“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” -Melody Beattie Creating a strong gratitude habit in your life when things are going well is like having insurance for the bad times. When life gets difficult, you will have a powerful antidote already in place to help you get through the tough stuff. There’s also a lot to be said for being mindful of our blessings during the good times. For one thing, we take more pleasure in them. It’s easy to ignore the small positive moments in our day as we rush between activities but stopping to appreciate those moments makes them…

“I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.” -Mother Teresa Our focus this month is animals and care of the environment must be part of that discussion. Everything we do as humans has an impact on the other lives sharing this planet with us. However, the environment is a big topic and we certainly can’t cover it all in a short blog post. So, if we can agree that there’s an issue here, then what can we do individually and as small business owners to help?  An unexpected benefit of COVID has been the acceptance of working from home. Even…

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” –Anatole France It’s easy to feel empathy for other humans because often we can relate our own experiences to theirs. However, being socially responsible can also mean being compassionate towards non-human animals.  Growing evidence suggests that feeling empathy towards animals can produce other positive behaviours such as caring for our environment. Did you know that in the US alone 7.6 million pets are surrendered to shelters each year? These vulnerable animals need help. If you’d like to make a difference in another life, supporting your local shelter is a good place to start.  Here are four ways…

“At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” – Albert Schweitzer November is traditionally known as a month to show our gratitude. In the northern hemisphere it’s the end of the harvest and a time to pause. Little wonder that Remembrance Day (Canada), Veteran’s Day (U.S.) and the U.S. Thanksgiving are celebrated in November. But 2020 has sometimes made it difficult to find that place of gratitude inside ourselves. Because of COVID and the separation it has caused most of us feel some…

“Don’t push people to where you want them to be; meet them where they are.” – Meghan Keaney Anderson, VP Marketing, Hubspot In this COVID Time, it’s easy to sit behind a computer screen, pushing content to social media and expect the sales to roll in. In fact, if you Google “small business marketing” most of the advice revolves around virtual marketing. Studies show that 97% of possible customers check you out online first. Your online presence is your introduction. We also know the easiest and fastest way to create trust and build your business is to meet people face to face so they get to know you. But in…

“Ultimately, we have a relationship to money just like we have a relationship to a partner. It requires attention, love, commitment and a vision for the long term.: — Amanda Abella, Millennial Business Coach Ask someone about the financial side of their micro-business and often you’ll hear the strangest things.  “It’s not my priority. I don’t understand all that stuff.” They may even make a little face and try to change the subject. The limiting belief that talking about money is ‘crass’ reared its ugly head. And that belief makes it a lot more difficult to build a thriving business. In our society we have a complicated relationship with money.…

Without restoring an ethos of social responsibility, there can be no meaningful and sustained economic recovery.” – Jeffrey Sachs These days, being a Socially Responsible Business isn’t just a feel-good buzzword. Companies that embrace this concept create a positive business reputation, often see increased sales, enhanced customer loyalty and perform better financially. They also have a greater ability to recruit and retain talented employees. And of course, they make a positive difference both locally and beyond. If you’re wondering how to go about becoming a more socially responsible business, here’s some tips to help. Establish a social mission. What are the values and vision of your business? If you’re not…

“Those who say “it’s not personal, it’s just business” are lying. All business is personal, and the best business is very personal.” – Rick Lenz If you run a small business or are a solo-preneur, you know in your heart this is true. Your business is an extension of what you believe in and are passionate about. All business is built on trust relationships. You need to look no further than Boeing to see what happens when trust is broken. I buy from you because I trust the product you’re selling. I work for you because I believe you will reimburse me for the time I devote to your business.…