Wednesday, April 18, 2018


Small Business Week 2018 – Who Said They’re Small?
They’re called small businesses. You’ve seen them around. The meat market, candy store, restaurant and pizzeria, real estate agency, bank, clinic, convenience store, supermarket, department store, printer, plumber, carpenter, builder, electrician, manufacturer and other outlets of commerce. The proprietors open their doors early and close them in the early evening.
By some official estimates, there are 28-29 million of them across the United States. And while technically regarded as “small” by the Small Business Administration (SBA), which places a cap at 500 employees, there’s nothing small about them – individually and collectively. Their impact is huge.
Small businesses are the bedrock of the American economy, culture and mentality. They are the most important cogs in country’s commercial mechanism. Statistics clearly show that small businesses play a vital role in the US economy, producing 46% of the private nonfarm gross domestic product (GDP).
According to the SBA, small businesses make up 99% of US employer firms, 63% of net new private-sector jobs, 48% of private-sector employment, 42% of private-sector payroll, 46% of private-sector output, 37% of high-tech employment, 98% of firms exporting goods and 33 % of exporting value, they accounted for 63% of the net new jobs created between 1993 and mid-2013.
Not only are small businesses among the most creative and entrepreneurial forces present in our economy, they also lead in new technology and patent creation in the country. A report, titled “An Analysis of Small Business Patents by Industry and Firm Size” funded by the SBA, documented that small businesses produced 16 times more patents per employee than large firms did.
Small businesses are truly the backbones of the American economy and way of life. When they fail or suffer, the economy follows suit immediately. When they do well, the world could also do well.
With National Small Business Week beginning in a few days, Main Street America is busy pondering what to do to attract attention to small businesses from April 29 to May 5. However, the week’s events and promotions should not merely be intended to drive business by building revenue. They should drive business by raising awareness about small businesses’ vibrant roles in local, national and even global matters. By focusing on the bigger issues during National Small Business Week instead of merchandise, an entrepreneur becomes a thought leader on a local level while small businesses collectively will be able to make a difference on the global stage.
For more than 55 years, thanks to the efforts of the SBA, small businesses have taken advantage of the opportunity to highlight the extraordinary impact entrepreneurs and business owners have on their local communities and the national economy.
Main Street small businesses can start mobilizing themselves for the week’s festivities by turning to the wide range of issues incorporated in the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The points deal with a variety of topics that can benefit communities as well as humanity. By calling attention to them, entrepreneurs will also be calling attention to their businesses and their thought leadership. Here’s what you can do:
Get the word out. Pure marketing and outreach. This is where your initiative will rise to the surface. Prepare a traditional and social media campaign to inform the news media, your neighbors and community, local officials, vendors, competitors and other stakeholders about your plans and encourage them to support you. If it pertains to one or more of the SDGs, explain why. Use press releases, tweets, Facebook posts and emails to spread the word. The more interesting your project, the more people you will attract. Once you’ve notified your constituents in the old-fashioned manner, then post the information on your active social media platforms to increase your reach.
Partner with small businesses and the community – Goal 17. Strengthen your impact and reach a larger audience by joining forces with other small businesses to spread the word about your role in all of the goals or one of them. Summon all of your partners to a meeting, invite the press and local officials. This effort will quickly snowball into a major campaign that shows small businesses are not only in it to make a buck but also to improve the community.
Share your story. Again, promotion. Each small business has a story about how and why it began. This story will focus on why you feel your Small Business Week SDG effort is worth attention. Don’t keep your and your partners’ story a secret. Use your unique point of view about the SDGs so it will stand out from others and you’ll get closer to your customers. Furthermore, millennials are known for their interest in sustainability. Don’t forget to tell them and they won’t forget to visit you throughout the year.
Say thank you to the people who keep your business going and support your view of the SDGs. Maybe you’ve got a top-notch staff or die-hard customer base. Maybe you have a mentor you can always call when you hit a lull. Maybe you have SDG doubters or ardent supporters. Take a moment to step away from the day-to-day frenzy and show your appreciation. A face-to-face thank you is always great. But you can also write thank you cards, send an email to your supporters, or post a thank you on social media. If you’re comfortable in front of a camera, think about how you can get your message across in a short thank you video while promoting your and the business community’s work on behalf of sustainability.
Help education – Goal 4. Organize representatives from nonprofits, schools, boy and girl scouts, libraries and officials, and create a year round program to help education. It could be one-on-one mentoring or something that will benefit the school for a semester or year.
Health – Goal 3. Small businesses, clinics, doctors, officials and pharmacies can collaborate on a project to help women or senior citizens with health issues. They can ensure that children have access to immunizations. This is not beyond the reach of Small Business Week because small businesses are driving it.
Environment – Goals 14 & 15. Small businesses such a field and stream and sporting goods retailers along with boy and girl scouts can do a lot together to help clean up the surrounding fields and streams.
Gender equality and no bullying – Goals 5 & 16. Sadly, a day doesn’t go by without a story in the news about discrimination against a woman, person of color or an immigrant. News media are also filled with stories about adolescent bullying. All small businesses along with houses of worship, schools and civic organizations can launch a community-wide campaign during Small Business Week to eradicate these social evils.
If that’s not enough, check out the remaining goals. With some creativity, you can tap into them and contribute to improving life on this planet as you celebrate Small Business Week. One small business is a beginning. Many is a small business campaign for good. You may not fill your coffers with more money during those seven days but you will certainly reap the benefit of your sustainable farsightedness throughout the year.
Join the conversation in cyberspace about your efforts to commemorate Small Business Week with a nod to the SDGs. If you have examples of how you’ve done it, let me know. If you need help, reach out to me.
Scroll through my blog to read about more ways your small business and NGO can boost their outreach.
I’d also like to invite you to visit my Thought Leadership website:
http://thoughtleadership.yolasite.com/              
If you’re looking for advice on recruiting, company handbooks and other human resources topics, I’d like to suggest to you this interesting website:

Sunday, April 8, 2018

So You Want to Launch a Nonprofit (NGO)
You may be fantasizing about forming a celebrated nonprofit organization – also called a non-governmental organization – that will improve the fate of mankind for generations to come. While the intention and result are laudable, the path is not simple.
A nonprofit or non-governmental organization (NGO) – synonyms for civil society – is unlike a business organization though there are logistical similarities. While the goal of a large or small business is to make money, the goal of an NGO is to passionately work on behalf of a global or local cause. Any money the organization makes or fundraises, whether from donations, membership dues, grants, or product sales, goes back into the coffers to further the cause, rather than to the founder. However, that does not mean that the nonprofit can’t have a paid executive officer and staff.
The IRS identifies 27 types of nonprofits which you should review with your attorney and accountant before setting out on your global charitable excursion.
In general, most nonprofit organizations have tax-exempt status from both federal and state governments. However, in order to get this status, you will need to incorporate as a nonprofit organization at the outset. You will also need to file regular documentation and taxes regardless if you have money to keep your nonprofit in compliance.
Unlike a business, a nonprofit organization doesn’t have an owner but is governed by a board of directors. The board is responsible for making sure the nonprofit acts in accordance with its mission, uses its money wisely, and follows laws and regulations regarding nonprofits. Sometimes, board members also run the day-to-day operations.
You should also ask yourself is your nonprofit really necessary? The easy answer is yes, of course it is. Education, health, ecology, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, human rights and animal rights are the low hanging fruit of NGO concepts. Don’t be concerned if there is already another organization that supports the same cause. It will not detract from your ability to promote your cause because the more organizations that share similar agendas, the more interest you generate.
Having been a staff member of the United Nations Department of Public Information / Non-Governmental Organizations section, I saw many civil society organizations espousing similar causes to the benefit of the mission and all NGOs. However, the ultimate goal of a nonprofit is to support a cause, not to compete with others.
Starting a nonprofit organization and keeping it going requires a lot of energy and enthusiasm. You’ll need to maintain a passion for your mission, and be able to inspire that same passion in others, including board members, employees, volunteers, donors, politicians, media, global activists, academia and other stakeholders.
On a practical level, your nonprofit must exist to ensure the viability of the cause or goal. As a result, regular fundraising has to be a major function of your board and staff. Promotion, outreach and networking must also be handled by the staff in order to promote your work and accomplishments.
I heard a sound piece of advice for nonprofit hopefuls and established NGOs at a New York metro Better Business Bureau workshop for small businesses and non-profits. Claire Rosenzweig, president, had observed matter of factly in her remarks: “We’re all businesses after all.” Indeed. Regardless if you’re a small business or NGO, you still are a business.
Beyond your complimentary work, you are a business and should behave as such in order to safeguard your cause. Realistically, without money, you can’t exist. In addition to seeking funds, you should develop a comprehensive outreach plan and a marketing concept taking advantage of traditional forms and Internet platforms in order to succeed and promote your NGO and mission.
Finally, after a few months of activity, I strongly urge you to consider becoming part of the United Nations network of civil society organizations and all of you with 501c3 status are entitled to apply.
Beyond the lawyers and accountants’ advice on the administrative and legal regulations of running your nonprofit, your best source of knowledge and experience about the world of NGOs is the United Nations, where civil society is recognized as the third leg of the UN stool together with the member-state delegates and staff.
Once your organization has been associated with the UN Department of Public Information / Non-Governmental Organizations section, the head of your NGO and four other representatives will be given grounds passes to enter the UN headquarters in New York City. You will be invited to attend weekly briefings on a wide range of pressing global and local issues and hear what other NGOs are talking about.
You and your team will be able to share best practices with other representatives, meet with UN and global leaders on the causes that you hold dear, build coalitions and partnerships, and begin to improve the fate of mankind as you had originally intended to do.
In addition to advocating on behalf of your global or local cause, aligning your NGO with the UN network is the most important step on the road to fulfill your mission.
And setting out on this journey won’t cost you a dime. Applying for association with UN DPI/NGO is free.
Spread the word.
Join the conversation in cyberspace about launching an NGO and associating with the UN DPI/NGO. If you have examples of how you’ve done it, let me know. If you need help, reach out to me.
Scroll through my blog to read about more ways your NGO and small business can boost their outreach.
I’d also like to invite you to visit my Thought Leadership website:
http://thoughtleadership.yolasite.com/              
If you’re looking for advice on recruiting, company handbooks and other human resources topics, I’d like to suggest to you this interesting website:
http://hrtiebreaker.yolasite.com/