11 Things Small Business Owners Can Learn From Will Rogers
By: David Handler

1. ?Never miss a good chance to shut up.? ? As the saying goes, you never learn anything while you?re talking. Make sure to listen more?to your customers, employees and advisors.

2. ?If you?re riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it?s still there.? ? Always remember, the definition of a leader is someone who has followers.

3. ?You?ve got to go out on a limb sometimes, because that?s where the fruit is.? ? Always playing it safe will keep you from achieving all you?re meant to in your small business.

4. ?Don?t let yesterday use up too much of today.? ? What?s done is done. Learn from the past, then let it go, so you can accomplish greater things tomorrow.

5. ?You must judge a man?s greatness by how much he will be missed.? ? Obviously, America missed Will Rogers tremendously. If tomorrow never comes, what will friends say about you?

6. ?Lettin? the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier ?n puttin? it back in.? ? New initiatives. Great opportunities. More products/services. Consider them all, and never lose your primary focus.

7. ?Chaotic action is preferable to orderly inaction.? ? Many small business owners get trapped in ?Ready, aim, aim, ready?,? and never fire. Don?t just sit around. Go flyin? instead.

8. ?We can?t all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.? ? This is a good lesson for you and your small business employees. Somebody has to do the work.

9. ?An ignorant person is one who doesn?t know what you have just found out.? ? Knowledge is an advantage, especially in selling, where you should always know more than your competition.

10. ?It?s not what you pay a man, but what he costs you that counts.? ? Hiring someone for less than market value sounds like a good idea?until you hire the wrong person entirely.

11. ?We are all here for a spell; get all the good laughs you can.? ? Everyone should see life as Will Rogers saw it?finding humor in all we observe, and still making a difference in the world.

The Coach, David Handler, is the founder of Success Handler, (http://www.successhandler.com), and specializes in helping small business leaders find clarity and take action. He understands the challenges of running a business, because he?s been there ? as a small business owner, franchisee, franchisor, corporate leader and trainer. Much like sports coaches, his coaching will show you how to compete on a level playing field in your industry.

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