Small Business Thought Leadership

The biggest takeaway from the symposium was not a new product or program — it was a mindset shift: owners have better odds of success when they're not navigating alone.

Nearly half of small business owners in this country are 55 or older, and only about a third have anything resembling a formal succession plan. Researchers have started calling this the Silver Tsunami.

Most small business owners don't need a complete reinvention every year. They need consistent, incremental improvement.

Successful family businesses must weigh both immediate value and multi-generational impact. Survival isn't about chasing trends — it's about adapting when necessary while protecting the family foundation that made the business successful in the first place.

Knowing how to network and being intentional about it are two very different things. So let's dig into three ways to take your networking from surface-level interactions to something meaningful and purposeful.

When you understand your costs, your competition, your customers and the value you create, you can feel a little more confident about your pricing decisions.

A good pitch should be simple, relatable and engaging — and it should build toward a series of small "yes" moments.

What many businesses actually need isn't to grow outward. It's to grow inward. That means investing in their team, their systems, their processes, and very often in their community.

Black and BIPOC women have always been masters of innovation, and history continues to tell us so. That reality must be recognized with serious intention and sustained investment.

Not every sale is worth making. Before you say yes to an opportunity, you need to know whether it actually makes you money. A simple customer ROI calculator can cut through the noise fast.