…”

But before we jump into how to utilize these powerful words as the basis of a business strategy, we should take a look at how the phrase is being used, and therefore how it is or may be understood by others.

“Just One More” Definitions & Meanings (implied or otherwise)

How many times have you said or thought, just one more chip, or just one more minute of sleep? Whether for an additional indulgence, or as procrastination, “just one more” is a unique phrase that often has negative connotations.

Interestingly, it is something we say to ourselves quite often. Sometimes we’re conscious of saying it, delivering the words in a deliberate manner. But often it’s just a subliminal thought. At times, the phrase is used as an excuse or as a point of reason – If only I had just one, just one more chance, just one more opportunity.

Urban Dictionary defines the phrase: As many more (times, items, etc.) as it takes to achieve a satisfactory result. This phrase may be repeated an arbitrary number of times. For instance:

(guys playing a video game) A: Come on, it’s my turn! B: Just one more time… (game over) B: Wait, just one more time… (repeat x times)

Urban Dictionary even identifies “just one more” as a syndrome!

When a person is playing a video game and the person is unable to stop playing. They continue to play and think they will stop playing after they complete the level and when they do complete the level they just think they’ll stop after they complete the next one and so on. The gamer will continue to play despite needing to do other things such as: socializing, doing jobs, going to work, going to the bathroom, sleeping, eating and anything else. In more severe cases of just one more level syndrome people will waste away and die. While they play they will continually think they will stop playing once the level is complete.

“Just one more” could even be used as a threat or warning. For example: Do that to me just one more time and see what happens!

The phrase has even been included in or as song titles. A song by great country singer, George Jones, Just One More may be the best at defining a meaning of “just one more” per these lyrics: Just remembering that you are gone. Well, one more drink of wine. Then if you’re still on my mind. One drink, just one more and then another.

“Just One More” as Motivational and/or as a Strategy

Of course, “just one more” can be viewed in a positive light as a motivational push. For example: Just one more mile when training for a marathon, just one more rep in the gym could help achieve physical goals the same as a “just one more” philosophy could lend toward achieving other goals. Just one more hour on this report, just one more chapter, etc.

In a recent article at Acceler8Success Cafe, 6 Ways to Drive Restaurant Sales and Repeat Sales in Bad Times (and in Good Times), I identified, “just one more” as a strategy to increase sales. I wrote:

Just one more. I’m a firm believer in, just one more. Just one more item ordered. Just one more visit by a customer each week, month, etc. Just one more positive review. Just one more referral or recommendation. Just one more time to consider the restaurant. When enhancing the experience with a personal touch, just one more becomes a reality. People trust a brand but desire to do business with people. They especially want to do business with people who care, who are kind, who listen, and who go the extra mile.

There was an interesting article in the Harvard Business Journal back in 2009 (another time of economic uncertainty) with the title, The “Just One More” Solution. Here is an excerpt from that article:

Make one more connection to a customer. Many customers are not buying. Do not let that dissuade you from reaching out and meeting with them. Those who stay close to their customers today will be those who reap the benefits tomorrow.

Make one more attempt to sell an idea upstairs. Tough times are great times to pitch new ideas. Some bosses are naturally resistant to change. But you can make an extra effort to demonstrate the benefits of your great ideas. Be certain to argue the business case. Use the downturn to reinforce your salient propositions.

Make one more effort to engage your employees in the challenges facing your business. Listen to what they are telling you. Learn from what they share with you. Find ways to put some of their ideas into play. Not everything an employee suggests is golden but you demonstrate a willingness to learn if you listen.

And finally, think about what you can do more of in your own job, your own function, and in your own business.

Doing all of these “one more’s” is no guarantee. You or your business may not be viable in today’s tough economic times. Hanging tough might help in an endurance race, but it will not generate new clients or new business if your offerings are not competitive.

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity,” said famed aviator, Amelia Earhart. “The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do.” Tenacity will pay dividends. Perhaps not immediately, but over time it will. Those employees and managers who exercise tenacity today will be those who have earned their resilience. That will hold them in good stead now and in the future.

Resources For Your Organization

The future may be a bit bumpy for some, more so for others. Having resources at your disposal is important. Knowing who to turn to and when to turn to for guidance and help is also important. So, if you hit a wall, for whatever reason, please feel free to reach out to me for assistance or even if you just need someone to talk to. Please do not hesitate. You can reach me on LinkedIn, by email to Paul@Acceler8Success.com, and by phone or text at (832) 797-9851.

If you’re interested in learning more about Acceler8Success Group services or are interested in having our recent series, Preparing for War: You vs. Recession presented to your organization, either as a webinar, workshop or conference break-out session, please click HERE for more information. Our services and programs can be tailored to your business model, product, service offering and industry segment.

Have a great day. Make it happen. Make it count!