The Freestyle Entrepreneur

I’ll get to the title in a minute.  First, I must start by saying that I love to hit the floor running hard every day in the quest for business.  I also love to end the day exhausted, spent, without anything left to give.  Family and friends have told me there’s only one thing worse [...]

 
You don’t “stand” your business.
You don’t “walk” your business.
You “run” your business!
Ready?  Set? Go!
        –    John R. Ingrisano
               The Freestyle Entrepreneur
 

I love to work hard.  In my opinion, there’s nothing more demanding or thrilling than getting out every day and taking on the enormous challenges of running a business.  Some days I slay the dragons; some days I come home smoked and char-broiled.  That’s half the fun. 
 
But I also love to get away from work.  I can [...]

 
It has been my experience that there are two kinds of people in this world:  those who dare to dream big and exciting and wondrous dreams … and those who live in little boxes waiting for someone to tell them what to do.
 
Where do you want to be in a year?  In two years?  In [...]

I knew the economy was in a bad way when, several weeks ago, I saw a friend’s husband in church.  Not a regular church goer, he was there nonetheless, and he was looking grim.  (I learned later that his business is hanging on by a thread and he is fast running out of options.) 
 
He’s not [...]

Hard Work Trumps Brains
 
My dad was a plodder … but he plodded his way to become an MD and picked up the title of “Nassau County Family Physician of the Year” two years in a row.  I also know a couple of millionaires.  I can beat the pants off them in a game of poker [...]

Falling isn’t the issue.
The problem occurs when you don’t get back up and try one more time! We are in a business climate that requires getting back up—sometimes again and again and again.
It works for me, when in a bind and on the pity pot, to bring to mind people who have inspired in me [...]

I’m a draft horse.  I can plug along for hours upon hours when put to a task.  My brother, on the other hand, is off running the Boston Marathon this weekend.  I admire him and others who work and sweat and train their bodies so they can actually run 27+ miles.  I love them because they not only [...]

Some businesses have an atmosphere of quiet competency, confidence and professionalism.  You can walk in the door and almost feel an overwhelming sense of purpose and belonging.  Everyone, from file clerk to CEO, looks as if he or she has an important, clearly defined and respected place in the organization. 
It’s called a team.  Consistently [...]

As SBOs, we may be done for the morning or the day or even the week, but we’re never really done. 
 
I had a partner once in the Caribbean who believed that once the shelves were stocked, the ads placed and the doors open, the job was over.  (Obviously, I had made a bad choice.)  The [...]

If you go belly up during these challenging economic times, do not blame (A) the economy; (B) the government; or (C) bad luck.  In other words, do not roll over and play victim or, worse, sit up and beg for a handout.
There is honest money to be made and there are genuine opportunities to be [...]

As SBOs, risk comes with the territory.  And when it comes to business, if you’re not growing, you’re shrinking.  You can’t stand still.  So it is with personal growth.
Example:  I just joined Toastmasters last fall.  Why?  Because, at 58, though I’m not bad on my feet, I know I can be better.  My brother, when [...]

Ladies and gentlemen, I spent an amazing Saturday roaming around Green Bay, Wisconsin, doing research.  I visited a number of small businesses, ate in an upscale restaurant filled with the lunch traffic, and drove by malls and store parking lots filled with cars. 
 
And I talked to people.  My question — always — when I walk [...]

       Burnout and boredom are the top reasons small business owners pack it in and either sell out or shut down.  These two factors account for 50 percent of all busi­ness sales.
     It makes sense.  Successful busi­ness owners tend to be creative problem solvers.  They are also easily bored.  Plus, they don’t just commit them­selves [...]

I hadn’t seen Marty in a few weeks, not since his restaurant failed.  The news had left me sad. It’s never fun to watch a hard-working fellow lose not only his money, but also his dream.  Fortunately, he still had his base business: a small tavern, with quarters upstairs for him and his wife.  But [...]

 
Let’s call it like it is:  Tough times ahead!  No, I’m not a doom-and-gloomer.  Far from it.  I am an optimist.  Besides, I truly love the challenge of tough times.  They seem to bring out all the best business instincts in me.  
 
All I’m saying is that it pays to be ready … mentally ready.  I know some [...]

I believe we get as many second chances as we are willing to take.  It’s when we are no longer willing to get up, but instead give up and stop trying, that we are in trouble.
 
I’ve been knocked down — I mean flat-on-my-face knocked down hard — twice in my life, from had it all [...]

As an economic capitalist and and a political conservative, I know one thing for sure:  As business owners, we do not share wealth … we CREATE it!  We take a lump of material worth 50 cents or an idea worth even less, add some sweat and ingenuity, and create a product that sells for $4.50 [...]

Here’s a secret:  If you think your life is tough — that you have troubles or weaknesses or frustrations enough to make a saint pull out his hair — join the crowd.  We all fight demons and weaknesses each and every day. Here’s the good news:  If you are not happy with your position and [...]