September 2025
Volume 26 Issue 10

Not a dry eye for a friend and employee

On a Monday afternoon, I received a text from Bob. The text was very challenging to read. As my wife, Marilyn, knew all of the employees in our business, I decided to call her. At the time, she was in Florida, and so was Bob, the person who wrote the text.

Reading the text to Marilyn was very challenging. I am an emotional and sentimental person. Multiple times, as I read the text to her, I had to stop to compose myself.

Over the past 28 years, I have written about several employees who were part of our business in the 1990s: Jessica, Roque, and Bob.

Greetings Tom,
Bob Sheridan here. I've been a little sick. I've been here in Bayfront Hospital for about 10 days now, and it doesn't look good. Looks like I'm heading toward the end after tomorrow.

They'll be sending me to Kendrick Hospital. I think you know that it is down there by where you used to live. I'll be sent there, and if I can't respond properly or if they can't get the treatment going properly, I'll be sent home to in-home hospice.

I just wanted to tell you it's been one heck of a pleasure to work with you. It's just been wonderful knowing all of you. I had a good time working for you, and I've enjoyed our friendship tremendously. I just wanted to pass along all that information that you did which not only helped me.

We had a pretty good team; a pretty good thing going at the store. I still think of it a lot, even though it's been what, 30 years? But anyway, thanks for everything, Tom. You've been wonderful, and I appreciate everything. So everybody have an enjoyable week; an enjoyable life, and we'll see you.

Bob

Fortunately, Bob responded well to treatment and is now home recuperating. There is a lesson here for me and perhaps for everyone that reads this newsletter. The story of Bob could be that of an employee, or a vendor, or a customer for any of us as small business owners.

Article of the Month - Learning from Opal, Pearlie and Fred

Not that I was attempting to make the September Small Business News into a trip down memory lane, but this month's article is about three people who worked in my parents' businesses when I was a child. These three people were very important to our business and to our family. Anyone who has owned a business with multiple locations or had multiple crews in a service business knows that you do have to learn to depend on others. It is the only way your business will grow.

I hope you enjoy the story of three people who each had a profound effect on my learning in a small business.

Article of the Month

Book of the month - Effortless by Greg McKeown

We think you will find this to be a very engaging book: Effortless by Greg McKeown. I found this book to be a combination of solutions for challenges that many of us face. One challenge is prioritizing. Another challenge is getting started toward getting something done. Often, that something to be done is the task of the most importance.

We keep a long list of books appropriate for small businesses on the page you will find when you click the Book of the Month link.

Book of the Month

Internet Tool for Your Business -
Logical profit and loss statement

This past week, I spoke at a conference in Virginia. Between sessions, I was approached by an individual who is the Chief Operating Officer of a business that is having a tremendous growth spurt over the past few years. I was asked about mentoring this person. As we were scheduling our first phone conversation, I was asked if their financial expert could join the call.

Of course! Before we visit, let me ask if you are comfortable reading your financial statements, to which the answer was a quick, "no". My response was the introduction of this person to this month's Internet tool. The tool is a different way of arranging the information on your financial statements so that you can have a better understanding of what your financial statements can tell you.

Each month, we highlight one of the 47 free tools on the Profits Plus website; we call them "calculators". While some provide analysis by numbers and ratios, some are assessments, and others are self-examination questions. Many are downloadable, while others, because of the complexity of the calculations going on behind the scenes, are a part of the website and allow you to print your answers. None of them requires you to give any personal information nor are there any "cookies" tracking you or your information.

Internet Tool for Your Business

Staff Incentive for Your Business -
It is a compliment or praise

Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to observe someone who has a trait I greatly admire. The more I watched, the more I wanted to be able to duplicate their efforts. Their special talent was that of handing out compliments. Walking down the street, this person could see a stranger and compliment them on the clothing they were wearing. They would give compliments on a hairstyle or a vehicle someone was driving.

The cost is nothing, but the recipient of the compliment is always smiling and appreciative.

What about making an extra effort with our employees? It could start with a smile and a sincere remark about the person or what they are doing. I am working on it, and hope that repetition will help to make this a natural habit.

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.