Blogs

Summer's Out of Reach 9/03/2024

Photo credit: Charlotte Simmons September may be the most complex month in the calendar year. It is the proverbial blessing mixed with a curse, or some might say a double-edged sword. It is our annual simultaneous ending and beginning time. Sad songs are written about the beginning of summer in...

August: The Dog Days of Summer 8/01/2024

It is a very evocative phrase, conjuring up images of exhausted dogs or struggling professional baseball players, but the origin of the expression has nothing to do with either of those things. The phrase originally comes from the Latin dies caniculares, which translates to "days of the dog...

July: Declaration of Financial Independence Month 7/18/2024

When most Americans think of July, Independence Day comes to mind immediately. We use the 4th of July to commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but the Revolutionary War wasn’t declared until the 8th and independence was not won for 7 years after that, so maybe the days are...

June: The Fiscal Year End and A Month for New Beginning 6/14/2024

For many companies and government agencies, June marks the end of the fiscal year. The calendar year ends in December with holidays and begins again in the following January with resolutions about the coming year. The fiscal year is a 12-month period that can be chosen by a company to facilitate...

May is Maryland's Poster Child 5/03/2024

The month of May, as the name positively projects, is a month of growth. Here in the Old-Line State, May is a kaleidoscope of deep and rich colors. From the verdant farmlands and rolling countryside to the crisp green and blue ocean vistas, and the colorful urban cityscapes, May is a celebration of...

Spring: A Season for Hope and Strategy 4/02/2024

April is a welcome and fertile annual breeding ground for optimism, and renewed hopefulness for a successful future. Almost 300 years ago, Alexander Pope coined the phrase “hope springs eternal,” presumably referencing the renewed energy of April and “spring.” Spring season officially comes in...

The Idle of March 3/01/2024

If you own a business, the month of March should concern you. Roman history famously demonstrates how March can be a particularly tough time to be the boss. It’s like the Tuesday of months. The months of January and February are a blur, great aspirations of new beginnings and new outcomes, just...

“New” Ideas for Your Small Business in 2024 2/01/2024

Now that we have gotten through all the mandatory “resolutions” in January, how can we take a clear-eyed look at the state of our business today to guide us in moving forward? Here are 5 good perspectives to apply to your business in 2024, none of these are actually new, but they may encourage you...

The Holiday Mega Season Will Turn You Inside Out 12/05/2023

There is no shortage of opinions on the hype and mashing together of the holiday seasonal calendar. Some people get annoyed when retailers and advertisers leapfrog or just merge holidays, or just disregard others; but the truth is that from Halloween until the end of January, we are in one big...

If being busy at work is good, then being very busy is even better, right? It depends. 10/05/2023

If you own and run a small business, you know being “busy” can be a very good thing, if busy means demand is strong, and you and your team are being productive and meeting customer needs. Then it only serves to follow that if busy is good, then being very busy is even better, right? It can be. If...