Mark Kleinschmidt

Navigating the Small Business Lifecycle

Navigating the Small Business Lifecycle From Start-up to Exit Strategy Over time, your business will experience different challenges and stages of growth.  Each stage of the “small business life cycle” requires a different set of strategies to succeed  Check out the graph.  Where is your business? There are four distinct stages of business growth : […]

Wendi’s Christmas Cookies

Back in the day before the smart phone when we used to read print newspapers, Clement Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas” was featured on the editorial page every Christmas Eve. Several years ago, when I was working in Annapolis, MD, I came across a deeply moving Christmas Eve editorial that shed light on the […]

When Does the Founder Become CEO

As a small business owner, you’ve built your business from the ground up.  However, as your small business starts to flourish and expand, your role with the business needs to change. The day arrives when you are no longer the business owner but need to become the CEO of your business. This transition comes with […]

The Power of Thanksgiving

Gratitude Marketing for Small Businesses Thanksgiving is more than a holiday, it’s a state of mind. Embodying this approach in your business can have significant benefits. Every year, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday renowned for encouraging feelings of gratitude and appreciation. But wouldn’t it be magnificent if we brought this spirit to our business strategy? […]

CEO Bookshelf: Presidential Proclaimation

Something a  little different from the CEO Bookshelf during this month of Thanksgivings! Have you considered that many people equate the President to a CEO? Occasionally, the President as a CEO issues a critical memo or proclamation to the public intending to convey a significant message. Did you know that 160 years ago Thanksgiving was […]

Can Phillies Go from Good To Great?

If you are like me, you had a big disappointment when the Phillies lost Game 7 of the League Championship series a few weeks back. While it will sting for a while, the team will be back in 2024 and make a strong run for the World Series again. Sometimes with my clients, I use […]

Finding More CEO Time

What Time Is It? Finding More CEO Time The roles and responsibilities between a small business owner (SBO) and a Corporate CEO are unique, thus their time and task management will reflect these differences.  Both have to make key decisions about the future of their business and both have to find what I call “CEO […]

From the CEO Bookshelf:  “Good to Great”

From the CEO Bookshelf “Good to Great” This month’s book is a classic.  It does focus on large corporations that that have made the leap from just being good to becoming GREAT, but it has some valuable lessons for small business owners.  “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t” is […]

Meet the Father of Retail Marketing

Meet the Father of Retail  Marketing What would he think of SEO? You may not be familiar with John Wanamaker but he is one of the great pioneers of marketing. He opened a retail store in Philadelphia during the early part of the 20th century which grew to 16 stores and eventually became part of […]

Camden County Small Business Revenue

What percentage of small businesses in Camden County bring in more than one million dollars  in sales each year? Before we answer that, let’s first spend a minute to define what we mean by small business. The SBA definition of a small business is 500 or fewer employees. The Small Biz CEO thinks that is […]