By Rieva Lesonsky

Have you missed any of my blog posts around the Web this week? Here’s what I’m writing about:

Last week I heard one of the most inspiring business speakers ever, Seth Godin, talk about his “Linchpin” theory, why your lizard brain is holding you back and how to create a business that matters. Get more on my AllBusiness.com blog.

With big-bank lending drying up, community banks could be a lifeline for small business. Read more about President Obama’s plans for increasing local lending in my blog post on Anita Campbell’s Small Business Trends site.

There’s a whole generation growing up in the shadow of this “Great Recession.” Learn how the economic meltdown is changing their attitudes—perhaps forever—and what that means to your business in my post on AT&T’s SmallBusinessInSite.

Thinking about buying a franchise? Before you do, find out what that company’s franchisees really think of it. I’ll tell you how on my AllBusiness.com franchise blog.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

There are days when running your business might seem like an Olympic challenge in itself. On those days, think of Ruben Gonzalez–who’s running a business while competing in the 2010 Vancouver games. Guest blogger Charlotte Jensen talked to Gonzalez (shown at right) about his strategies for excelling in both arenas.

By Charlotte Jensen

When high-speed slider and four-time Olympian Ruben Gonzalez is not competing at the Olympics or training for them, he’s running through airports and building his professional speaking business, OlympicMotivation.com. “In my life, I never know where I will be in two weeks,” says the Houston entrepreneur, who has authored two books and is working on his third.

In fact, this grueling schedule of travel, flying and losing sleep has actually rendered an unexpected payoff for Gonzalez: “[It’s been] training my body and mind to be able to handle what’s happening this week.”

The previous few days had been tough ones for Gonzalez and his fellow luge competitors, as he told me by phone the afternoon following the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Since his arrival on February 9, he’d been averaging only four hours of sleep per night. Then, opening day of the luge track in Whistler had been marred by the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili.

“We’re a tight-knit group,” Gonzalez said to me just hours before a new briefing on track safety and his first two runs in competition. “We have to figure out a way to deal with it quickly.”

Keeping your business on track while training and competing in the Olympics may sound like a remarkable feat, but the balancing act doesn’t faze Gonzalez, who is representing his native Argentina at the games. “It’s a lot like at home,” he says. “I’ve created a lifestyle that allows me to do this.”

So in between all the Olympic excitement, tragedy and responsibilities, Gonzalez, who has no employees, still must find time to schedule upcoming speeches, make changes to his Web site, blog, write articles and try to garner as much media as possible. The media spotlight has been particularly intense following the accident. And at the end of a long day, it’s back to the hotel to work on the sled, removing nicks and polishing it up with diamond paste to reduce friction.

During the first few days spent training in Whistler, Gonzalez devoted 30 percent of his time to his business, which has a client base of Fortune 100 companies such as Chevron, Dell, Exxon and Xerox. Following his final run nearly two weeks ago (and the day after our phone call), he expected to increase that to 50 percent.

Mobile tech allows him to work pretty much when and where he likes—even when he’s not at the Olympics. “I don’t work 9 to 5,” says Gonzalez, 47, who started his business in 2002. “It’s all piecemeal.” Back home, a usual work day comprises four or five 90-minute intervals. “So here at the Olympics, I’m doing the same thing.”

Gonzalez’s dedication to his company means that in between training runs he was lining up a few speeches back in the U.S. for the week between his final run (where he finished last) and the closing ceremony. Those speeches now behind him, he’s flying back to Vancouver tomorrow to take part in the festivities. Following that, it’s five more speeches in as many different cities.

His family joined him in Whistler to offer support. And despite all the traveling for his business and sport, his flexible hours and home office allow him to spend a lot of quality time with his kids, who are home schooled. “I’m weaning them to be entrepreneurs,” he says. “We’re a different breed.”

Charlotte Jensen, an internationally published journalist, has been writing and editing for more than 14 years. Previously executive editor of a national consumer magazine, she specializes in business topics.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts

By Karen Axelton

Every day my son’s elementary school has a schoolwide assembly to start the day. At the assembly, students repeat the “Gator Goals” (the school mascot is an alligator). I’ve heard 500 kids yell the Gator Goals at the top of their lungs most weekday mornings for the past two years, but only recently did it dawn on me that they are also excellent goals for how you should run your business.

G = Go the extra mile. If your customer service doesn’t already go the extra mile, you need to start doing so.

A = Act responsibly. Everyone in your business needs to take responsibility for their actions rather than pointing fingers or shifting responsibility onto someone else with “That’s not my job.”

T = Think before you act. Yes, as small-business owners we’re often in a hurry, but actions have consequences. Whether it’s dealing with an employee who’s screwed up, signing a contract or launching a new product line, take time to think it through.

O = Offer respect. If you want to get respect from your employees–or you want them to treat the customer with respect–you need to offer them respect as well. It’s the foundation for your business.

R = Respond like a leader. Your employees look to you to set the tone. But in the best businesses, they, too, will respond like leaders if you’ve given them respect and empowered them to act responsibly.

S = Serve and contribute. Everyone on your team should be working for a greater goal–serving the whole (not just their own advancement) and contributing to the success of the business. Beyond that, for your business to succeed, it must  serve the customers and contribute something of value to the world.

Put these goals into action for yourself and your team, and your business can’t help but get good grades–er, make the grade.

Related Posts:

• New twists on the cupcake business
• Why not get over your fears and start a business?
• Are your employees disengaged?
• In web sites we trust: VeriSign announces new product
• Top 10 Web tools for business collaboration

By Maria Valdez Haubrich

Today, the world’s most recognized online trust mark, VeriSign, announced an extension of its authentication and verification services. “We recognize what small businesses want is to establish credibility,” explained Fran Rosch, senior vice president of authentication for VeriSign.  For Web sites that outsource their shopping cart or payment functions to third-party providers or for information-only Web sites, the new VeriSign Trust™ Seal will bring the same image of confidence and trust to customers that the long-established VeriSign Secured® Seal does. The VeriSign Trust Seal pairs the familiar VeriSign checkmark circle with the words “VeriSign Trusted,” enabling Web sites of any size to capitalize on displaying the  highly-recognized and respected brand seen on well-established Web sites. For a small company, a reputation of trust can increase traffic and secure customer loyalty.

Available next week for Web sites in North America, the VeriSign Trust Seal costs $299 for a one-year license. Here’s what you get for your money:

• Authentication: Validates that a Web site represents an actual business and is not a scam.

• Daily malware scan: VeriSign will scan your site daily for signs of hackers trying to inject malicious code on your site. The VeriSign Trust Seal tells visitors they don’t have to worry about picking up a virus when visiting your site.

• Seal-in-search results. VeriSign will partner with shopping search engines such as TheFind, which will display the VeriSign Trust Seal in the search results reassuring customers your site is a trusted site.

For more information on the VeriSign Trust Seal go to www.verisign.com/trust-seal/index.html.

Related Posts:

• Are your employees disengaged?
• Everything I learned about owning a business I learned in elementary school
• Top 10 Web tools for business collaboration
• Help for small business, keeping key employees and more
• Want a better business? Try trading places with your employees

By Rieva Lesonsky

Getting financing for your small business is harder than ever. To help, my friends Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends and Tom Markel of iBank recently teamed up for a webinar sponsored by Verizon, “How Can You Secure Credit For Your Small Business In Today’s Market?”

Topics they covered include bank lines of credit, SBA loans, ARC loans, trade credit and business credit cards. They also offered tips for dealing with lenders and advice on maintaining your personal and business credit. The old rules don’t necessarily apply in today’s lending environment, so this is a webinar worth watching.

If you missed it, no worries–you can view the webinar on the Verizon site.

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts