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August 2020 Newsletter 

FEATURED ARTICLE

Five Questions to Ask Someone Running for Office in 2020 
By Tim Fulton

 
 
I originally wrote this article last February. Much has changed since then. We are in the middle of both a health crisis and an economic crisis. A tsunami of bad news. As many as one-third of all small businesses have folded and another third are at risk of closing. Small business needs our attention now more than ever. Hence, I share this article with you so that you might be ready to ask the right questions of your candidate for any national, state, or local office this fall.


You would have to be a hermit to not know that this is an election year. Our news is filled with coverage on the upcoming presidential primaries. There are senate and house representative elections in every state this year and scores of local elections.
 
There are no shortage of issues for the candidates to discuss this year. The presidential candidate debates have been consumed with talks on healthcare, immigration, government spending, foreign policy and much more.
 
There is one topic that hasn't gotten much attention from the candidates that is worthy of much more of their time. Small Business. For the first time in the history of this country, entrepreneurship in the United States is on the decline. Fewer small businesses are getting started each year than ever before and the total number of small businesses in this country has dropped as more businesses are closing their doors for a variety of reasons.
 
One of the greatest institutions in this country, small business, is at peril and nobody in government seems to care. This is despite the fact that small business creates the majority of new jobs in this country (about 75%), leads the way for innovation in this country (10-15 times more than larger companies), and is the primary driver of the overall domestic economy (over 50% of GDP).
 
What is causing entrepreneurship to decline in the U.S.? Several key factors are at play:
 
●  The "Walmart-ization of America". There has been a huge shift in our economy from "mom & pop" stores to national chains. Small businesses are having a harder time competing with larger mega companies like Walmart, Costco, and Amazon.

SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS - THE PODCAST



An entrepreneur focused on creating value for clients and shareholders, John Hightower is also a 16 year consulting veteran with a tenacious approach to "roll-up-the-sleeves" and optimize results. John thrives by creating solutions in fast-paced, inter-departmental projects, and innovative/disruptive product sets. In 2017, he co-founded Arch + Tower, an FD Company that helps businesses win in the Experience Economy.

In this episode, John Hightower discusses the concept of leading with a servant mentality and flipping the organizational chart in order to improve the customer experience.

SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS VIRTUAL LUNCH


Wednesday, September 9, 11:30 am 

 Guest Speaker:

Chris Hooper 
Conscious Capitalism

Join us for lunch when Co-Founder and Atlanta Chapter Chair Chris Hooper provides an overview of Conscious Capitalism's philosophy on business and its benefits to business leaders. Chris will also share insights on other emerging concepts that are influencing the evolution of capitalism. 

Conscious Capitalism, Inc. supports a global community of business leaders dedicated to elevating humanity through business. The group provides mid-market executives with innovative and inspiring experiences designed to level-up their business operations and collectively demonstrate capitalism as a powerful force for good when practiced consciously.

 

BOOK OF THE MONTH


Building a Story Brand  By Donald Miller

One of the biggest marketing challenges that small businesses have is the inability to explain what they do, why they do it, and for whom they do it. We are all bad at telling our "story". This impacts our ability to acquire and retain key customers. It damages our brand.
 
Best-selling author Donald Miller's book, Building a Story Brand, takes dead aim at this issue for small business owners.
 
Miller has helped thousands of companies clarify their marketing messages. He is the CEO of StoryBrand, the cohost of a popular podcast, and the author of several best-selling books.
 
Building a Story Brand provides the reader with the following:

●      The seven universal story points all humans respond to
●      The real reason customers make purchases (it may not be what you think)
●      How to simplify a brand message so people understand and act on it
●      How to create the most effective messaging for websites, brochures, and social media
 
I've already implemented several key aspects of this book into my own Small Business Matters marketing efforts and look forward to seeing better results.
 
I highly recommend this book for all small business owners.

SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS MASTERMIND GROUP



...Imagine if you had one hour a week to hone your skills as a leader.

...Imagine if you had one hour a week to prioritize your most important weekly action items.

...Imagine if you had one hour a week to work with and support a growth-minded peer group.


Hosted by former Vistage Chair and SBM President Tim Fulton, the SBM MasterMind Group provides:

* A weekly one hour virtual group meeting 
* Quarterly one-to-one individual coaching sessions 
* An annual group retreat 
* Ready access to a growth-minded peer group

All for the small investment of $295/month! 

____________________________________________________________________________

Here's what a current Mastermind Group member had to say about his experience..
 
"I have enjoyed the Mastermind Group and have been able to dive deeper into my business. 
We cover so much in one hour each week."

Ryan Tabb
CEO/Owner 
Peachtree Junk Removal

_____________________________________________________________________________

For additional information or to register for the group, contact Tim Fulton at [email protected].

A WORD TO THE WISE

DID YOU KNOW

According to Harvard Business Review, as a result of lockdowns, the number of meetings the average person goes to per day is up 13 percent. The good news is, the length of the average meeting is down 20 percent, meaning that, on average, people are spending 12 percent less time in meetings per day.  





















A LITTLE HUMOR

Please let me know if I can help you in any way.

Remember, small business does MATTER.

TIM FULTON
President & CEO
Small Business Matters
(678) 427-9436
www.smallbusinessmattersonline.com

"Dedicated to Increasing the Effectiveness and Enhancing the Lives of CEOs"

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