With a school district referendum vote coming up tonight in Huntington, I’ve been reminded of the importance of voting not just in federal elections, but also at state and local levels. In America we sometimes take our right to vote for granted, and yet we feel frustrated when election results don’t turn out the way we had hoped. The only way we can eliminate this sense of frustration is by doing everything we can to have our voices be heard. Join me in committing to vote from here on out.

And don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, September 14th!

Hazy and potentially lazy days of summer are gone.

Here are a few things to get your fall kicked off strong:


1. Plan your last quarter of the year as if was your last battle in a war you desperately need to win; because you do.
2. Stay on task and be hyper-focused
3. Launch new initiatives in the new year
4. Be consistent with your message

Guest Post by Jeff Goldberg

I was recently asked to write what I thought was an article for a major New York magazine. It turned out they only wanted a two sentence quote but I had already written the information that follows. I hope you find it useful!

While it's true that some of your prospects might be less likely to buy in a challenging economy, there are (in most cases) still many who are willing and able to invest in your product or service. You must consistently practice the fundamentals of selling in order to make sure you capture every sale that can be made.

Football players, who get paid millions of dollars per year for playing the game that most schoolboys can't wait to get out of school and play, (for free) don't just play the big game on Sunday or Monday. They practice the fundamentals all week long because the fundamentals are what work.

In sales there are some basic fundamentals which we all need to follow if we're going to close as much business as possible, especially in the current "challenging" economy. (which seems to be sticking around longer than most of us would like)

You just can’t fake leadership. When Coach K led his Duke basketball players to 27 post seasons in his 30 years at the school and became the most winning active coach in NCAA Tournament play, no one doubted his leadership skills. Even Coach K himself said, “I don’t look at myself as a basketball coach. I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.” Leadership begets results. During the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King Jr.’s ability to inspire the masses earned him not just the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Nobel Peace Prize, but also the respect of the nation and generations to come. Leadership begets results.

So when corporate executives are unable to guide their teams to success, why do we still call them leaders? Too many times, titles and suits dictate our view of management, when really, we should be examining results. As always, start by turning inward. Look at your own effectiveness.

How can you objectively review your leadership capabilities? What do you do to grow and develop these strengths and temper your weaknesses?

On a family vacation to Hershey park this week, it suddenly hit me- this company has had success in both the amusement park and hospitality industry AND the candy industry. Conventional business theory tells over and over again to “stick to your core competency.” We’re told to review our product lines and expand based on our current offerings. According to almost every business theory out there, a candy company expanding into the amusement park and later hospitality industry would be an absolutely ludicrous idea. But it worked.

The wild success in both of their chosen industries stems largely from their unique ability to brand. They know their audience- young children with a sweet tooth, and the parents who buy them candy to satisfy that sweets craving. Hershey Park was originally built as a leisure park for Hershey employees, but upon opening to the general public, they made sure to market all of their products towards their target market. Everywhere you go at Hershey Park you see the life-sized Reese’s and Hershey’s bar characters waving you on to your next ride. You see shops upon shops filled with Hershey candies. As if this wasn’t branding enough, as you walk into and out of the park, the smell of melted chocolate wafts through the air from Hershey’s Chocolate World, a huge factory-like attraction which, of course, is open for tours complete with product samples, rides, shows, and more.

What ancillary products could you offer that conventional business wisdom might say to stay away from? How can you bring this lesson on the importance of corporate branding- on all of your products- into your organization?

Over the past few days I’ve come across a few heartening statistics about business and the economy. First, 31% of businesses hired new employees between April and June. Second, layoffs are down by 50% since last year. I believe these are indicators of forward movement, and that our continued effort in contributing to the growth of not only our own businesses but those in our communities, will lead to even more positive change.

The key in changing the course of our current economic condition truly is joining together. Sure, this may sound great, but I encourage you to push beyond semantics.

1. Educate- Be an informed consumer at home and in your business. Know your personal and corporate values. Know who your vendors are, how and with whom they do business, and be sure their values align with your own.

Building Your Team
If you want to develop your organization and build successful teams for your business, you need to avoid the five primary causes of team dysfunction. The causes and what you should do about each follow.

1. Absence of Trust
Team members need to be able to admit their weaknesses and mistakes, to acknowledge the strengths of others, and to apologize when they do something wrong. Mistakes are part of the process to success.   What is essential is to help others learn from the mistake. Leaders need to ask questions and coach team members to make necessary changes.

Guest blog from Lloyd Garten, owner of Select Exterminating

Participating in Basso on Business was an enlightening experience and one I’d recommend for other business owners to get involved with.  My financing challenging was not unique; as you read this, other business owners are getting denied for much needed loans to reinvigorate or expand their companies.  Being on the show and listening to the advice from Rob Basso, Basso on Business and Tom Buonaiuto,  Empire National Bank forced me to revaluate the relationships that I had with my current trusted advisors and I suggest that others do the same.  I thought had a great relationship with my big name bank but as it turned out, I overestimated the strength of that relationship.   After speaking with Rob, I realized that had I looked at that relationship more closely before I applied for the loan, I would have seen that the trust and understanding of my business model wasn’t there.  Working with a local community bank was a positive, eye-opening experience.  Empire National Bank took the time to really sit down and look at the way my business works as well as my footprint in the community.   Working Lunch with Rob was another great way to approach my challenge.  Although the transaction had already taken place, it provided me with helpful advice from other local business owners to help prepare me for my next acquisition