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Talking about the untalkable; what are you saying about the elections?
 
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August 2016
Volume 17 Issue 9
Talking about what perhaps we should not talk about

People in your community listen to what you say. This is because you have a high visibility within the community. This high visibility can be helpful when you want to tell people about the efforts you support within the community. It could be the high school, youth sports leagues, or any number of non-profit organizations. For my wife and I, it is an organization called Faith House Florida. We support it because we believe in the efforts this organization makes to help individuals rejoin society.

Hopefully, when people hear you supporting an organization they will see you as a voice of authority and consider adding their support. And the neat part is that people are going to admire you for your efforts; there is not a lot of chance that people will scorn you because of your stance.

Then we have the other side of the issue. Here in the United States we are in a very heated political situation; from the office of president through Congress and into local elections.

You can see this on Facebook; you can see it in the traditional media, along with yard signs, bumper stickers, and most any form of communication that speaks to others.

I cannot offer guidance on this issue; nor should I make any attempt to do so. The advisory for this month is simply a word of caution. Showing your personal feelings in the political arena, even in the most polite of ways, can have a cost to you and your business. Whatever you decide, do so carefully.
What if? - Article of the Month

It is a hot August most everywhere. The article of the month is about cutting grass; but not from the perspective of you cutting your grass. Instead it is from the perspective of the business that would service your lawn mower. After all, when does your lawn mower break down? When the grass is high, half-way cut, and company coming for dinner.

The August article gives some ideas of how we can create a higher perceived value at a lower cost to our business. And with a higher perceived value, you can have a higher price for your service.

The concept is not just for lawn mowers; and it is not just for businesses that provide a service. Everything about our small business is about higher perceived value.
Leadership and Self Deception - Book of the Month

The book suggestion for August is unique in that it is authored by The Arbinger Institute, as compared to being written by an individual. The selection of the book was based on a suggestion as well as the cover notes.

As a small business owner, you could say that you have been called to greatness. You are a leader within your community. My experience has been that books like this, much like Originals, Best Practices are Stupid, and Crazy is a Compliment, cause the reader to take an additional look at themselves.

We should constantly challenge ourselves. That excitement and drive that was present when we first started our business; is it still there? Is it growing?
Individual item margin - Internet Tool for Your Business
Several times in the past couple of weeks I have stressed the difference in margin and markup. Our tool for August is demonstrating how you calculate the margin. As an example, if a buyer stated they wanted a 44% margin for an item, this calculator will show the steps necessary to get that margin (and not calculate the markup).
Staff Incentive for Your Business


Writing the newsletter for August, I am also responding to a reader's question about the incentive plan they have in their business. It could be said that the incentives are working in that sales are increasing as are profits. However, margins are decreasing.

The problem is that the employees have discovered a way to beat the system; they are driving sales while sacrificing margins. The increase in profits does not match the increase in sales.

Incentives are good only if they are good for everyone; business, employee and customer. Incentives should be created to drive increases to the bottom line. They cannot take advantage of the customer. Unless everyone wins, nobody wins.

We want to recognize A Carrot A Day by Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, whose book provides the basis for each month's incentive idea.

Profits Plus |tomshay@profitsplus.org | (727) 823-7205 | www.profitsplus.org


 

 

 

 

 

 

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©1998-2026 Profits Plus Solutions, Inc.
Tom Shay
PO Box 128
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(727)823-7205

SEPTEMBER 2026
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Small Business

AdvisoriES


Our September advisory is titled, "What do you sell?" My favorite example of someone getting it wrong has an email that starts with, "Sallysellsinsurance@."

 

Yes, that may be the product that Sally sells, but what she is really selling is peace of mind in knowing that if something happens, you are not going to pay the entire cost of the loss.

 

This is but one example. Our September advisory - What do you sell?

Small Business

NewS

Top Story

Yes, selling does include translating features into benefits. But it does not stop there. What if the benefit is not relevant to the customer? Then, there might not be a sale. This is where advantage comes into consideration, and that is our top story of the month.

Article of the Month

When you think about a customer who makes a point to talk to you and your staff, have you ever thought about getting them to talk about your business with their friends? The September Article of the Month shares an idea.


Book of the Month

The Art of the Exit is our suggested book of the month. The author, Jackb Orosz, discusses ways of getting out of your business whether it is retiring or just time to move onto something else.

All this plus the Internet Tool for Your Business and a staff incentive idea for your business.
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BOOK US

With over 25 years of frontline experience Tom Shay is America's leading Small Business Management Expert. He's a "Must Have" for your next event.

Small Business

Advisories

Our September advisory is titled, "What do you sell?" My favorite example of someone getting it wrong has an email that starts with, "Sallysellsinsurance@."

 

Yes, that may be the product that Sally sells, but what she is really selling is peace of mind in knowing that if something happens, you are not going to pay the entire cost of the loss.

 

This is but one example. Our September advisory - What do you sell?

Small Business

News

 

Top Story

Yes, selling does include translating features into benefits. But it does not stop there. What if the benefit is not relevant to the customer? Then, there might not be a sale. This is where advantage comes into consideration, and that is our top story of the month.


Article of the Month

When you think about a customer who makes a point to talk to you and your staff, have you ever thought about getting them to talk about your business with their friends? The September Article of the Month shares an idea.


Book of the Month

The Art of the Exit is our suggested book of the month. The author, Jackb Orosz, discusses ways of getting out of your business whether it is retiring or just time to move onto something else.

 

All this plus the Internet Tool for Your Business and a staff incentive idea for your business.