Read the directs or watch the video!

The Solution

What you need to do is fix the upload path. This is the upload path /home/content/…/wp-content/uploads/2010/06 and it no longer is the right one for one of the two reasons above (that I know of).

Step 1:

You need to login to your hosting account and locate your hosting accounts main path, which starts like this, /home/content/…. and goes on (in most cases).

Step 2:

Login to your WordPress admin panel (yourdomain.com/wp-admin) then type /options.php to the end of yourdomain.com/wp-admin (yourdomain.com/wp-admin/options.php). This will display parts of your WordPress database and make it very easy for you to make changes in your WordPress dashboard.

Step 3:

Scroll down until you find upload_path

Step 4:

Delete the first part of the path listed there which looks something like this, /home/content/…/wp-content/uploads. Remove this portion /home/content/…/ and replace it with the path you found on in your hosting account in step 1.

Other option:

You can probably leave the upload file path like this wp-content/uploads and it will still work fine. What I have seen, is that in WordPress 3.0 it no longer uses the entire file path like it use to. This way you wont have to worry about any errors in the future. But if you try this option and it still does not work, then you will need to insert the whole file path.

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From laid off to start-up, one in ten Americans in 2009 (Petrecca) started a business.  The hardest part about starting a business is the decision of what to do, what product or service to offer.  Not everyone has to start from scratch, in fact, many of those that started businesses in 2009 joined already established companies as Independent Associates, such as Mary Kay.  Others took their trades and skills and started consulting firms offering their expertise.  Some found opportunity for profit in their hobbies; many photographers start their own photography businesses after developing a passion for taking pictures.  Many in retirement also find opportunity to start a business by applying the skills they practiced in previous decades.  What every business owner and entrepreneur discovers is that being self-employed provides more control over life. The great opportunity of our time according to Peter Bregman is “[s]mall companies with low overhead, reliable owners, a small number of committed employees, personal client relationships, and sustainable business models that drive a reasonable profit”.

President Obama said, “It’s worth remembering that every once in a while a small business becomes a big business and changes the world, that’s why it is so important that we help small business struggling to open, or stay open, during these difficult times” (Wingfield 10).  Some of those small companies that changed the world are; Microsoft Corp., CNN, General Electric Co., Hewlett-Packard, Burger King Corp., FedEx Corp., and IHOP Corp.  All these companies have brand names that not only Americans recognize, but that are recognized in many other countries as well.  Interestingly enough, all of these companies were also started during a recession (Caron).  Not every business is started by someone determined to change the world or interested in penetrating a global market.  Many small business owners start their business with the soul purpose of generating extra income to help offset their cost of living.  However, small businesses are generally run by passionate entrepreneurs who are interested in making their dreams come true, and living the American dream.  They want to see their ideas become a common household name, and provide better services and products at the same time. They look forward to getting out of bed every morning and going to work.  They love what they do and do what they love.  They are driven by desire and passion every day.

Do small businesses every fail?  Absolutely.  Do the owners every give up?  Probably.  In fact, 50 percent of starts-ups fail in the first year (SBA).  Ethan Epstein author of “Are Small Business Good for the Economy?” believes that small businesses are a “…drag on the economy”.  Epstein’s theory assumes that when small businesses fail they default on their government and bank loans suggesting “…failing small businesses do further harm to the already soaring budget deficit”.  Although he presents a reasonable theory, he does little to support it.  The idea that the governments and banks simply lose out on loans made to companies that fail is no different than loans made to people who stop paying their mortgage and force the bank to foreclose on them.  In 2009 a total of 89,402 businesses filed for bankruptcy, while 1.3 million consumers filed for bankruptcy (NumberOf).  Epstein mentions that stimulus packages, tax write-offs, and regulation exceptions offered to small businesses are the causes of our recent economic downturn.  While in 2009 the government offered a stimulus package to first time homebuyers with a promise of an 8,000-dollar tax refundable credit.  What’s more of a “drag on the economy”; “small businesses that provide profits, jobs, and the ability to draw new dollars into a local community” (Muske and Woods 97), or helping people buy homes, which only creates an illusion of recovery while raising the nation’s deficit?  “The housing market is unlikely to turn around while there’s so much cheap money about, or while the feds are subsidizing home purchases to such an extent” (Hutchinson).

Epstein further suggests that because small businesses account for 52 percent of the American workforce “…they are responsible for a stunning number of layoffs in times of economical tribulation”.  What he fails to mention is that when a small business closes its doors, it may eliminate anywhere from 1 to 150 jobs, but of those workers 1 in 10 will start a new business.  The other fallacy in Epstein’s claim is that every small business has employees, when in reality, “75 percent of small businesses are non-employer firms” (Petrecca). This suggests that the majority of the 2009 14.9 million unemployed workers came from larger corporations that do mass layoffs, cutting thousands of jobs at a time.  Small businesses, especially those that are non-employee firms, have a better chance of success mainly because they have lower overhead and a minimal cost of doing business providing more profits for the owners (Abrams).

I am passionate about business.  I have been self-employed for three years, and in my opinion there is nothing better then running a business.  I get excited when people are motivated to find ways to profit from their passions.  I have discovered through my own web development company that starting a business is hard and requires lots of work.  The idea of building a business around a passion is to prevent the hard work from interfering with the dream.  Building a business without the passion will end up creating just another job.  According to business experts, economist, presidential committees, and the Small Business Association, small business is so important because “[a] full economic recovery won’t really begin until small businesses start spending, and hiring again” (Anderson).  Most Americans spend their day working, some at a job they hate and others enjoying their work but feeling trapped or tied down.  Starting a business is risky, there is no doubt about it, but in today’s economy jobs can be just as risky.  We could see a significant improvement in our communities, economies, and lives if more people were to start a business doing something they loved.  For example, Michelle Donahue-Arpas, who just after becoming a first time mother started a web-based business called Genius Babies.  Her business is comprised of her two biggest passions, her daughter and pre-natal or infant stimulation.  Michelle has run a successful business for the past ten years.  In another success story, two people driven by unfortunate circumstances, David and Wendi Kast turned their hobby of candle making into a successful business after Wendi was laid off (Isidro).  “It’s been said that there are two kinds of people in life: those who make things happen and those who wonder what happened. Leaders have the ability to make things happen” (Maxwell).

Whether the dream is big or small it doesn’t matter.  What matters most is that Americans find more opportunities to improve their financial problems so that we as a whole can work to improve the economy.  Small business focus should be on relationships and personality.  Big corporations stiff-arm their customers keeping them at arms length while providing just enough service to keep consumers coming back.  Our “new economy” is fueled by passion and interaction.  Consumers want to be engaged and they want to know the people they do business with.  When small business owners are passionate about their service or product they can make huge impacts in individual lives and communities.  Their business is not just about the product or service they offer, it’s about the relationships they develop.

Will you become part of the solution?

Need Assistance with your startup?  Send me an email and I would be happy to offer any advice and suggestions!

Work Cited

Abrams, Rhonda.  “Strategy: It’s a good time to start a business. Really.”  Strategy & Leadership Jan. 2008.  Academic OneFile. Web.  22 Apr. 2010.

Anderson, Scott.  “Not Just Hype-Small Business Means Jobs.”  USBanker Feb. 2010: 39. Academic OneFile. Web.  01 Mar. 2010.

Bregman, Peter.  “Why Small Companies Will Win in This Economy.”  Weblog entry.  Harvard Business Review 23 Mar. 2009.  Web.  06 Mar. 2010.

Caron, Sarah.  “14 Big Businesses That Started in a Recession.”  Weblog entry.  InsiderCRM 11 Nov. 2008.  Web.  22 Apr. 2010.

Epstein, Ethan.  “Are Small Businesses Good For The Economy?” Weblog entry.  True/Slant 30 Dec. 2009.  Web.  06 Apr. 2010.

Hutchinson, Martin.  “Housing Stimulus May Be Creating An Illusion Of Real Estate Recovery.”  The American Enterprise Jan. 1 2010.  Academic OneFile. Web.  22 Apr. 2010.

Isidro, Isabel.  “Small Business Success Stories.”  Weblog entry.  PowerHomeBiz.com. Web.  28 Apr. 2010.

Maxwell, John C.  Thinking For A Change.  New York: Center Street, 2003.  Print.

Muske, Glenn, and Michael Woods.  “Micro businesses as an economic development tool: what they bring and what they need.”  Journal of the Community Development Society 35.1 (2004): 97.  Academic OneFile. Web.  05 Mar. 2010.

“Number of Bankruptcies in 2009.”  NumberOf. Web.  22 Apr. 2010.  <http://numberof.net/number-of-bankruptcies-in-2009>

Petrecca, Laura.  “Recession, layoffs fuel many to start small businesses.”  Weblog entry.  USA Today 18 Aug. 2009.  Web.  06 Apr. 2010.

United States.  Small Business Association.  Office of Advocacy.  Small Business Research Summary.  Washington:  GPO, 2009.  Web.  22 Feb. 2010.

Wingfield, Brian.  “Obama’s Small Business Conundrum.”  Forbes 8 Dec. 2009: 50+.  Print.Similar Posts:

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Social and Behavioral Criticisms

• Payscale
• Lack of ethics
• Accounting Scandals
• Lazy CEOs
• Bailouts
• CEO Payouts
• Glass Ceiling
• Job Security
• Outsourcing
• Traffic congestion
• Public safety
• Heath insurance benefits
• Illegal workers
• Pollution
• Bad working conditions
• Bad customer service

Business’s General Response

It starts with the “spokesperson”.  Every company has a couple, the persons that are paid to stand in front of the news cameras and say stuff like, ‘this incident is unacceptable, we have reprimanded the individual, and we are changing our policies to ensure this never happens again.’  Never an apology, don’t want to risk looking weak and insecure.  Often there is the removal of an executive, but not before some negotiation of how much they will get to leave and stay quite.  The blanket statements like ‘we have to outsource in order to stay in business’.  In today’s market no one has job security, not even a tenured professor.  It seems like retirement is no longer an option, as employees get older companies find ways to get rid of them saving themselves a few dollars.  Trying to show environmental concern by announcing a more energy efficient and “greener” business plan.Similar Posts:

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• Supporting local charities
• “Going Green”
• Establishing their own charities
• Promoting employee volunteer programs
• Campaigning for a good cause
• Education funding programs
• ETC…

Companies that are involved in their community and that promote corporate philanthropy likely have some personal agendas.  Their agenda could be for tax exceptions/credits, positive brand image, increased government funding or to draw the attention of a quality workforce. One example, all over the printers in the school library you will see notes that say something like these printers print on both sides of the page; your teachers have been informed CGC is going green!  When I first saw this I had the thought, good they are saving paper.  My second thought, they are saving money or getting more government money by implementing a “green” campus!

CSR according to Friedman is to increase its profits (The Social…).  And by increasing its profits it can have a positive and negative impact on the community and economy.  In Reason magazine I found an article written by John Mackey CEO of Whole Foods in response to Friedmans previously motioned article.  In Mackey’s attempts to sound like a none self-serving philanthropist he points out that when he and his employees get involved in the community they target communities that are more likely to encompass the demographics of their target market.  Therefore, drawing more people to his stores through promoting his brand at charity events and community activities (Rethinking…).

Social and economical reasons for a company to get involved…(textbook 156)

• Community
• Competitors
• Advocacy Groups
• Stockholders/Investors
• Customers
• Employees
• Events/Crises
• Government
• Request for philanthropy
• Financial
• Social
• Environmental

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“A system of shared knowledge, values, norms, customs and rituals acquired by social learning” (Textbook 37).  The emphasis on “social learning” implies that culture is not genetic and that one person can be immersed in and a part of many cultures.  As an example my parents instilled in me a culture, one that was based on their knowledge, experience and religious beliefs.  I came to know this culture through communication and the example they set.  Our class, mainly due to the teachers unique teaching style has a culture of its own.  There seems to be a unity or bond between the students because of the level of discussion we have in class.  We are open to discussing and sharing almost anything with each other because there is this relaxed no pressure atmosphere that the teacher presents in his teaching style.  As in a business, there is typically some diversification of cultures primarily because each person has a different cultural background.  However, in a business environment these individuals regardless of their cultures must become familiar with a “corporate culture”: that is the values, ethics, beliefs and behaviors that a corporation has and displays in its day-to-day operations.

Culture and Ethics Interrelate

Our ethical systems and decisions are based upon our individual cultures.  The textbook talks about four sources of ethical values, (1) religion, (2) philosophy, (3) culture and (4) law.  Each individual will make ethical decisions based on their own personal beliefs and culture.  Some ethics are established based on social norms and a company will likely be judged based on their ability to operate within those social norms.

Cultures Role in Business

Culture plays a role in the type of promotion a company does, the price that a product or service is sold for, the type of product or service sold, the way that product is packaged, the type of connections made, how a product is delivered, the level of customer service offered, and its availability to the consumer.  Marketers look at the values and behaviors of their target market in order to properly communicate the product brand.  McDonalds sells hamburgers, but not in India!

Challenges of Operating in a Multicultural Environment

Communications 101, verbal and non-verbal language can mean different things to different people, based on their cultural backgrounds.  When working in a multicultural environment challenges arise from not knowing or failing to understand some differences in cultural roles such as; power distance, masculine vs. feminine, high and low ambiguity, individualist vs. collectivist and the high and low contexts of the cultures associated (DeVito 40).

Power Distance – This is the theory that the power or authority of an individual varies based on their situation.  Some cultures have greater respect for authority where others expect more equality of authority.  (Identifying leaders and possible conflict issues.)

Masculine and Feminine – Masculine cultures are more assertive, ambitious and competitive and feminine cultures are more interested in the quality of life and interpersonal relationships.  (Drive and motivation.)

High and Low Ambiguity – High-Ambiguity consist of people that have low stress and worry about the unknown, they take life as it comes.  Low-Ambiguity culture members suffer with anxiety that is caused by uncertainty, which threatens them.  (Work ethic and efficiency.)

Individualist vs. Collectivist – The theory that members of a culture are either responsible for themselves and any immediate family or they are responsible for the entire group.  (Team Work!  Team Player!?)

High and Low Context – The idea that some cultures place more value on establishing interpersonal relationships before doing any business and other cultures just wanting to get down to business cutting out the small talk.  (Customer relations and connectivity.)

From our class case study of opening an automobile factory in Columbia we learned about the ethical challenges of operating in a multicultural environment.  In a country were the culture has a high power distance like Columbia the authority figures consider themselves above the lower classes and in a country like the U.S with a low power distance we have ethical systems that require businesses to be an equal opportunity employer.  Therefore, when trying to merge the two cultures we encountered problems maintaining ethics while meeting the requirements of the Columbian officials, which might be what causes unethical decisions.  It does seem that it would have been easy to say yes to the offer of manufacturing 1000 military vehicles as a first order for whatever compromise it was you were bartering for.  If the ethics are not important to them why should they be important to me?  Well, at lest that seems to be a philosophy that could easily be applied based on our classroom experiment.Similar Posts:

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Examining the good versus the bad in any situation where a business is faced with making a decision.  Generally these “business ethics” are prewritten and predetermined in order to support making the correct decision.  Businesses operate in a society and as such they are bound to duties and responsibilities within those societies.  Corporations should be held to a standard, they should be held accountable and their ethical systems should be made know to everyone that decides to do business with them.  How an organization chooses to conduct its business effects more then the parties directly related to that business.  Business ethics applies to all aspects of business conduct including both the individuals associated with an organization and the organization as a whole.  “Theoretically, a code of ethics sets guidelines for ideal behavior. However, in reality, it represents minimum standards of behavior. These minimum standards often become the goal, rather than a “trip wire” to signal unacceptable behavior.” (Schafer)

Complexities of Making Ethical Judgments

When making an ethical judgment, several things must be considered.  There are of course the ethics codes of the organization, moral principles, laws, professional standards and weather we agree or not individual ethics.  It can be considered a fact that individual values, cultures, religious beliefs and biases are going to have a large impact on the decisions one might make.  Ethic conflicts arise when the actions of a person group or organization interfere with the interests of another person, group, organization or the community as a whole.  Therefore, when making decisions a corporation should consider the impact that they will have on the community, economy, and the individuals within that community of which they are apart of.  In the article “What’s Your Price?”  we learned about 10 principles that a corporation should adhere to if they are to be completely ethical in their processes.  As we learned in class from our experiment with you, following these ethical principles is not that easy.  It requires understanding of not only the business ethics but also the culture and ethics of the society in which your business is a part of.  The subtitle of the article “Ten principles for saving a corporate soul…and (who knows?) maybe your own” is very appropriate given the seriousness of making ethical judgments.

In my own experience I have had to make a few ethical judgments, in the Internet/Wed Development field I often have request from companies that produce adult content, our ethical code says that we refuse to provide any type of service to those companies.  My understanding is that this ethical code would align itself with two of the principles in the article previously mentioned, numbers 2 and 10.  “A company will think of itself as a part of a community, not just a ‘market’” (Batstone).  I am interested in keeping adult content out of children’s reach and out of the homes of families.  “A company will not seek to generate any revenue from practices that threaten life” (Batstone).  Pornography threatens life in the sense that it can destroy relationships and families forever.  Was making this decisions hard for me, no, however the profit opportunity is usually very large, but I think what made this decision easy was my personal values and religious beliefs.

As of today I face another conflict that requires me to make an ethical judgment.  A client emails me last night completely out raged at the progress of his project and demanding answers and completion.  Principle nine, “A company will deliver what it promises, and promise what it can deliver” (Batstone).  In my understanding the project had been completed except for six cosmetic cleanups.  Final payment is 2 weeks past due and our contract gives me several rights at this point.  So I have to ask myself, first how do I respond to this email, and second do I complete the touchups before payment is received.  This decision is harder for me ethically, withholding payment is unacceptable and against contract, but even more I do not appreciate being talked at like the help.

Ethical Systems

For every business there are going to be different ethical systems and to assume that every company should have the same ethical system is unrealistic.  For example, in the Human Resource management department, why should a company have to be an equal opportunity employer?  If I want to hire all white men should I not be allowed to do so?  If I do a study that suggest white males at the age of 28 are more likely to sell my product more effectively then, why would I not focus my training at better equipping them over other employees?  In my business I deal a lot with intellectual property, using other peoples ‘open source’ products to support my clients projects.  Many of these licenses ask that you leave their links active on the site as the payment for using their software.  However, my dilemma is that it is unprofessional to have another company’s link on my client’s site; therefore I do not do it.  Other ethical systems can consist of,

• Marketing & Sales ethics – “A company will deliver what it promises and promise what it can deliver” (Batstone).
• Corporate Social Responsibility – company responsibility for impact on environment, consumers, employees, communities and stakeholders.
• Financial ethics – public companies being honest in their quarterly/yearly disclosures, paying taxes and all fees associated with the cost of doing business
• International Business ethics – Considering culture and laws of other countries and how they are affected by business relationships
• Law and Business – “to make as much money as possible while conforming to the basic rules of the society, both those embodied in the law and those embodied in ethical custom” (Friedman).

Work Cited

Batstone, David.  “What’s Your Price?”  Sojourners Magazine Jan-Feb 2000. Web. 25 Feb 2010.

Friedman, Milton. “Business Ethics” Wikipedia. Web. 29 Mar. 2010.

Schafer, John R. “Making ethical decisions: a practical model – police personnel” BNET.com May 2002. Web. 26 Mar. 2010Similar Posts:

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“A network of human relations composed of ideas, institutions and material things” (Textbook 5).  My problem with this definition is the impersonal reflection of it.  Human networks should be something personal, people reaching out to help support and grow each other.  When societies of people network together it is usually for a cause that all are interested in and agree on.  A society is the combination of people from different cultures, which can add influential traditions and new ideas to the individuals in that society.  It is the place where we live; it is made up of the government, the education system, the health care and the many occupations that people have. Each person in a society is important because of the role that they play and the responsibility they have to that society.  The Economist an on line journal that I read regularly points out, “…the world is governed by ideas. Because human progress relies on the advancement of good ideas…[b]y focusing on Innovation, Intelligent Infrastructure, and Human Potential, we imagine an ecosystem where good ideas move from concept to implementation, fueled by the power of human ingenuity” (http://ow.ly/1qJHN).  I believe that this is exactly what happens within a society: people work together to improve first their local community and then branching out through business, education, government etc…to influence other societies and communities.

The interrelationship of business and society has to do with the inseparable connection between the two: connections both positive and negative, from increased employment to pollution.  Business would not survive without a society to establish in and an individual interest in that business from the members of the society.  To say that society would fail without business may not be completely accurate.  A truly networked society established on human connections of people interacting for the good of the whole would manage to survive without business.  However, in order for individuals and complete societies to function long term, it is realistic to assume they will need business to provide the essential day to day needs.  Societies rely on business for survival because it is the business that provides monies to those societies and to the members of the society.  It is business that strengthens and enables growth within a society and for that to happen the business must be supported by the society of which it is a part.  And on the other hand corrupted business can bring destruction to society and the people of that society.

Examples of the interrelationship of business and society;

Externalities…the impact on a society that may not be directly involved in the transaction: for example, a manufacture that causes air pollution creates cost for the whole society.  And on the positive side, home ownership creates a positive externality in that homeowners are more likely than renters to become actively involved in the local community.

• Layoffs
• Union Busting
• Sweatshops
• Dangerous Products
• Toxic Waste
• Pollution
• Synthetics
• Habit Destruction
• Factory Farming
• Experimentation
• RBGH
• Beekeeper
• Knowledge spillover of inventions and information
• Network effect
• Home ownership
• Education

Work Cited

Steiner, John F. and George A. Steiner. “Business, Government, and Society” Textbook.

The Economist. 2010. Web. 25 Mar. 2010 (http://ow.ly/1qJHN)Similar Posts:

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Small and micro businesses (which I will refer to as small businesses for the duration of this report) have distinct roles in improving the economy.  According to the SBA, small businesses are responsible for creating jobs as well as a large portion of new innovative ideas and technologies (The Small Business Economy 44-45).  These small businesses also provide economic support and growth, through both the income and profits they generate as well as their community involvement.  Additionally, they generally provide better quality services and products (Muske and Woods 97).

“Businesses with less than 500 employees are generally considered small and it’s these firms that have created most of the new jobs in the U.S. over the last two decades.” (Anderson 39).  According to the U.S Department of State, the number of Americans that work for companies that employ less than 20 workers are 19.6 million, companies employing 20 to 99 employees is 18.4 million and companies that employee 100 to 499 employees totals 14.6 million.  In contrast, the number of companies that employ more than 500 employees is 47.7 million.  The SBA reported, “…small enterprises account for 52 percent of all U.S. workers…” (About.com).  It has been discovered that young companies, three years old or less, are accountable for a large percentage of employment (The Small Business Economy 45).  According to these experts the numbers clearly present a solid foundation for small businesses and point out the huge impact they have on creating the jobs that millions of Americans rely on.  Businesses having fewer than ten employees “…represents a substantial sub-segment of all small business, [and] [a]s such, they are credited as a significant contributor to economic growth of a community” (Muske and Woods 97).  Scott Anderson a senior economist suggest, “[n]o matter how you slice it, the conclusion is the same: the small-business impact on the U.S. labor market is anything but small” (39).

“We are entering a new economy…a new economy built on silicon, computers and networks” (Tapscott 8).  A company in San Jose, California has proven the power a small business has in providing innovation.  That company is Bloomenergy®, whose innovative genius and founder K.R Sridhar, has discovered an alternative solution for creating energy.  Sridhar started Bloomenergy® with six employees in 2006 and now employs two hundred.   This small business plans to provide over one hundred additional jobs in 2010.  K.R Sridhar’s discovery is currently being used by companies such as Walmart, ebay, Staples, Google and others (60 Minutes).  If a state desires to have economical success they will need to focus on “…how effectively they can spur home-grown technological innovation and entrepreneurship” (Nagendra and Ali).  Research done by the SBA has proven that “…small businesses are more likely to develop emerging technologies than their larger counterparts (The Small Business Economy 47).  Business analysts have agreed that there are ten “themes” small businesses should focus on in this “new economy” that will continue to aid the growth it needs.  Of these “themes” there are four that refer to and relate with innovation, Knowledge, Digitization, Integration/Internetworking and Innovation itself (Tapscott 8-9).  Our nation’s future growth will be shaped by those small businesses that are actively engaged in defining cutting edge technologies (The Small Business Economy 47).

Small businesses are finding more success and support in smaller towns surrounding cities of already established business centers.  These smaller towns are called “edge cities” says Joel Kotkin of The American Enterprise (Kotkin 68).  Kotkin also noted, “More recently, some entrepreneurs have forsaken the metropolis entirely for new opportunities in smaller towns and rural areas…places with low taxes, light government regulations, moderate labor and housing cost…” (68).  Business owners interviewed by Joel all suggest that the communities they established business in welcomed them warmly and with great support.  Among small business owners in these “edge cities” you will find many that spend extra time as community volunteers.  In an article by Glenn Muske and Michael Woods, it was reported that “[small] business owners are often involved in community activities and take on leadership roles” (97).  Small businesses have also been known to contribute to these small city communities through what is known as new dollars, the ability to bring “dollars from consumers outside of the local area” (Muske and Woods 97).  This new dollar also provides opportunity for new wealth within a small community.

Large corporations continue to struggle with providing quality services, products and effective customer service, but many small businesses excel in these areas.  “[C]ompanies need to move beyond cost control to address the more significant issue of how to create value” (Tapscott 1).  Peter Bregman, author of “Why Small Companies Will Win in This Economy” said, “A small company gives its employees a sense of security and employees pass that feeling on to clients” (Harvard Business Review).  The small business is more agile, and able to respond quicker and address concerns or problems on a personal level.  The employees of small companies are more likely to be energized and passionate about their work (Keough 2).  A small company named Passlogix displayed these skills and was chosen to receive a million dollar contract over their competitor IBM.  The CEO of Passlogix shares his work ethic with Peter Brigman, “[I] tell clients about [my] commitment to the company and to them, and they know exactly who to call if the work isn’t done to their expectations…the personal relationship, that trust, is important to them” (Harvard Business Review). “Small is the new big.  Sustainable is the new growth.  Trust is the new competitive advantage” (Bregman).

The economist John Anderson said, “A full economic recovery won’t really begin until small businesses start spending, and hiring, again (39).  Small companies have for years been a driving force in our economy and the growth of our communities.  Reliability, relationship, commitment, sustainability, profit, community, and passion are characteristics of the type of businesses that will be the great opportunity of our time (Bregman).  The SBA in their report to the President suggested that risk-taking entrepreneurs positively impact our nations economic development every day in almost every city across the U.S (The Small Business Economy 46).  We can conclude that the experts agree; the future of our economy is dependant on the success of small businesses.  We should hope for more “[n]iche companies whose owners are trying to build sustainable businesses they love…” (Bregman).

The Solution!

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Work Cited

Anderson, Scott.  “Not Just Hype-Small Business Means Jobs.”  USBanker Feb. 2010: 39. Academic OneFile. Web.  01 Mar. 2010.

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United States.  Small Business Association.  Office of Advocacy.  The Small Business Economy.  Washington:  GPO, 2009.  Web.  22 Feb. 2010.Similar Posts:

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I used a tool called The Brain to display how I would recommend organizing her new site. The focus is to promote her services, event speaking and to grow her online coaching classes.

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I am 27 years old, no formal education beyond High School, I currently am attending a community college, I own and operate my own business, of which I am content with but not completely satisfied with. I feel that there is more, more to do, more opportunities to be had. I wonder about my future and the decisions I am making today and how they will impact my legacy.

Why is this so important to me? For starters I have always had dreams of being “important”, meaning I want to be someone of authority someone with answers to peoples problems, I want to be a “household name”. Not in the sense that General Electric is, but more like Apple and Stephan Covey. I want to help people in important ways like Apple and Covey have. Apple is revolutionizing technology providing great tools for families, students and business. Covey has helped thousands of people change their lives, improve their families and enhance their businesses. His legacy will go on for years after his death, people will be using his profound ideas to solve problems and change things for decades to come!

I realize that there are some who do not become who they attempted to be until after their death. Some Artist and Poets become “famous” only after their death and then their legacy is realized. That however is not expectable to me! I have a good 60 years ahead of me in this life and many still in my young age where I am able to accomplish this desire.

In thinking about this desire and the word Legacy I have realized a few things where I need to find focus in my life in order to obtain my desire to establish a solid legacy. And don’t get me wrong, its not all about business and money, there are other things too. I want my children to be associated through name to an honest man who worked hard to help others.

John Maxwell, author of numerous books on leadership, said, “It’s been said that there are two kinds of people in life: those who make things happen and those who wonder what happened. Leaders have the ability to make things happen. People who don’t know how to make things happen for themselves won’t know how to make things happen for others.”

Maxwell went on to say, “What you do with the future means the difference between leaving a track record and leaving a legacy.”

That is exactly where I am going to start! My Future!

I think one of the biggest factors that determines the outcome of our future and thus creating our legacy is our careers. This is one of the most important decisions we make in this life. To support this I only need suggest that you evaluate your life as it is. Does your family suffer because you spend weeks on the road? Do you spend late nights at the office every week? What are the habits you have come accustomed to that could prove my point? For some people their careers are the most important thing to them in this life and thus everything else is an additive, and you know that’s fine too. But really take an unbiased evaluation of your situation and think about it.

There are six things we should evaluate when making the very important decision of what we should do for 40 hours a week every week of our lives.

1. Level of Interest
2. Aptitude and Training
3. Should be Challenging
4. Provide Self-worth
5. Enjoy Each Day
6. Provide Sufficient Income

Take a quick minute and review your career and ask yourself those questions. Then ask yourself what will my legacy be if I am doing something every day that feels like a dead end?

I understand that today in our present situation, where our economy and societies are trying to recover, some people are struggling to find work and are doing whatever they can to survive.

And on the other hand, did you know that experts have said more fortunes are made during a economic crisis then any other time?

I read an article just last night entitled, Set aside 10% of your work for retirement not 10% of your income. The idea of the article is to work on creating an additional income while working at your current job. Not anything new, it is actually the same thing I have heard for years. It is the same thing that every MLM business preaches. I think this time it hit home because of the way it was presented.

For every 10 hours you work at your job, spend 1 hour working on your side business. This side business does not have to be something huge, it does not have to be something you want to convert into a full blown business. It can be a simple way to generate an extra couple of hundred dollars a month. It my be something that you plan on only doing for a while then throwing away after it has yielded the result you wanted. The key is to avoid setting aside more than 10% of your work. Other wise you will get burnt out and quit before you even get started. And not only that, but your family will start to struggle as well. All things in moderation, it is important to keep your life balanced.

If you feel like your job is a dead end, if you feel like what you spend 40 hours a week every week of your life doing is unimportant and meaningless, find something that fits into the first five essential points above and make that the thing you do to set aside 10% of your work.

Really quickly I want to point out a part of this article that was really intriguing to me:

“… [This] will help you reach your goal of early semi-retirement decades earlier than you would otherwise be able. It is not inconceivable you could reach the point of being financially capable of quitting the 9-5 world permanently within 5 years of implementing this plan. How? It’s simple: set aside 10% of your work efforts to income-generating side products in addition to saving the regular 10% of your income for retirement.”

I point that out for two reasons, I think that it provides motivation and helps your more fully understand how it works and how it works properly.

This idea sounds great right! I think it does, I think it actually works! However, I do want to suggest two additional things to consider before making the attempt. To be sure that you have your ducks in a row, so to speak.

• First, create your plan…Lay out the next five years the best you can with what you know
• Second, take your time deciding what your going to do.

If you have this planned out, you have picked your “muse” (read the article), then your ready to give it a go!

If your interested in changing your future and creating a legacy that you and your family will be proud of, then hopefully my suggestions will help you do that!

Starting somewhere to change our future will be “…the difference between leaving a track record and leaving a legacy.”

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