The Freestyle Entrepreneur

National Health Insurance and Your Business The Health Care Debate By Bill Willard Contributing Author The Issue:  Many of the millions of Americans without health insurance are small-business employees and the self-employed. That’s one reason so many voters rank health care reform as a pressing concern facing policymakers this election year. Neither presumptive presidential candidate [...]

According to Biz Guru Guy Kawasaki, a PowerPoint sales presentation should have 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes and contain no font smaller than 30 points.

Rumor has it that we’ve become a nation of whiners.  I think that’s because the media and certain political groups feel they must promote victimization to keep their audiences.  Economically speaking, we criticize Bill Gates and Sam Walton and McDonalds (but, curiously, never Walt Disney), because their companies  make too much money, a simple-minded complaint.  [...]

The following is an editorial point of view offered by one of our most experienced writers, Bill Willard, as part of our “Issue of the Week” series. Below is Bill’s opinion on a hot topic of interest to many of us. What’s your opinion? Please share it with us. Two cautions: (1) No profanity; (2) [...]

(The following article first appeared in Corporate Report Wisconsin.)  Sometimes we forget just how important the customer is.  And when we do, it costs us.  So, ask yourself, what have I done today to make my customers and prospects feel special and valued?  Example # 1:  I needed a washer repaired last fall.  I called [...]

The Jesus “Elevator Talk”   I love this idea.  As a businessman, I have a 30-second “elevator talk.”  That’s a brief summary of who I am, what I do, and why prospective clients should work with me.  So, why not a Jesus Elevator Talk?  (No, it’s not original with me.)   That way, when someone [...]

The evening started out in a very uneventful manner as my wife, Renee, and I decided to try out a steak joint in West Des Moines that had been given rave reviews. We were in a good mood on a Friday night anticipating a nice meal and good conversation. Shortly after we sat down a young man walked [...]

 Used to be that networking meant you joined the Rotary and golfed at the country club, got together at the meet-and-greet cocktail hour to swap business cards and, almost as an afterthought, mentioned what you do for a living to your son’s friend’s father in the bleachers at the softball game. Well, networking has grown [...]

When Adversity Hits Home Successful SBOs Improvise, Adapt and Overcome! Adversity elicits talents which, in prosperous times, would have lain dormant. – Horace Thus far, 2008 have been tough for the U.S. economy, in general, and small business, in particular. As Dr. Paul S. Kedrosky, Executive Director of the William J. von Liebig Center in [...]

Don’t love what you do.  Do what you love!  When I first started my business nearly 25 years ago, I would leap out of bed every morning at 5:30 eager to get down to work.  I loved it.  Well, I admit that over the years, there were some long stretches when I found myself bored, [...]