In this episode, Melinda Emerson is joined by Terry James, who shares his entrepreneurial journey and insights on the impact of social media on loneliness and consumer behavior. Terry provides an overview of his ventures, OffLeashed and Nibble and Wag, emphasizing the importance of listening to customers. The discussion explores the distinction between building an audience and fostering a community, and how to balance community engagement with innovation.

Terry James, Founder and CEO of Offleash’d and Nibble & Wag. Terry is on a mission to transform modern pet ownership through technology, wellness, and community. Through Offleash’d, he’s building an AI-powered social ecosystem that helps pet parents connect both online and in real life. Through Nibble & Wag, he’s tackling another important challenge: making healthier, premium pet nutrition affordable and accessible for everyday families. For more information: https://nibbleandwag.com

Listen to the podcast below:

This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:

• Building a community involves creating mutual value and engagement rather than just having an audience that passively consumes content.
• Terry James emphasized the importance of listening to customers to develop products that meet their real needs, as seen with the creation of Nibble and Wag.
• Consistency in core values and staying true to the mission helps build a brand that customers love, trust, and advocate for.

Resources Mentioned:

Online Courses:  https://smallbizladyuniversity.com

Connect with Terry James:

Website: https://nibbleandwag.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nibbleandwag
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nibbleandwag
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Nibble-and-Wag/61589337501258
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nibbleandwag
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nibbleandwagdogfood

Get More!

Want to hear more episodes of The SmallBiz Chat Podcast? Subscribe on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

​

The post The SmallBizChat Podcast: How to Use Social Ecosystems to Build Your Business with Terry James appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Whether you are a consultant, coach, accountant, attorney, contractor, marketing agency, web designer, financial advisor, or any other service professional, your ability to serve customers well can become one of your strongest competitive advantages. Poor customer service can destroy a reputation much faster than a competitor can.

Customers want to feel valued.

The foundation of great customer service begins with understanding a simple truth: customers want to feel valued. Most customers do not expect perfection. They understand that mistakes happen and challenges arise. What they expect is communication, responsiveness, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to helping them achieve their desired outcome. When customers feel ignored, unimportant, or taken for granted, dissatisfaction quickly follows. When customers feel heard and appreciated, they are often willing to overlook occasional mistakes and remain loyal to your business.

I recently tried a new vendor to print workbooks for my training company. They were an online company, and their prices were 1/3 lower than those of the other vendors we use, so we decided to give it a shot. We did a short run, just 30 workbooks, to test them out. I ordered three weeks before I needed the books, which was plenty of time. They promised to deliver within 19 days of my order. On the 17^th day, I reached out to them to confirm that my order was coming on time. It took a day for them to get back to me, and when they did, they reached out to say they were running behind on orders and that I would get my workbooks a week later than I expected.

I called to let them know I was expecting my order in 24 hours. Then I received an email saying I needed to pay them an additional $161 for overnight shipping. I called them furious and reminded them this was their screw-up and that they needed to eat the cost of getting me what I paid for. The customer service rep said she had to speak to someone and call me back. Now, she called me 10 minutes later and said my product had been shipped, that it would arrive the next day, and that I received a tracking link. Here’s the issue: it still didn’t arrive on time. Moral of the story: I’m not using them again, and I might leave them a bad online review because that was ridiculous.

Establish clear expectations.

One of the easiest ways to improve customer service is to establish clear expectations from the beginning of the relationship. Many customer complaints are not caused by poor work. They are caused by misunderstandings. Customers become frustrated when they are unsure about timelines, deliverables, communication frequency, pricing, or responsibilities. Setting expectations early eliminates confusion and creates confidence. Before beginning any project or engagement, clearly explain what customers can expect, what is required from them, how communication will occur, and what success looks like. Clarity prevents disappointment and builds trust.

Communication is one of the most critical elements of outstanding customer service. Customers want to know what is happening, especially when they are investing their time and money in your services. One of the quickest ways to damage a relationship is to become difficult to reach. Service providers who disappear for days, fail to return phone calls, ignore emails, or provide inconsistent updates create anxiety and frustration. Even when there is no major update to share, proactive communication reassures customers that they remain a priority. A brief email, text message, or phone call can often prevent unnecessary concerns and strengthen confidence in the relationship.

Listening is another skill that separates exceptional service providers from average ones. Too many business owners focus on selling solutions before fully understanding the customer’s problem. Great customer service begins with curiosity. Ask thoughtful questions. Listen carefully. Seek to understand not only what the customer is requesting but also why it matters to them. Customers want to feel understood before they want to be advised. When people believe you genuinely understand their concerns, they are far more likely to trust your recommendations and remain engaged throughout the process.

Responsiveness also plays a significant role in the customer experience. In today’s world, customers expect timely responses. While it may not always be possible to solve every issue immediately, acknowledging inquiries quickly demonstrates professionalism and respect. Even a simple message that says, “I received your email and will respond by tomorrow afternoon,” can significantly improve customer satisfaction. Silence creates uncertainty. Responsiveness creates confidence.

Another hallmark of great customer service is consistency.

Service businesses should also focus on creating memorable experiences rather than simply completing transactions. Think about ways to surprise and delight customers throughout the relationship. A handwritten thank-you note, a personalized follow-up message, a small gift, a birthday greeting, or recognition of an important milestone can leave a lasting impression. These gestures may seem small, but they communicate that the customer is valued as a person rather than viewed merely as a source of revenue.

Great customer service also requires empathy. Customers occasionally experience frustration, disappointment, confusion, or stress. When problems arise, resist the urge to become defensive. Instead, acknowledge their concerns and demonstrate a willingness to help. Empathy does not mean admitting fault when none exists. It means recognizing the customer’s perspective and responding with professionalism and understanding. Customers are often more interested in how a problem is handled than in the problem itself. Businesses that resolve issues quickly and respectfully frequently strengthen relationships rather than damage them.

Do what you say you are going to do.

Service businesses should also seek feedback regularly. Many companies only hear from customers when something goes wrong. By proactively asking for feedback throughout the customer journey, businesses can identify opportunities for improvement before problems escalate. Surveys, check-in calls, review requests, and informal conversations all provide valuable insights. More importantly, asking for feedback communicates that you care about the customer experience and are committed to continuous improvement.

One of the most powerful customer service strategies is simply doing what you say you are going to do. Reliability is the foundation of trust. If you promise to deliver a proposal on Friday, deliver it on Friday. If you commit to returning a call, return it. If circumstances change and a deadline cannot be met, communicate proactively and provide an updated timeline. Customers understand that unexpected situations occur. What they dislike are surprises and broken promises. Consistently honoring commitments demonstrates professionalism and builds credibility over time.

Technology can also enhance customer service when used effectively. Customer relationship management systems, appointment scheduling tools, project management platforms, automated reminders, and customer portals can improve communication and streamline interactions. However, technology should never replace human connection. Customers appreciate convenience, but they still want to know that a real person is available when they need assistance. The best service businesses use technology to improve efficiency while maintaining personal relationships.

Don’t forget to follow-up.

One area where many service businesses fall short is follow-up. Too often, communication ends once the project is completed or payment is received. Exceptional service continues after the transaction. Following up allows you to ensure customer satisfaction, address lingering concerns, gather testimonials, request referrals, and identify additional ways to provide value. It also keeps your business top of mind for future opportunities. Many repeat sales and referrals occur simply because someone took the time to follow up.

Customers should receive the same high-quality experience regardless of who they interact with within your organization. This is why documented processes and service standards are so important. When onboarding procedures, communication protocols, project workflows, and follow-up systems are clearly defined, customers receive a more predictable and professional experience. Consistency builds trust because customers know what to expect. As I often tell entrepreneurs, most business problems are due to a lack of systems. Customer service is no exception.

ne area where many service businesses fall short is follow-up. Too often, communication ends once the project is completed or payment is received. Exceptional service continues after the transaction. Following up allows you to ensure customer satisfaction, address lingering concerns, gather testimonials, request referrals, and identify additional ways to provide value. It also keeps your business top of mind for future opportunities. Many repeat sales and referrals occur simply because someone took the time to follow up.

Customer service should not be viewed as the responsibility of one department or one employee. It should become part of the company culture. Every interaction, every email, every meeting, every phone call, and every deliverable contributes to the customer’s perception of your business. Team members should understand that they are not only performing tasks but also creating experiences. Organizations that prioritize customer service at every level consistently outperform competitors that treat service as an afterthought.

For service businesses, referrals are often one of the most valuable sources of new business. Exceptional customer service fuels those referrals. People naturally recommend businesses that exceed expectations, solve problems, communicate well, and make them feel valued. In contrast, poor customer service spreads quickly through negative reviews, social media posts, and word-of-mouth conversations. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to strengthen or damage your reputation.

Customer service is not complicated!

Look, guys, great customer service is not complicated. It is about treating people with respect, communicating clearly, honoring commitments, solving problems effectively, and making customers feel important. Businesses that consistently deliver these experiences create loyal customers who stay longer, spend more, and enthusiastically recommend their services to others.

The most successful service businesses understand that customer service is not expensive. It is an investment. It is one of the most powerful marketing tools available because satisfied customers become advocates for your brand. While competitors can copy your pricing, products, and services, they cannot easily replicate the relationships you build through exceptional service.

Customers may forget exactly what you said. But they will always remember how you made them feel. If you want your service business to stand out, focus on creating an experience that leaves customers feeling supported, appreciated, and confident that they made the right decision by choosing you. That is the true foundation of great customer service, and it is one of the most reliable paths to sustainable business growth.

The post How to Deliver Great Customer Service as a Service Business appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Michelle Snow, CEO of Grow With Snow, The Coach Making Connections, is a business coach who helps entrepreneurs and organizations with tailored strategies and visionary insights. She specializes in professional development and outreach, helping clients unlock growth. Michelle’s client roster includes local businesses and brands such as CVS, Oak Street Health, Rutgers University, DelDOT, the City of Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia, and Amazon. ​For more information: https://growwithsnow.com

Malcolm Reid, Sr., founder of ProGlobal Business Advisors, has spent over 11 years helping more than 1,000 coaches worldwide build profitable, values-driven practices. He delivers a proven “business-in-a-box”—positioning, systems, enrollment, delivery frameworks, software, and operational support—so coaches operate like business owners. Malcolm champions integrity and measurable client results, helping coaches stop guessing, scale sustainably, and build stable businesses that support families and serve small-business clients. For more information: https://proglobalba.com

Listen to the podcast below:

Podcasts Mentioned: 

• The Profit Advisor Podcast with Malcolm Reid, Sr.
• Pocket Watching with JT

Apps Mentioned:

• ChatGPT
• Google Gemini
• Claude
• Zeely.ai

Old School Marketing Tips: 

• You can’t force your solution down the throat of the marketplace. You can only harness it.
• Online is only a glorified flyer, so make sure your message is always dialed in.
• The first 7-30 second conversation you have with the person in front of you, don’t overwhelm them. Have something meaningful to say.
• Listen to lead. You have to be more interested than interesting.

Books Mentioned:

• Become Your Own Boss in 12 months and Fix Your Businessby Melinda Emerson
• From Good to Great by Jim Collins
• Built to Last by Jim Collins
• 10x is Easier than 2x by Dan Sullivan

Connect with Michelle Snow:

Website:  https://growwithsnow.com
LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michelle-snow/24/4b9/871
Instagram:  https://instagram.com/growwithsnowco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growwithsnowco
Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGyuctiouPk1nj-xE1TUK_Q

Connect with Malcolm Reid, Sr.:

Website: https://proglobalba.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/proglobal-business-advisors
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proglobalba
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@proglobalbusinessadvisors

Get More!

Want to hear more episodes of The SmallBizChat Podcast? Subscribe on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

The post The SmallBizChat Podcast: Hit It and Quit It with Michelle Snow and Malcolm Reid, Sr. appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Process documentation is simply the practice of recording how work gets done in your business.

Think of it as creating a roadmap that allows others to consistently produce the same results. Every task in your business follows a series of steps. Whether it is onboarding a new client, processing payroll, publishing social media content, or following up with sales prospects, there is a process behind the outcome. When those steps are documented, they become repeatable, teachable, and measurable. Instead of relying on memory or guesswork, your team can follow established procedures that produce consistent results.

Many business owners mistakenly believe process documentation is something only large corporations need. Small businesses benefit even more from documented systems because we typically operate with fewer people and resources. When processes are not documented, training becomes difficult, mistakes increase, and valuable knowledge can disappear whenever an employee leaves. New hires require more supervision, customer experiences become inconsistent, and the owner remains trapped as the person everyone depends on for answers. Documentation eliminates much of this chaos by creating clarity and consistency throughout the organization.

Early on in my business, I got put on bed rest for six months when I became pregnant with my son. It was 2005, and this was a few years before Wi-Fi was available in most residential homes, so I couldn’t keep working remotely the way entrepreneurs can today. That’s when I realized that my lack of documented processes put my business and livelihood at great risk. My former husband and I worked together in my business, so our entire family’s income depended on the company continuing to operate smoothly. To say it was a stressful time is an understatement. Clients still needed support, bills still had to be paid, and projects still needed to move forward, but much of the knowledge about how the business functioned existed only in my head. Every day, I worried about losing customers, damaging relationships, and jeopardizing the future of the company I had worked so hard to build. It was a very expensive lesson to learn, and it almost destroyed my business.

Looking back, I realized I had built a business that depended entirely on me rather than one supported by systems. A few years later, this experience became one of the driving forces behind my mission to help entrepreneurs build stronger businesses. It inspired me to become SmallBizLady and start coaching small business owners on how to create systems, document processes, and build companies that can thrive even when life throws unexpected challenges their way. I also shared this story in my best-selling book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, because I wanted other entrepreneurs to learn from my mistake rather than experience the same painful lesson themselves.

The key to successful process documentation is starting small.

One of the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make is trying to document every process in the business at once. The project quickly becomes overwhelming and gets pushed aside. Instead, begin with the activities that occur most frequently or have the greatest impact on revenue and customer satisfaction. I suggest starting with areas in operations such as client onboarding, proposal management, sales follow-up, invoicing, customer service, marketing activities, employee onboarding, or project management. These are often the functions that create the greatest bottlenecks and where documentation can provide the fastest return on investment.

A practical way to document a process is to track your tasks in real time over thirty days and challenge your team members to do the same. Many people struggle to write procedures because they attempt to recall the process from memory after the fact. Instead, document the steps as they occur. Record each action, decision, and tool being used. Pay attention to details that may seem obvious to you but could be confusing to someone unfamiliar with the process. The ultimate test of your documentation process is whether another person could successfully complete the task by following your instructions. Find another team member to review your work. If they can follow your instructions, your documentation is effective. I also suggest encouraging your team members to do that activity every six months to keep processes up to date.

One of the easiest ways to document processes is through video. Screen recording tools such as Loom or Zoom allow you to capture your screen while explaining what you are doing step by step. This approach is often faster than writing lengthy instructions and can be especially helpful when demonstrating software applications, CRM systems, accounting tools, or online workflows. Employees can watch these recordings repeatedly until they understand the process. Many businesses find that combining written procedures with short training videos creates the most effective documentation system.

As your documentation library grows, it is important to organize procedures into Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). An SOP provides clear instructions for completing a task and ensures that work is performed consistently regardless of who is responsible. A well-designed SOP should explain the purpose of the process, identify who is responsible for completing it, outline the required tools, software, and vendors, and provide step-by-step instructions for execution. Consistency in format makes procedures easier to update, manage, and follow.

Equally important is deciding where your documentation will live. Many organizations make the mistake of storing procedures in multiple locations. Some instructions exist in email messages, others are stored on personal computers, and some remain buried in shared drives where no one can find them. Effective documentation requires a centralized location where all procedures can be easily accessed by the team. Whether you use Google Drive, Dropbox, Box.com, Microsoft SharePoint, Notion, or another knowledge management platform, consistency is critical. Employees should always know where to find information when they need it.

Business owners should recognize that process documentation is not a one-time project.

Businesses evolve.
Technology changes.
Customer expectations shift.
New team members identify better ways of doing things.

As a result, procedures should be reviewed and updated regularly. Encourage employees to provide feedback on processes and suggest improvements. The people performing the work often have valuable insights into how procedures can be streamlined and improved. Documentation should be viewed as a living system that grows alongside the business.

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of process documentation is training employees to use it. Creating procedures alone is not enough. Team members must understand that documentation is essential to performing their jobs effectively. Incorporating documented processes into onboarding programs, employee training, and performance management helps reinforce their importance. When questions arise, managers should encourage employees to consult documented procedures before seeking assistance. This approach promotes accountability, self-sufficiency, and operational consistency.

The true value of process documentation will become evident as a business grows.

You will gain confidence knowing that work can be completed without your direct involvement. Employees become more productive because expectations are clear. New hires become productive faster. Customer experiences become more consistent. Problems become easier to identify and solve because there is a documented standard against which performance can be measured. Most importantly, the business becomes less dependent on any single individual, which is key if you want to sell your business someday.

Many entrepreneurs avoid documenting processes because they believe they do not have time. The reality is that you cannot afford not to make time. Every repeated question that should become an FAQ, every training mistake, every inconsistency, and every operational bottleneck consumes valuable time and energy. Rework is expensive. Documented systems create a foundation for sustainable growth for your business.

As I often tell business owners, most business problems stem from a lack of systems. Process documentation is one of the simplest and most effective ways to build those systems. It transforms individual knowledge into organizational knowledge. It creates consistency, accountability, and scalability. Most importantly, it allows you to build a business that can operate successfully without requiring your constant involvement in every decision and every task.

Great businesses are not built on heroic effort.

They are built on repeatable systems. Every strong system begins with a documented process. If you want to scale your business, improve efficiency, and create more freedom as an owner, start documenting how work gets done today. Your future team, your future customers, and your future self will thank you for it.

The post How to Effectively Document Your Processes appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

In this episode, Melinda Emerson is joined by Malcolm Reed Sr. to explore his journey into business coaching and the common challenges faced by coaches. They discuss the critical role of building robust business systems and the importance of establishing a solid business infrastructure. Malcolm shares insights on the risks of positioning oneself as a guru and offers strategies for building trust and authority without relying on social media. The conversation highlights integrity within the coaching industry and recommends the first system overwhelmed coaches should implement.

Malcolm Reid Sr., founder of ProGlobal Business Advisors, has spent over 11 years helping more than 1,000 coaches worldwide build profitable, values-driven practices. He delivers a proven “business-in-a-box”—positioning, systems, enrollment, delivery frameworks, software, and operational support—so coaches operate like business owners. Malcolm champions integrity and measurable client results, helping coaches stop guessing, scale sustainably, and build stable businesses that support families and serve small-business clients. For more information: https://proglobalba.com

Listen to the podcast below:

This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:

• Focusing on delivering results and having a systematic approach to fulfillment can retain clients and ensure long-term revenue.
• Avoid positioning yourself as a guru and instead focus on understanding and solving the specific problems your target market faces.
• Establish credibility through tangible proof of your capabilities, such as becoming an author or providing demonstrable value before asking for business.

Resources Mentioned:

Online Courses:  https://smallbizladyuniversity.com

Connect with Malcolm Reid, Sr.:

Website: https://proglobalba.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/proglobal-business-advisors
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proglobalba
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@proglobalbusinessadvisors

Get More!

Want to hear more episodes of The SmallBiz Chat Podcast? Subscribe on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

​

The post The SmallBizChat Podcast: How to Grow a Coaching Business with Malcolm Reid, Sr. appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

But two recent court filings have created a potential refund opportunity that could impact millions of businesses and taxpayers who paid IRS penalties and interest during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If your business was charged late-filing penalties, late-payment penalties, estimated tax penalties, or certain interest charges between 2020 and 2023, you may be entitled to recover some or all of those payments. However, there is an important catch: you must act before July 10, 2026, to preserve your rights. Recent guidance from the National Taxpayer Advocate warns that many taxpayers may lose the opportunity entirely if they fail to file claims before the deadline.

For many entrepreneurs who struggled with shutdowns, supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, inflation, and economic uncertainty, this could be an unexpected source of cash for their businesses.

What Happened?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government declared a national emergency that lasted from January 20, 2020, through May 11, 2023.

During that period, the IRS extended many tax filing and payment deadlines under federal disaster relief rules. However, two recent federal court decisions, Abdo v. United States & Kwong v. United States, questioned whether the IRS had authority to continue assessing certain penalties and interest throughout the entire disaster period. Several tax experts and legal analysts believe the ruling could entitle millions of taxpayers to refunds or abatements of penalties and interest assessed during those years.

While the IRS is challenging the decision and the legal process is still unfolding, tax professionals across the country are encouraging taxpayers and business owners to file protective claims before the deadline to preserve their rights. (MarketWatch)

Why Small Business Owners Should Pay Attention

Many business owners were hit with penalties during the pandemic years for reasons that were beyond their control.

Businesses faced:

• Mandatory shutdowns
• Supply chain disruptions
• Staffing shortages
• Cash flow challenges
• Delayed bookkeeping and accounting
• Unpredictable operating conditions

As a result, many business owners incurred penalties for late filing, late payment, or failure to meet estimated tax obligations. At the time, most entrepreneurs simply paid the penalties and moved on because they were focused on keeping their businesses alive. Now, it is possible that some of those penalties should never have been assessed in the first place.

For business owners who paid thousands, or even tens of thousands, of dollars in penalties and interest, the refund opportunity could be significant.

How Much Money Are We Talking About?

The answer depends entirely on your tax history. Some businesses may only qualify for a few hundred dollars. Others may be entitled to several thousand dollars.

Businesses that experienced significant tax liabilities during the pandemic could potentially recover much larger amounts. The important thing to understand is that refunds are not automatic. The IRS is not currently sending checks to everyone who may qualify. Most taxpayers and business owners must take action to preserve their rights before the filing deadline.

Why You Shouldn’t Wait

Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of assuming they will “look into it later.” That approach could be costly. According to tax professionals and the National Taxpayer Advocate, many refund claims are subject to a statute of limitations deadline of July 10, 2026. Missing that deadline could mean permanently losing the ability to recover funds, even if future court decisions ultimately confirm taxpayers are entitled to refunds.

In other words, waiting until the legal process is finished may leave you with no ability to participate. The smartest approach is to determine whether you may qualify and preserve your rights before the deadline passes.

Who May Be Eligible?

You may want to investigate further if your business:

• Paid IRS penalties between 2020 and 2023
• Paid interest on tax balances during the COVID emergency period
• Received notices for late filing or late payment penalties
• Incurred estimated tax penalties
• Experienced pandemic-related business disruptions
• Entered payment plans with the IRS during the pandemic years

Even if you’re unsure whether you qualify, it is worth exploring.

Many business owners have no idea what penalties they paid during those years because the amounts were simply added to IRS balances and paid automatically through installment agreements or tax settlements.

How Can You Find Out?

The good news is that you don’t have to become a tax attorney to investigate your eligibility.

One of the easiest ways to determine whether your business may qualify is to request a review of your IRS records and penalty history.

That’s why the team at IRSPenaltyback.com developed a process to help business owners quickly determine whether they may be eligible for a refund.

The review is designed to help identify whether penalties and interest assessed during the COVID-era disaster period may qualify for a refund claim.

Best of all, the initial eligibility review is free. Visit IRSPenaltyback.com to see what you could be owed.

Why This Matters for Small Business Growth

Too often, entrepreneurs leave money on the table simply because they don’t know opportunities exist.

Imagine what an unexpected refund could do for your business.

You might use it to:

• Hire staff
• Upgrade technology
• Improve marketing
• Increase cash reserves
• Invest in growth initiatives
• Pay down debt

For many small businesses, every dollar matters.

Recovering funds that may have been improperly assessed could provide a welcome financial boost at a time when many entrepreneurs are still navigating economic uncertainty.

Take Action Before July 10, 2026

If your business paid IRS penalties or interest during the pandemic years, now is the time to investigate whether you may qualify for a refund.

The legal landscape is still evolving, and refunds are not guaranteed. However, many tax professionals agree that preserving your rights before the July 10, 2026, deadline is a prudent step for potentially affected taxpayers.

Don’t assume you don’t qualify.

Don’t assume the IRS will contact you.

And don’t wait until the last minute.

Visit IRSPenaltyback.com today for a free eligibility review and find out whether the IRS may owe your business money.

You worked hard to survive one of the most challenging periods in modern business history. If there is an opportunity to recover funds your business may be entitled to receive, it is worth taking a few minutes to find out.

This is a sponsored article, but the content of this post is the opinion of the author of this blog.

About the Sponsor:

IRSPenaltyback.com helps business owners determine whether they may qualify for refunds of IRS penalties and interest assessed during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

The company is led by Kenny Dettman, Co-Founder and CEO, a CPA with nearly 20 years of experience. IRSPenaltyBack.com reviews each business’s situation, identifies potential refund eligibility, and guides clients through the claim process from start to finish. With the July 10, 2026 deadline approaching, business owners should consider checking whether the IRS may owe them money. Reviews are free, and there is no obligation to move forward.

The post The IRS Might Owe You Money: Here’s What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know Before July 10, 2026 appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

In this episode, Melinda Emerson is joined by Michelle Snow to explore the transition from business owner to CEO, highlighting key differences and necessary mindset shifts. They discuss the importance of delegation, training, and effective business operations, along with systems and tools for scalability. The conversation delves into the role of integrity and accountability in leadership, the significance of building a transparent business culture, and offers advice on operating with full integrity.

Michelle Snow, CEO of Grow With Snow, The Coach Making Connections, is a business coach who helps entrepreneurs and organizations with tailored strategies and visionary insights. She specializes in professional development and outreach, helping clients unlock growth. Michelle’s client roster includes local businesses and brands such as CVS, Oak Street Health, Rutgers University, DelDOT, the City of Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia, and Amazon. ​For more information: https://growwithsnow.com

Listen to the podcast below:

This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:

• Business owners must shift their mindset from hustling to strategic planning to effectively transition into a CEO role.
• Delegation and ongoing training are crucial for scaling a business and ensuring it can operate independently of the owner.
• Maintaining integrity and transparency within the business is essential to prevent failures and sustain long-term success.

Resources Mentioned:

Online Courses:  https://smallbizladyuniversity.com

Connect with Michelle Snow:

Website:  https://growwithsnow.com
LinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michelle-snow/24/4b9/871
Instagram:  https://instagram.com/growwithsnowco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/growwithsnowco
Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGyuctiouPk1nj-xE1TUK_Q

Get More!

Want to hear more episodes of The SmallBiz Chat Podcast? Subscribe on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

​

The post The SmallBizChat Podcast: How to Transition from Business Owner to CEO with Michelle Snow appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

For many aspiring entrepreneurs, the answer is No. No one should build something from scratch right now. Over the next 5 years, with so many baby boomers retiring, there’s a lot of business inventory available. Buying an existing business or investing in a franchise is often the faster, more reliable route to cash flow, financial independence, and the freedom to choose how you spend your time. Starting from zero has romantic and learning value, but it also comes with a long runway of uncertainty, trial and error, and a high risk of failure. Acquiring a business gives you customers, systems, and a revenue history to work with. It reduces the time it takes to reach sustainable income and allows you to focus on growth and value creation from day one.

The primary advantage of buying an existing business is immediate cash flow. A startup typically requires years of investment before it produces reliable revenue. Payroll, rent, marketing, product development, and inventory all burn cash while founders search for product-market fit. In contrast, buying a business brings an existing revenue stream, an established client base, and operational systems. That means you can qualify for an SBA Loan to buy the business. You can pay yourself sooner, use revenues to pay your loan, and reinvest in growth without the same level of bootstrap risk. For people aiming for financial independence and the ability to eventually step away from day-to-day work, the ability to quickly convert a business into a predictable cash flow is priceless.

New ventures often fail because founders lack repeatable processes for sales, delivery, hiring, onboarding, and customer retention. When you buy a business, much of that institutional knowledge exists in some form. Even if the systems are informal or incomplete, you can document, improve, and scale them. That work is more efficient than inventing every operational process while simultaneously trying to acquire customers. Systems are what make businesses transferable to new owners and what buyers pay for. Investing in systems early after purchase increases the business value and reduces the owner’s reliance, which kills many small enterprises.

Acquisitions also make financing more accessible. Lenders and small business programs prefer to back businesses with positive cash flow and an operating history. Banks and community lenders are more willing to finance an acquisition than a speculative startup with SBA guaranteed loans. That means you can leverage debt to buy an asset that produces returns while you grow. Equity investors and partners are also more attracted to businesses with demonstrated revenue and customer traction. Buying a business gives you negotiating power to structure financing in ways that preserve ownership while providing the capital needed to scale.

Franchises deserve special consideration as an acquisition strategy. A reputable franchise offers an established brand, training, supply chains, marketing support, and a playbook that reduces execution risk. Franchisors invest heavily in testing and refining day-to-day operations, so franchisees benefit from proven models. Franchises can be expensive, but there are over 4,000 franchise concepts, so there’s one for every budget. Franchise fees and royalties reduce margin, and corporate rules limit certain decisions. Yet for many people, the tradeoff is worthwhile because the franchise model compresses learning time and provides a community of peers plus centralized marketing that an independent startup would struggle to match.

Buying rather than building also accelerates your path to an eventual exit. When you purchase a business with the intention of building and selling, you can start creating an exit plan from the first day. That means identifying quick wins that increase earnings, reducing owner dependence, cleaning up the financial statements, and documenting processes to make the business attractive to buyers. Owners who keep exit in mind early make different choices about pricing, customer contracts, staff development, and legal housekeeping. Those choices compound into a higher valuation when you decide to sell.

Successful acquisitions do not happen by accident. Due diligence is the most critical phase of any purchase. You must understand the target business’s true financial health. That includes reviewing three years of financial statements, tax returns, customer concentration metrics, margin trends, accounts receivable aging, and recurring revenue and long-term contracts. Ask whether a small number of customers represent a large percentage of sales. If so, plan how to diversify the customer base before a buyer sees the risk. Investigate supplier relationships, lease terms, outstanding legal claims, and employee contracts. Verify that intellectual property and domain ownership are clear. Conduct operational due diligence as well. Spend time on the shop floor or in service delivery. Talk to key employees and, when possible, customers. The goal is to validate that the business can sustain revenue and to identify the immediate improvements that will drive value.

Valuation and price negotiation require both art and science. Sellers often value businesses on emotional metrics or future potential, while buyers focus on current cash flow and risk. Common valuation methods for small businesses include multiples of seller discretionary earnings or EBITDA, discounted cash flow where appropriate, and asset-based approaches for certain holdings. Consider hiring an experienced business broker, valuation expert, M&A advisor, or CPA to help model realistic earnouts and to structure the transaction to reduce exposure. Earnouts are useful when sellers and buyers disagree on future performance. They align incentives so that sellers receive additional compensation for meeting agreed-upon milestones, while buyers limit upfront risk.

Now think about growing the business in advance. Focusing on organic growth through improved sales and marketing is the lowest-risk path. Invest in repeatable lead generation playbooks, nurture sequences, and referral systems. For service businesses, package high-value offerings into programs or retainers that increase average revenue per client and stabilize cash flow. Consider productizing services as workshops, online courses, or subscription offerings to scale delivery. Operational improvements such as tighter inventory management, vendor consolidation, and technology enablement often unlock margin expansion. Strategic acquisitions or franchise buy-ins can also accelerate growth when you have validated your model locally.

Hiring and leadership are also part of the growth equation. To scale, you must create roles that do not require the owner to make decisions. Hire or promote an operations lead to manage daily work, a sales or business development lead to expand the pipeline, and a finance person or outsourced CFO to maintain clean records. Invest in training and create documented procedures to reduce variability. Incentives must align behavior to outcomes.

Preparing for exit is a continuous process. Start by improving governance and legal housekeeping. Formalize contracts with customers and suppliers, ensure employee agreements assign intellectual property, and clean up related party transactions. Keep tidy and transparent financial records that separate owner benefits from business expenses. Remove personal expenses from the company books. Buyers value predictability. Show them recurring revenue, low customer concentration, stable gross margins, and a team that can run the business without the owner. Understand the exit options available to you. Strategic buyers, such as competitors or consolidators, often pay a premium for a business that can give them an advantage. Private equity buyers look for growth potential.

Buying an existing business is not a guarantee of success. You inherit problems as well as strengths, and the seller’s story about why they are leaving may omit critical details. Some businesses fail for reasons that are fixable with better systems, leadership, or capital. Others fail because the market itself is contracting, disruptive competitors have taken key channels, regulatory changes have shifted cost structures, or a core customer has moved their business elsewhere. That distinction determines whether the acquisition is an opportunity or a trap.

Start by expanding due diligence. Assess whether the problems are fixable within a timeframe and budget you can accept. Create a realistic turnaround plan that lists the top five changes to move the needle, assigns owners, and attaches costs and expected impact to each change. Typical high-impact fixes include cleaning up pricing and margins, fixing inventory practices, standardizing delivery processes, strengthening collections, and improving local marketing and lead generation. Estimate the dollars and months required for each fix and build conservative scenarios for how quickly revenue and cash flow will respond. If the sum of required investment, added time, and execution risk exceeds the upside you can reasonably expect, that is a warning sign.

Understand the people risks. Often, the most important asset you acquire is human capital, but key employees may leave at the sale or cause the decline. Identify who is mission-critical and secure retention agreements where feasible. If owner dependency is severe, plan for immediate investments in documentation, cross-training, and interim leadership while you recruit or promote replacements. Factor in the cultural work required to stabilize morale and reengage customers who may have experienced inconsistent service.

Run a seller stress test by modeling worst-case scenarios. What if revenue falls ten percent next quarter or a top customer leaves? How long can the business sustain payroll and rent under that scenario? How quickly can you change suppliers or move pricing? Buyers who model downside cases can negotiate price adjustments, escrow provisions, or seller financing that aligns risk and reward. Earnouts and phased payments are useful tools when the future is uncertain because they tie compensation to performance rather than relying purely on historical statements.

Be ready to walk. One of the biggest mistakes buyers make is falling in love with a number or a location and ignoring red flags. If due diligence reveals a steep market decline, structural regulatory headwinds, or hidden liabilities that cannot be reasonably mitigated, decline the purchase. It is far better to lose a deal than to buy a business that will drain time, money, and energy for years.

If you are not prepared to execute an operational turnaround, I recommend considering a franchise instead. But you should evaluate franchisors with the same rigor as an existing business: study unit economics across mature locations, speak with existing franchisees about actual profitability and corporate support, and carefully review the franchise disclosure document for ongoing obligations and historical termination rates.

In short, buying a business requires a surgeon’s level of diagnostic work and a field general’s readiness to execute fixes quickly. Treat due diligence as a discovery phase and the first 90-day plan as a trial period for your assumptions. When problems are operational and addressable with clear investments and managerial changes, the upside can be substantial. When problems are structural or legal, the smart move is to pass and look for a cleaner opportunity or a franchise with proven systems.

Unlock your next transition with expert Merger and Acquisition consulting support. Whether you are buying, selling, or scaling through strategic acquisitions, our team provides due diligence and negotiation support to help you reduce risk and accelerate value creation. Book a free consultation to discuss your goals and get a custom action plan.

Also consider our First Year CEO program for new business owners. Over 12-months, learn the leadership, systems, and financial routines that turn an acquisition into a predictable cash flow and a sellable asset.

The post Should You Start a Business Right Now? appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

In this episode, Melinda Emerson welcomes Andrea Palacio to share her journey of purchasing and transforming a business. Andrea discusses the challenges and red flags she encountered post-acquisition and the lessons learned from early struggles. She details her efforts in rebuilding the team and revising the business strategy, including the implementation of AI automation. Andrea updates on the business transition and the current status, and introduces her new venture, Run Crewless, identifying its target audience.

Andrea Palacio bought a struggling landscaping company with a ​500K SBA loan and 12 employees. When traditional solutions failed, she turned to AI and built custom systems that transformed the entire operation. Now she is the CEO of Run Crewless, helping other service businesses implement AI automation. She speaks from experience, not theory. For more information: https://andreapalacio.ai​

Listen to the podcast below:

This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:

• Automating customer service and administrative tasks using AI can significantly reduce the workload and increase efficiency in small businesses.
• Implementing AI solutions requires an initial learning curve and investment but can lead to substantial long-term benefits, including reduced operational costs and regained time for business owners.
• Maintaining a human element to supervise and guide AI systems is crucial to ensure their effectiveness and to maximize productivity gains.

Resources Mentioned:

Online Courses:  https://smallbizladyuniversity.com

Connect with Andrea Palacio:

Website:  https://andreapalacio.ai​
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapalacio
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/andreapalacio
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ai.andreapalacio
Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@ai.andreapalacio

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The post The SmallBizChat Podcast: How to Evaluate an Existing Business to Buy with Andrea Palacio appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.

Why Run an Owner Absence Test

Owners who never step away risk two problems. First, the business becomes dependent on a single person’s knowledge and decision-making, which limits growth and drains the owner. Second, anything that makes the owner unavailable, such as illness, family needs, or an acquisition process, can destabilize the company. Running controlled absence experiments gives you evidence rather than assumptions. It helps you prioritize documentation, hire or promote leaders, and measure readiness for scaling or exit.

Designing the Test: Scope and Timeline

The Owner Absence Test has two recommended phases: a two-week test and a more rigorous two-month test. Treat the two-week test as a pilot that validates communication flows and immediate operational continuity. Use the results to strengthen gaps before attempting the two-month test, which simulates a longer, more stressful absence and tests sustainability.

Define what “absent” means. Absence can be a full disconnect where you are unreachable for routine matters, or it can be limited, allowing for emergency contact with a strict escalation protocol. For the two-week pilot, you might allow a daily 30-minute emergency window. For the two-month test, aim for true operational absence with emergency reachability only in predefined scenarios.

Set clear objectives. Typical objectives include the following:

• Maintain revenue and service levels within X percent of baseline.
• Resolve customer issues within agreed SLAs without owner intervention
• Keep payroll and vendor payments on schedule
• No material contract breaches or compliance lapses
• Decision escalation occurs as documented without ad hoc owner sign-offs

Plan the experiment timeline and milestones. Decide your start and end dates, prepare a communications plan, and schedule interim checkpoints at which the leadership team reports progress to a designated interim lead or the board.

Build the Pre-Absence Checklist

Before you step away, prepare the business for the test. This checklist reduces avoidable disruptions and creates a fair test of systems and people.

1. Document critical processes and contacts
   Create concise SOPs for revenue-critical functions: order processing, client onboarding, billing, collections, supply chain handoffs, and support escalation. Include vendor contacts, account numbers, and login procedures stored securely. Ensure at least two employees have access and knowledge.

2. Assign owners and define decision rights
   Designate an interim operations lead and a secondary backup. Define decision thresholds for the team: what can be decided at the manager level, what needs committee approval, and what requires emergency escalation.

3. Prepare financial runway
   Confirm cash flow to cover payroll, rent, and key vendor payments for the test duration. Set up automated payment approvals where possible and provide temporary signatory access to a trusted finance lead.

4. Customer and partner messaging
   Proactively inform key clients and partners that you will be temporarily stepping back and introduce the interim contact. Frame the message as part of a normal business continuity exercise to reassure stakeholders.

5. Create a prioritized issue list
   Compile known risks or projects that require attention and assign them to owners with clear deadlines. This prevents the test from being derailed by avoidable problems that were already known before the absence.

6. Access, security, and delegations
   Ensure credentials are shared securely, that password managers are updated, and that legal delegations or temporary authorities are in place for necessary signoffs.

Operational Rules During Absence

Set the ground rules to ensure the test maintains integrity and produces useful data.

Limit owner intervention. If you allowed an emergency window during planning, strictly enforce it. Encourage the team to document decisions made in your absence and the reasoning behind them. Require daily or every-other-day status updates from the interim lead, but keep them short and factual. Avoid micromanaging from afar.

Use the escalation protocol. The team should follow the predefined escalation path rather than bypassing it to contact you directly. Track every escalation: who raised it, justification, decision made, and outcome.

Measure Key Metrics

Choose a handful of metrics that reflect the company’s health and the owner’s usual responsibilities. Baseline them before the test so you can compare performance.

Suggested metrics to track

• Revenue or sales transactions per day or week
• Number of new leads and lead conversion rate
• Customer satisfaction or support ticket response times
• On-time delivery or service completion rate
• Days sales outstanding and collections activity
• Payroll on-time completion and cash position
• Number and severity of escalations to the owner
• Employee engagement indicators, such as absenteeism or critical staff turnover

Collect qualitative data. Numbers are vital, but narratives from team members, customers, and suppliers reveal subtler issues such as morale, confidence, and customers’ perception of consistency.

Run The Two-Week Pilot and Evaluate It.

Start with the two-week test and keep the scope tight. After each week, hold a structured review with your interim lead and the leadership team. Ask:

• What unexpected issues arose, and how were they handled?
• Which decisions required owner-level input and why?
• Were there processes that failed or were too slow?
• Did customers notice a difference in service or responsiveness?

Document every learning and turn early findings into visible fixes: update SOPs, change access protocols, or reassign responsibilities.

Adapt and Prepare for the Two-Month Test

Use lessons from the pilot to strengthen systems and clarity. The two-month test is more rigorous and will surface issues that the two-week test may miss, such as staff burnout, supplier issues, or cash flow variances.

During the two-month test, maintain weekly dashboards and a biweekly leadership review. Increase the emphasis on medium-term KPIs such as customer churn, backlog health, and recurring revenue consistency. Encourage leaders to run experiments in the owner’s stead so you can evaluate their judgment and execution capability.

Interpreting the Results

Interpretation should be balanced and pragmatic. The absence test does not need perfection to be useful. Look for trends and root causes.

Green outcome. If KPIs hold within acceptable limits, escalations are rare, and the team documents decisions well, the business demonstrates operational resilience. The owner can confidently extend absences and focus on strategic initiatives.

Yellow outcome. If metrics wobble, some processes fail, or the team struggles with certain decisions, you have clear work to do. Use the data to prioritize systems improvement, training, and potential hires. A yellow outcome is progress because it identifies specific gaps to fix.

Red outcome. If revenue declines significantly, customer complaints spike, payroll or legal obligations are missed, or critical knowledge is missing, the business cannot yet run without the owner. The owner must postpone longer absences and invest in core fixes before trying again.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Rushing the experiment. Skipping the two-week pilot and leaping into a long absence often results in predictable failure. Use the pilot to learn fast and iterate.

Undocumented knowledge. Believing that oral handoffs are sufficient is risky. Insist on written SOPs and repository storage.

Owner interference. Frequent check-ins or unplanned interventions invalidate the test. Commit to the rules you set and trust the process.

Neglecting finance. Cash flow surprises are a common source of emergency calls. Automate payments and ensure a finance lead is empowered and trained.

Ignoring culture. If staff feel abandoned or fear punitive responses for decisions, they will hide issues or make conservative choices that harm growth. Communicate trust and support.

How to Act on Results

Treat the absence test as a roadmap. Prioritize fixes that increase knowledge transferability and reduce owner dependency. Typical investments include:

• Hire or promote a COO or operations manager
• Build a clear leadership decision matrix and escalation protocol
• Invest in an LMS or internal wiki to capture SOPs and training
• Implement a dashboard for weekly KPIs and a financial runway report
• Create retention incentives for key employees and documented succession plans

Repeat the test. Operational maturity is iterative. Run the two-week or two-month absence tests every six to twelve months, increasing the length of absence each successful time. Track improvement across tests and celebrate milestones publicly to build team confidence.

Embedding Resilience Into Your Company’s DNA

The Owner Absence Test is a means to an end. The broader goal is to make the business less dependent on any single person by institutionalizing knowledge, distributing authority, and creating predictable processes. When that shift happens, you gain multiple benefits: the ability to sell the business for a higher multiple, room to innovate and pursue growth, and personal freedom without jeopardizing the company you built.

The Owner Absence Test is not an act of abandonment. It is a disciplined, evidence-based approach to building a healthier, more valuable business. Designed and executed with care, it converts fear into a clear plan of action. Start small, measure honestly, fix decisively, and repeat. In doing so, you turn the hypothetical question of whether your business can run without you into a proven reality.

The post The Owner Absence Test: Can Your Business Run Without You? appeared first on Succeed As Your Own Boss.