Brett Beshore’s Business Blog  12-26-11

Disaster Planning is Good for Business!

This is Brett Beshore.

As difficult as it is to think about, it’s important to be prepared if disaster strikes your small business, such as fire, flood, or any other event that would impair your ability to operate.

There are steps you can take to improve your chances to recover as quickly as possible.

Here are a few:

1)     Start by making copies of your vital business records, including tax returns, financial statements, insurance policies, and legal documents.

2)     Keep these copies in a location AWAY from your business.  That way, should your business be destroyed, you’ll have the vital documents to your operation and more importantly, your recovery.

3)     Finally, review your insurance policy to be sure you know what it DOES and DOES NOT cover.   And consider "business interruption" insurance, as this may replace lost income in the event your business is shut down.

For more disaster planning tips, check out…..READY.GOV

Because Disaster Planning is definitely good for business!

Brett Beshore’s Business Blog  12-19-11

Charitable Giving is Good for Business!

This is Brett Beshore

‘Tis the season for charitable giving and many small businesses make donating to charities a regular part of doing business…

Why?  Because charitable giving feels good, it helps members of the community, and is good for business as well!  Here are some tips for making the most of your charitable contributions…

 1)     Set a budget and determine each year how much money, inventory, or time you will donate to charity.

 2)     Then, make a plan and determine in advance which charities you will support…and how.

 3)     Perform your due diligence by making sure the organizations you want to support are legitimate and that your contributions are used for the purposes you intend.

 4)     Finally, let people know about your charitable giving…publicize your contributions!  Customers appreciate, respect, and enjoy doing business with businesses that give something back.

 Because Charitable Giving is definitely good for business!

Brett Beshore’s Business Blog  12-12-11

Pro-activity is Good for Business!

This is Brett Beshore.

Have you ever wondered what truly motivates people to do things?  Money, Recognition, Fear?

I'm convinced that two simple mindsets are at the core of getting things done.

Pleasure and Pain.

1)  When you want something bad enough, you'll take massive action to accomplish that goal.  It's the old carrot and the stick.  So, make sure you have achievers on your team.

2)  Conversely, how often do we procrastinate on doing the important things?  When we find ourselves in a reactive state, we're simply treading water.  When the pain of not performing that task becomes greater than the activity required to get it done, miraculously, it gets done.

The state of pro-activity is where we need to live in the business world.   So, when we find ourselves in a reactive state, we need to push forward and get out of the rut.

Knowing yourself and staying pro-active will help you achieve your goals.

Because Pro-activity is definitely good for business!

Brett Beshore’s Business Blog  12-5-11

Successful Athletes are Good for Business!

This is Brett Beshore.

Watching football recently got me thinking about the similarities between winning in sports and success in business.

Achieving success as an athlete or an entrepreneur starts with having a passion for what you do.  Here are some commonalities:

1.  Both require a strong commitment and sacrifice, where practice, persistence, and patience are critical.

2.  Success is often attributed to good coaching and a team of supporters.

3.  And, knowing your competition’s strengths and weaknesses are necessary.

4.  Finally, having a contingency plan in place for when things just don’t go your way, separates the winners from the losers in sports and in business.

When you stumble and fall, you get up, brush yourself off, learn from your mistakes, and try again.  If you’re willing to take the risk, give it your all, and persist when the odds are against you, you just might score that touchdown.

Because Successful Athletes are definitely good for business!