Yesterday, 8THIRTYFOUR officially celebrated 11 years with our community, clients and staff. While our anniversary gave us an excuse to throw a party, our intent was much more powerful than that. Our message for the evening was the “Power of Small Business,” which we highlighted with a superhero theme. To me, small business owners are superheroes. They tackle challenges and failures on a daily basis while continuing to push forward. We have a vision in our head of what we want our business to be and who we want to help and we refuse to give up.

As a member of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM), I am surrounded by super heroes every day. Associating with these badass business owners has lead 8THIRTYFOUR to truly embrace what makes us a great company. Our dedication to our community, clients and culture are what separates us from the rest. It is hard for me to embrace kudos and show pride for 8THIRTYFOUR and all we have accomplished in the last 11 years, however, it is necessary.

When we choose our clients, we do so knowing we can help them meet the integrated communication goals they have for their company. We won’t work with businesses we don’t believe in and we won’t take you on if we can’t help you. Our clients trust us and recognize our value and for that I am damn grateful.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for trusting 8THIRTYFOUR with your brand and for believing in the power of small business. We didn’t just throw a party, we threw a message and I hope it resonated with those that attended.

Small Biz Saturday is coming in hot on November 25th. The ‘holiday’ was created by American Express and shines a much-needed light on small businesses. Michigan small businesses employed 1.8 million people, or 50.2% of the private workforce in 2013, according to the 2016 Small Business Profile released by the Small Business Administration.

In September The National Small Business Association (NSBA) released its 2017 Mid-Year Economic Report which showed the small-business outlook on the overall economy is at its highest point in seven years despite growing frustration over elected officials’ inability to enact needed reforms.

According to the NSBA Mid-Year Economic Report, some of the biggest challenges facing small businesses are:

• Politics or should I say politicians. More small businesses today say “partisan gridlock in D.C.” is the number one challenge facing their business than at any point in the last four years. Small businesses need Congress and the Administration to work together across party lines.
• Health care costs are seen as a major challenge as it relates to growth and survival.
• Obtaining financing for growth is difficult for small businesses. This effects hiring, expansion, employee benefits and inventory.
• Heating, cooling and lighting are the biggest energy costs for small business. The overwhelming majority (85 percent) of small firms are somewhat or not at all confident about the future of low, stable and reliable energy costs.

Small employers comprise 99.7 percent of all employer firms in the U.S., however, our system caters to large business. Regulations, taxes and health care costs can and do cripple our ability to grow and survive.

So…on Small Business Saturday, take the time to visit a small business or show your support on social media. Your voice helps us fight for change as we work towards economic stability while urging lawmakers to tackle the major issues facing our country.

Source: National Small Business Association, 2017 Mid-Year Economic Report.

Oh small businesses how do I love thee. I remember the early days of running 834, when it was myself, Bentley the wonder dog, my computer and a can-do attitude. The world was my oyster and I was going to make it my bitch.

Then reality set in, how would I get my name out? What organizations should I join? How do I manage social media? How will potential clients find me?

As 834 continues to grow so does our client base, but my love and passion for small business has only intensified. Understanding where a business needs to focus it’s time and money as it relates to marketing is why we have been around for 10 years.

When starting out, here are my suggestions on what to focus on.

1. Social media: this is a great way for you to connect to potential customers and supporters. Understanding how to utilize your networks is the key. What content do you post? How should you structure a post? What are your competitors doing well?
2. Email marketing: creating a tool for ongoing communication and news sharing is key. Who should be on your list? What should be included in an email newsletter? How do I design it?
3. Website: I am hoping you have a site, if not – get one. A website is the first place a potential client will go to find out more information about your company, social media is a close second. Do you know what keywords you should be weaving into your copy to ensure you are found through search engines? How do you ensure that your site is optimized for search engines? What about blogging?

Social, email and your website are all examples of inbound marketing and they are all incredibly important to growing your business. I know this firsthand as the founder of 834. In the coming months, my team will be launching small business specific tools that will allow you to compete with the big dogs on a small dog budget.

Stay tuned.

~The unicorn is part of the world of nature and part of the world of dreams–and completely of the heart. In many ways, it is a symbol of our longing for the mysterious and the unattainable~

A few weeks ago I attended the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) Leadership Council conference. It was incredibly humbling and energizing to be in a room with other small business owners that share the same pain points, challenges and failures. In a lot of ways small businesses are unicorns, we pour our heart and soul into pursuing what most consider unattainable.

Small businesses are magical, they are by far the most beneficial to our economy on a statewide and nationwide level. There are a lot of small businesses out there, yet it would seem we don’t truly understand the power of being small.

Here are some interesting small biz stats for you on a statewide level (2012-2013 – is the latest data from youreconomy.org):

• 99.90% of all businesses in Michigan are considered *small.
• Small Business equates for 80.13% of total sales in the state. How about that for buying power.
• Growth of the number of small businesses over the last 10 years is approximately 5%.

Did you know that small businesses account for 99.7 percent of all of the employers in the U.S.? The Small Business Administration reports that from 2005 to 2008, small businesses were responsible for creating 81.4 percent of the net new jobs in the U.S. As we all  know, job growth is imperative for the continued growth of the U.S. economy, and small businesses meet those needs with new jobs being created all the time.

So what can you do as a small business?

• Well for one, join www.sbam.org (and no this is not a paid commercial), I wouldn’t recommend it if 834 didn’t receive significant benefit from it. SBAM had a pivotal role in ending the Michigan Business Tax (MBT) as well as the Personal Property Tax (PPT). They are one of the largest state based associations in the country with 25,000 members and put on the largest peer to peer small business summits with over 800 companies and over 360 buyer opportunities.
• Support other small businesses. Shop small on November 28th for Small Business Saturday and show the country just how significant buying local is. Frankly any day of the week, supporting small businesses should be part of your everyday routine.
• Educate yourself. Understand your state’s agenda as it relates to small businesses. Familiarize yourself with legislators working on your behalf and become actively involved.

It was refreshing to be around other business owners that understand their value and how it translates on an economic level for Michigan. We have a long way to go to but we are lucky to be represented by an organization such as SBAM that advocates on behalf of small businesses.

There is power in numbers.

*Small business for these stats is considered 499 employees or less (SBA standards).

Sources: www.sba.gov, www.sbam.org, www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small