Summer “Thinking” List
A MONTHLY PUBLICATION
OF THE COUNCIL
OF SMALLER ENTERPRISES
You may not get time for a summer vacation, but hopefully you’ll find at least a small opportunity to unplug this summer. But that doesn’t mean you have to unplug your business. Sometimes the best you can do is think the thoughts you have about your
business, since they don’t get a lot of attention in the daily firefighting of keeping your
business moving. So while there are plenty of summer “reading” lists out there, let me
suggest a few “thinks” to think summer when you do have a little time.
Spotlight your business.
It’s likely you are doing great things, but have you taken the time to tell anyone? Think
about applying for recognition as a part of our 10 Under Ten or Weatherhead 100
Awards, as well as get yourself on our Leads and Feeds list so we can highlight you in
local and national media and to elected officials when they are seeking ideas or need a
good small business story.
Find your exit row.
Many small business owners have put off thinking about their exit plan during the
Great Recession. And some have never thought about it at all. As Michael Gerber
would say, “If you don’t have a plan to get out of your business from the day you get
into it, you are already behind.” Take a good look at this month’s cover story and
start working on your plan. If you need help, call us. We can connect you to the right
resources.
Speak up.
Upset about how your business is being treated by government and our elected officials? Don’t just grumble; get involved. It’s easy with our Grassroots Network that allows you to weigh in on issues that affect the future of your business. And think about
coming along with us to Columbus or Washington, D.C. on our regular visits.
COUNCIL OF SMALLER ENTERPRISES
Steve Millard
President and Executive Director
smillard@cose.org
Randy Carpenter
Senior Director
Marketing and Public Relations
rcarpenter@cose.org
Megan Kim
Director, Education and Programs
mkim@cose.org
Jennifer Frimel
Editor
jfrimel@cose.org
Kristen Hampshire
Contributing Editor
kristen@kristenhampshire.com
Sarah Shoaff
Senior Manager
Advertising and Sponsorship
sshoaff@cose.org
GENERAL COMMENTS OR IDEAS
update@cose.org
CONTRIBUTORS
Brynn Allio, Nicki Artese,
Ginny Hridel, Judith Malone
COSE.ORG
Smart Business Content Marketing
Design and Production Services
sbnonline.com
Amanda Horvath
ART DIRECTOR
Andrea Jager
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Toby Shingleton
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY
Mull it over.
If you have an issue that you’d like to bounce off a peer, call us. We can direct you to
our COSE MindShare groups or help set up a one-on-one consultation with one of our
gurus. Best of all, it’s all included in your membership.
cose.org or (216) 592-2222
Steve Millard, president and executive director of COSE
smillard@cose.org
cose.org/blog
COSE Update (ISSN 1068-137X) is
published monthly by Smart Business
Content Marketing, 835 Sharon Drive, Suite
200, Cleveland, OH 44145, (800) 988-4726
FAX (440) 250-7001. Periodicals postage
paid at Cleveland, Ohio (subscription $50
per year). Postmaster: Please send address
changes to: COSE Update, Attention:
Customer Service, The Higbee Building,
100 Public Square, Suite 210, Cleveland,
Ohio, 44113. Permissions: Portions of this
publication may be quoted or reprinted
with the written permission and proper
attribution. Contact editor.
