Several years ago, I visited a small tackle retailer in Branson, Mo., near Table Rock Lake. Though it was spring and the fish were biting, I was there for business—to learn how this 1,200-square-foot store thrived despite fierce competition from a nearby big-box retailer. His...
What is a point of differentiation (POD)? A Point of Differentiation (POD) is the unique value your business offers that your competitors don’t. It’s what makes your product, service, or brand memorable and desirable to your target audience. Why POD matters Most small businesses don’t...
As a consultant, your personal brand is crucial to your success—and a key component of that brand is your worldview. This isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a guiding principle that influences your approach to business, decision-making, and client interactions. Let’s break down what a worldview...
Your top priority as a small business owner: eat the frog. The most important task for a small business owner is to solve the biggest issue impacting your brand at a given time. Yes, there will be many challenges your businesses face at once, but...
Many small business owners think they need to scale to compete with larger companies. They imagine growing bigger, serving more customers, and automating processes will lead to success. But what if scaling your business leads you down the wrong path? What if the best path...
The newly redesigned WordPress.com Learn Hub is the culmination of years of hard work by several talented teams inside the brand; I’m proud to have played a role in its execution. The hub now features a clean, intuitive design, more user-friendly videos, and a wealth...
Yes, branding is important for your small business, too. No matter how many times I tell small business owners that “branding is like the air in your lungs, essential for your survival,” they still think of it as something they’ll do later, once they are...
In my experience of working with hundreds of brands over the last 15+ years, there are three things businesses get wrong when it comes to brand building. And these are businesses of all sizes, not simply small businesses. The No. 1 thing businesses get wrong...
In a recent blog, I wrote about the need for small business owners to eat the frog, tackling their most important challenges early and often. Doing so helps better ensure their long-term survival, but it requires attentiveness to what kills small businesses and, more specifically,...
Social psychology teaches us that panhandlers asking for specific amounts of money are typically far more likely to receive a handout. A specific ask conveys an effort to complete a clear-cut task, which makes it easier for normally apathetic passersby to assist in what they...