Competition is tight in most businesses, customers have plenty of options. We are bombarded with marketing messages everyday – on television, radio, print and internet. Messages telling us that if we just buy their product or service – we will be wealthier, happier and healthier. As a small business owner how do we overcome the messages encouraging our customers to switch? Plus maintain a profit to stay in business?

Many years ago I found myself in Boston on St. Patty’s day. I was there for work and stayed the weekend. I made arrangements to meet a friend of a friend to get a tour of Boston. She was a Boston native and turned out to be a great tour guide. The day started with a cold wet morning.

Twenty five years ago my life fell apart, like a glass bulb hitting a concrete floor it shattered into many pieces. I had filed for divorce after 10 years of marriage. I was a single mom with two toddlers and I quit my 8-to-5 job. Everything was new. My life choices were right for me, however the consequences were a little unsettling and daunting. I now had to rebuild my life, better than it had been going.

Lately the news coverage and my Facebook feed has brought about a tide of outrage, disagreement and a lot of name calling. I see anger and behind anger there is usually fear. Fear of change I suppose. As a general practice I attempt to focus on the positive – whether it is my attitude or actions. With Valentine’s Day nearby I am hoping that the sentiments will swing toward gratitude and love.

It depends….According to the head of the IRS, John Koskinen “anyone running for President or who’s going to be President can look forward to having their tax returns audited every year.” The returns of the President and the Vice President are audited every year, as required by section 4.2.2.11 of the Internal Revenue Manual.

Life is better with trust. Having trust, being trustworthy and trusting others are wonderful ideals to strive for. More can be accomplished when trust is present. Marriages and businesses are broken every day due to the lack of trust. Trust is fragile; it is built over time but can be destroyed in seconds. Almost everyone understands trust however it is challenging to define it. Trust starts with each of us. Creating your own trust is where it starts.

It’s late at night as I write this. It’s so light outside, everything is white. We just got about 2 inches of soft snow gently dropped on us. The land is covered with the white stuff. The clouds hang overhead. The traffic has stopped. The silence has settled in.

We encourage small children to write a letter to Santa telling him what they want for Christmas. Personally, I don’t recall ever writing one, my mom always had a better idea of what I wanted than I did, at least until I was 10. Now as I sit down and create a current list the items are drastically different than when I was much younger. This list is complex with concepts more than things. So I hope Santa is listening.

For me Christmas means family. It is a time for me to shift my thoughts from the financial success of work to the heart and soul of family. For without family why work so hard? The hardest challenge is to let go of expectations and go with the flow. Family as I grew up with is not family as I experience it today. When I was less than 4 feet tall I recall waking up at 5:00 am sneaking down the staircase to see what Santa left behind.

For many business owners cash flow is a struggle. Business runs on cash. Even credit cards and PayPal eventually convert into cash. The best kind of cash comes from the customer. It doesn’t have to be paid back unless you don’t hold up your end of the bargain. Keeping to the basics you have four common sense choices to increase cash flow: