Nelson Davis | Small Business Expert » Archive
I’m a Customer Damn It!
The older I get, the more I enjoy a helpful interchange with people who work diligently for businesses of any size. But, with each passing day, businesses who covet my dollars seem to want me, the supposed customer to do more of their work and to give them money for that privilege! If I’m paying, being treated like a customer would be a fine idea. In fact, I think that a business owner who masters that has an effective competitive advantage. I think it all began with self service gasoline stations. Not only do I remember 55 cent gasoline, but I recall the days when there were service station attendants who would check the oil and scrutinize the tires while filling your tank. Sadly, those memories are now shrouded in the … Read entire article »
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Dick Clark’s Business Lesson
I was fortunate enough to know Dick Clark and receive the benefit of him sharing a number of his experiences as a business owner. Like so many others, I first became aware of Dick as the host of American Bandstand and a Saturday night show sponsored by a chewing gum company. As a teenager living in a public housing project, I had no concept of the business principles and protocols that brought Dick into our apartment or that paved his way to more than 50 very successful years. He was simply a likeable guy introducing the music and performers of the day that I wanted to see. But by the late ‘70s when I was planning to move to Los Angeles, he had become a business role model for me. … Read entire article »
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Networking For Real
If ever a business buzz word has been mashed and hammered into something unrecognizable, it is “Networking.” Some people see a networking event simply as a hundred yard dash to give and receive as many business cards as possible in one hour or less! And then they wonder why no meaningful connections have been made. Then there are those souls who talk more than they listen while asking for more than they offer during a networking opportunity. Let me tell you what the bumps, bruises and benefits of hundreds of those encounters has taught me. In my world, the three basic tools you need are these: The most fundamental is a sincere interest in other people and their businesses. Without that, your moves have a hollow ring. The most necessary trait … Read entire article »
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Small Business and Politics
Right now political discussions are like so much confetti that seems to be dropped on us every day whether we want it or not. This is the season when political aspirants show their love and attention like no other time. However, in the lives of most small business owners there’s usually a long list of concerns ahead of politics and polling data. In fact, I don’t particularly like politicians because our goals are divergent in important ways. Their job is to get elected and then re-elected while mine is to earn a survivable profit in business. That leads to our common ground being measured in dollars! But alas, in the real world even the smallest business owner needs to realize that we are in a co-dependent relationship with office holders in … Read entire article »
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A Ballet Dancer’s Lesson
A few days ago I read an interview with the famed Russian ballet dancer, Mikhail Baryshnikov and one of his comments sent me into an hour of business thinking. It may be the first time that a person often seen in public wearing tights has given me a business lesson! Just sitting in the audience watching world class or even fine amateur dancers I’m impressed by their elegant form and disciplined movements. I used to wonder how long it took them to master those soaring leaps and dizzying spins. In truth, my first adult romantic relationship was with one of those dancers and she provided insights into a world of hard work that successful entrepreneurs would likely understand. The dancers have to be relentless in shaping their enterprises (bodies and minds) … Read entire article »
Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Expert Advice, In Perspective, The Business Mind
Infographic: U.S. Small Business Facts
While driving home last evening, I listened to the President’s State of the Union speech, waiting for him to mention the importance and vitality of the small business community. That didn’t happen and disappointment is the polite description of what I felt. The spirit of enterprise, self reliance and the urge to create are what built this country. That spirit will be what saves America, not any government agency. Below you can get a quick snapshot of what the small business landscape looks like and have your own opinions about the segment’s importance. Infographic Source: BusinessNewsDaily Sponsored by: Business Plan Software … Read entire article »
Filed under: Entrepreneurship, In Perspective, The Business Mind
Nelson Davis with Frank Mottek
Nelson Davis with Frank Mottek, host of The Business Hour on KNX, the CBS radio station in Los Angeles. The occasion was a breakfast gathering of business owners to learn more about the business of going green. … Read entire article »
Filed under: On The Media
Now is the Time
I love the hopeful feeling of having a new calendar and fresh plans laid out in front of me. But of course the New Year doesn’t wait long before euphoria subsides and it begins testing your resolve, persistence and plans. Whether your goals for 2012 were written in indelible ink or simply mumbled to yourself during your commute, the universe somehow seems to know about them and begins delivering the challenges. At some primal level, we know that our plans will only take wing if we get both hands on the steering wheel and are not shy about turning it in a direction we want to go. So, if starting a business is on your list of resolutions, I have some thoughts to share with you. One of the top three … Read entire article »
Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Expert Advice, In Perspective, The Business Mind
Martin Luther King Day is For Work
I’m writing this as we approach Martin Luther King Day on which many businesses and institutions are closed but my office will be open for business on his day. Like many national holidays, ML King Day is anticipated by many as a day to sleep in a bit, putter around the house, perhaps attending a parade or just hanging out. Obviously, I feel differently about it. To me, Dr. King and his legacy are about opportunity and dreams. My dream was to own a business. When I was about 12 years old, I met the then Reverend King when he came to speak at our church in Niagara Falls New York. He was then a preacher on tour to raise funds to help support the nascent Civil Rights movement. You see, … Read entire article »
Filed under: In Perspective, The Business Mind
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