What do we all hope for in a teacher or a coach?

Lifelong learning for small business

Executive Summary-Overview-Profile

Ebby Halliday created a $6+ Billion dollar/year business then gave it all away. You can learn a few things from Ebby!

Rick Valencia, founder, CEO, Profitline, Inc., an ESOP company in San Diego

Ella Williams, founder, Aegir Systems, Oxnard, California

Sohrab Vossoughi, founder, Ziba Designs, Portland, Oregon

This is a place for good business owners to be listed and linked.

The Storytellers

Some will tell such good storytellers they will be selected to be included within an episode of the show. Every video clip is a key insight into a facet of what it takes to start, run and grow a wonderful business.

Some of those video clips will be so compelling, that the business owner and business will be invited to tell their story for an entire episode of the show.

Some of these episodes will be so compelling, that they are lifted up for national and global airings. Those episodes are open to many viewing publics who will vote for the finest business of their state, country and the world.

Eight steps, many paths of small business

Step 8. Exit at the top	$$$$
Step 7. Sustainability		$$$$
Step 6. Growth		$$$
Step 5. Employer		$$
Four steps to run /grow your business.

Step 4. Sole proprietor	$$$
Step 3. Incubate		$$$
Step 2. Start-up		$$
Step 1. Initial idea		$
Four steps to start / run your business.

* The spirit of the people. We all want to lift up positive role models for each other and for our children. We call our business owners, new pioneers and quiet heroes, our Master Class teachers who, as we say in the opening of every show, "...create jobs, create wealth and make the world a better place" (from our mission statement). These are people with social capital. We are encouraged when we find people who are not self-aggrandizing superstars, but look and feel more like a neighbor or a family member. The spirit of the people reflects this part of our mission and vision statements.

* Mentors. We ask the question, "Who is your mentor and who are you mentoring?" We are encouraged when we find business owners turning to others for assistance. We are even more encouraged when we find that they share their insights/experience with the next generation. We look for some kind of mentor relation. Here is our discussion about mentors and an episode about the mentor/protege relation.

* Memberships. We are encouraged when business owners are active members of their local Chamber of Commerce, their trade association(s), and their local public television station. We are encouraged when we find small business owners in continuing education courses of any kind. If you are not a member, join, join, join!

* Global strategy. Small businesses with a global business strategy are big thinkers.

* Visually compelling. A business with colors makes good television.

* Continuity. We generally require that a business be in business for no less than four years. We are in search of uncommon wisdom cultivated by years of on-the-job training. Often that means talking about mistakes! And obviously, we look for businesses that have been, and continue to be, profitable with solid growth.

* Owners/founders. Most of our stories are with the founders of the business. We require that we talk with the current owner(s) and the founder's story is part of the oral history of the business. Transitions from first owner to next (or to the next generation) often make very good television.

* Size. Though we look for businesses between $800K and $20M in gross sales -- not too large and not too small, we have done, and will continue to do, stories about owners of smaller businesses and many stories about the owners of much larger businesses.

We are uniquely in search of several special stories. If you have a story idea, please contact us. We welcome every suggestion.