Guest Blog Post by Laurie Breitner
People frequently go into business to do — and, hopefully, make money at — what they are passionate about. Like the massage therapist who got her start in her kitchen formulating oils, creams and lotions because the market did not offer the quality products she wanted to use in her practice; the mechanical engineers building wind turbines to bring reliable, renewable energy to hard to reach places; and the second generation business owner caring for her family’s legacy.
Spending your days doing what you love is a wonderful ideal but the reality of small business ownership is often a far cry from that, not that there aren’t significant emotional and financial paybacks. But make no mistake. If you want to make money, treat it like a business with all that implies.
Each of us has activities that we enjoy (and feel confident and competent to do), and those we don’t — it’s human nature. Too often business owners are taken aback by the range of competencies and experiences needed to ensure business success. Significant difficulties can ensue when business owners put off or just don’t do the essential tasks (whether too difficult or too mundane) that help ensure long-term success.
With the support of the Business Growth Center and the financial assistance of the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, Karen Utgoff and I have developed the STRONGER BUSINESSES program (TM) to help small business owners like you learn specific, practical tools and techniques to make decisions more effectively, develop your teams, recognize and respond effectively to changes in your business environment, spot and exploit opportunities, and identify and address problems promptly.
Just like starting and growing your small business, this program isn’t easy. It’s very hands-on and you should be prepared to invest time outside of the workshop itself. We will teach you tools and techniques to assess your business and develop a specific, measurable plan to strengthen/grow it. While this may seem daunting, you will get not only our support, but also that of the other business owners in the program who (we’re confident you will find) are struggling with the same business issues you are. The more you put into the program, the more you will get out of it.
The payoff for your work? Competence and confidence grounded in new knowledge and perspective. All past participants report overall business improvement and, yes, we do follow up. Each left with a clearer understanding of where they wanted to take their businesses and specific plans for how to get there.
The program begins on Oct. 7, breaks for several weeks, and then resumes weekly beginning Nov. 12 and ending Dec 23.
Learn more and, if you’re ready, take an important step toward ensuring the success of your small business.
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