The Small Business Healthcare Solution!

Your Small Business Health care Solution

Have you ever heard of Health Sharing?

Simply put, health care sharing is a Biblical approach to paying for health care, based on passages such as Galatians 6. Verse two says, “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” 

That law is the royal law of loving one another.

Although it’s actually pretty straight forward, health care sharing can be difficult for us to understand because we are so used to thinking in terms of insurance.

Here’s how the need sharing process works in a nutshell:

Each member commits to sending a set “Share” amount each month. These “Shares” are sent directly through the mail from one household to another, to the members with “Needs”. Samaritan Ministries uses a database that randomly matches Shares to Needs, so that the Sharing is coordinated and Shares go to the appropriate members with Needs.

Here’s how the Need Process works in a little more detail:

Samaritan Ministries publishes a monthly newsletter mailing that reports the total Shares and Needs and includes an individualized Share Notice for each member household. The Share Notice tells each household how to pray for a specific member with a Need and what his address is, so the Share can be sent to him. Typically less than 10 percent of the members have a Need in a given month and are receiving Shares.

When a member has a health care “Need” he receives health care treatment from a provider of his choice, collects the bills, and sends them to Samaritan Ministries. Samaritan Ministries verifies that the Need meets the Guidelines. Then, in the monthly newsletter mailing, Samaritan Ministries directs some members to send their Shares to the member with the Need. The member with the need receives the shares to pay his health care bills.

With more than 23,000 member households participating in the ministry, there is about $6 million available each month to meet health care needs.

Friends of Smallbusinessgrow.com this is a real solution for your Small Business to have a Health Care Plan in place before the penalties kick in next year.  Please check out this option go to Samaritan Ministries website at: 

http://samaritanministries.org/how-it-works/the-need-process/  for more information.

Small Businesses Need Help!

Where is the Recovery we have been hearing about?

It is time for Small Business owners and the American people to take matters into their own hands.

By now you realize that the Federal government is not going to help your Small Business, after three failed "Stimulus Plans" dumping money at the problem and trying to spend our way out of a recession is not working.  The answer is not for the government to prop-up companies like Solendra by giving them millions of tax dollars only to have the CEO's pocket the money and file for bankruptcy.  The answer must come from the American people.

The solution is for everyday hard working Americans to begin to take seriously their shopping choices by passing over the convenience of the the Big Box stores, which are full of products from every nation on earth, and being intentional about supporting the local Small Businesses in their own community.  

Small Business owners have a role also, we have to make a deliberate determined effort to do business with each other.  I encourage Small Business owners to join networking groups in your area, participate in the local Chamber of Commerce events, build relationships with your fellow entrepreneurs.  There is safety in numbers, join like-minded groups and organizations in your city and talk about ways to get involved in local efforts to revive your local economies.

Together the American people and Small Business owners can rebuild a hurting economy by supporting each other, offering quality products and services at reasonable prices and by all means keep American's working, BUY AMERICAN made products when ever possible!  For more helpful tips on starting your own business or growing your exisiting business go to www.smallbusinessgrow.com

Avoiding Common Mistakes in your New Business

Over the years I have seen Small Business owners repeat some of the same common mistakes that I made when I started in business over twenty years ago.  Below are three common mistakes business owners make when starting their companies.

First Mistake - Not taking time to build a good foundation - The foundation of your business involves your vision, core values, guiding principles and ethical conduct expected from your employees. For most Small Business owners these values are internalized but it is important to put them on paper and communicate them to employees and customers.  There is no greater foundation than the principles and truths found in the Bible.  The Bible is a rich resource for Small Business owners to use for guidance in forming their companies ethical foundation.  Too often business owners make the mistake of ignoring this important process only to find that when eithical or moral challenges arise, they have no firm moral standards from which to drawl.  This causes division and confusion among employees and customers.

Second Mistake - Not seeking Counsel - Being a Small Business owner requires skills in many areas, however nobody can be proficient in every area, finding someone with experience in the areas that you need help in will provide you with much needed resources.  For example, you may be an expert at accounting and finance, but may not have any experience in how to market your services to potential clients.  It is usually more cost effective to hire a consultant that has the skills you need help in for a shor term, than to hire a full time employee which raises overhead expences.

Third Mistake - Trying to Market to Everyone - Over the years I have seen this mistake made time and again, a Small Business owner advertises his product or service to the whole world, but in return his efforts fall flat.  He can't understand why, after all, he spent several thousand dollars advertising in the largest newspaper or most popular magazine but still no sales. The mistake is that he was using a cast net approach when he should have been using a specific lure to catch the specific fish he was after. At Smallbusinessgrow, I help my clients identify who their ideal customers are and cater a marketing plan they will respond to.  Most marketing mistakes occur because the Business owner fails to identify who his ideal customer is and are just taking a shot in the dark hoping someone will respond to their ads.


Look for how to avoid more common mistakes new businesses make in up coming blogs or go to my facebook page at www.facebook.com/smallbusinessgrow

Small Business ideas for your family

 MORE SMALL BUSINESS IDEAS

There is much uncertainty in the economy today, don’t wait until your employer begins layoffs, start today and work toward being financially independent. Here are a few ideas to that may work for your family. If you need help getting started that’s what I’m here for, visit my website at;  www.smallbusinessgrow.com 

1) Personalized sewing services - In our world of Big box stores where you see the same corporate stores on every corner, of every town, many people are looking for personalized products.  Women particularly like clothing and accessories that are personalized or one of a kind.  My wife and I were at the grocery store over the weekend and when she took out her wallet to pay for the groceries, the clerk commented on how much she liked her wallet and asked where she bought it, when my wife told her that she made it she got excited and called an associate over to look at it, they both asked my wife if she sold them.  This is the kind of business that can be run from home, with low start-up costs, with a flexible schedule and makes a good secondary source of income for your family.

2) Housekeeping service - With often both husband and wife working outside of the home there is little time for laundry, mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms and the rest.  This is an opportunity for you to create a secondary income with low start-up costs. If you know a family that has a new baby, an elderly couple, parents that both work or a single parent that works, these are all potential customers that you can help. Housekeeping is a business where you can make your own schedule and enlist the help of your kids to teach them practical homemaking skills. 

3) Carpentry / Handyman - Are you handy with a hammer, do you like to build, create, tinker?  There is always someone who needs something fixed and fewer and fewer people have the skills to do it.  This leaves a big market for carpentry and handyman services.  This is another low start-up cost business that can produce a significant income for your family.

4) Music lessons - Are you musically inclined? Do you play guitar, piano, trumpet?  Parents are constantly on the lookout for someone who can teach their children how to play a musical instrument.  My son has played guitar for many years, recently he started giving guitar lessons to the children of some friends of ours.  Each friday afternoon he drives to their home and gives an hour long lesson. This is a businessthat allows you to go to your customers or they can come to you. It involves low start-up costs and can be fun while producing an income for your family.

5) Small engine repairs - With every garage full of lawn equipment, pressure washers, generators, four-wheelers and more, the small engine repair business is sure to keep you busy.  If you know how to repair small engines simply stick a sign in your front yard that says, “Small Engine Repair Here” and the customers will find you.  With the prices at the dealerships through the roof, an independent small engine repair man can do well.  This requires a relatively small start-up cost and can be run from your home and would be a great way to teach your children the in’s and out’s of engine repair.

I hope these ideas have started your creative juices flowing, if these aren’t for you, then find something that is, God has given you desires, talents and abilities to be put to use, purse what you love and work hard at it and you will experience the fruits of your labor.

“Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

article by; Skip Athey

founder of smallbuisnessgrow.com

Has your Small Business Hit the Plateau?

Have you hit the Plateau?  Have you been in business for several years only to find your sales stagnant?  There are many reasons why a business plateaus, here are a few to beware of in your company.

Mundane Maintenance Mode - Many business owners, after starting off with a vision, a plan, excitement and energy, find themselves falling into the mundane maintenance mode.  This usually comes after several years of hard work and building a company that pays the bills, but once the owner is busy juggling all his responsibilities he has little time left to plan for future growth.  He falls into complacency and often stays in this mode for several years until the business begins its decline and ultimately closes.  

The key to avoiding the mundane maintenance mode is to take time each month planning for the future.  Monthly planning should take in account quarterly goals for your company, these quarterly goals should be aiming toward accomplishing the annual goals, which should be set before the end of the previous year.  Strategic planning brings energy and direction to your business and provides an opportunity to celebrate as goals that are met. 

Too Much Micromanagement - Often small business owners find themselves starting off as a sole proprietor who makes all the decisions, does all the work, answers sales calls and does the administration, however as the business grows some of those responsibilities must be handed over to employees.  Many owners have a hard time delegating these responsibilities to others, as the company grows their tendency is to micromanage, feeling as though they still need to keep control over every aspect of the company. This shuts down creativity, initiative and productivity from employees and stifles growth.

To avoid micromanaging, as a business owner you have to hire people that are competent and not just find a warm body that will work for the lowest possible salary.  The business owner must have confidence in the employees ability to take the owners vision, direction and management style and work well within the company. After you have the right person, let them do what you hired them to do, encourage creativity and new ideas that can grow the company, then take time each week to inspect the work you have delegated to them.

Maximize Your Marketing - For most small business owners advertising and marketing are done only to get the work flowing, once they get a few customers they tend to rely on word of mouth and referrals to keep the business coming.  Unfortunately this plan for marketing usually brings drastic financial ups and downs.  This kind of uncertainty leaves businesses unable to plan, budget or hire permanent help. 

In order to break free from stagnant sales and apathy you must reach out to new customers.  If you are still using the same type of advertising you used five or ten years ago you are missing out on new streams of income.  In the age of the Internet and social media a website is just the beginning, social media such as facebook, twitter, Pinterest and google are all ways to make personal connections with people who are seeking your products or services.  The key to making your products and services known is regular contact with people who want what you are offering.

Being aware of these pitfalls is the first step to avoiding the plateau effect on your business, too often small business owners find themselves spinning their wheels after many years of hard work, only to be overwhelmed from competitiors that are taking more and more of their market share. 

 If you need help in some of these areas go to www.smallbusinessgrow.com

Small Business Marketing - Google adwords for Video

Every small business owner faces the same challenge; 

"How can I generate new revenues without spending all my profits on advertising in the process?"

Here is one of the latest eMarketing trends that is sure to help your business generate new leads.  Adwords for Google is now offering adwords for video!  As you know video is a powerful SEO tool to get your website ranked on a google search, now the power of adword advertising combined with video can drastically increase the number of leads to your website.             Take a moment to watch this video on how it works!

For more helpful business tips go to www.smallbusinessgrow.com
We are a small family business consulting firm that gets results.

Skip Athey
President; Smallbusinessgrow.com