Author:

Mike Kappel

Mike Kappel is a serial entrepreneur of 5 small businesses, and president and CEO of Patriot Software. After a rough startup, Mike understands that small business owners need to keep their time and money. He enjoys sharing his small business expertise with other small business owners.

10 Time Sucks That Kill Startups

This column was originally published on Entrepreneur.com on 4/4/2016. As an entrepreneur, the most valuable asset you have is your time. You’ll rarely have enough time to do what you need, and virtually never enough time to do what you want. The general assumption is, since time is free, you’ll simply spend as much time as […]

Learn ways to get PR for your small business.

7 Ways to Get PR Before You Can Afford to Hire a PR Manager

This column was originally published on Entrepreneur.com on 6/1/2016. If you’re good at networking, you can be good at PR for your startup. Public Relations is all about building relationships by sharing mutually beneficial information.

Answer these questions to target your customer base.

5 Must-Answer Questions to Succeed Targeting Your Customer Base

This column was originally published on Entrepreneur.com on 5/25/2016. Marketing 101 is all about a little thing called “segmentation.” It’s not enough to say you sell your product to humans. You need to know as much about those humans as you possibly can. Specifically, what parts of their humanity correlate well with the purchase of […]

How to Be a Team Player in a Leadership Role

As a small business owner, you naturally want to lead your business towards success. The way you choose to lead your team has a huge impact on your company. Fostering effective teamwork in an organization is an important step in building a strong workforce. You need to know how to be a team player at […]

How to Create a Mission Statement for Your Business

You’re a small business owner, and you want to take your business to the next level. It’s time to learn how to create your mission statement. A mission statement reflects your business’s goals and values with few words. You use a mission statement to show potential customers what makes your company stand out. I’ve created […]

Find a small business adviser to improve your business.

Does Your Business Need Help? Find a Small Business Adviser

If you are a small business owner, you probably try to save every dime that you can. This means that you wear many hats and do many things yourself. But, there will be some things that you’re not able to do yourself, or you shouldn’t spend your precious time trying to do them. During my […]

How to Reward Your Employees on a Budget

As an entrepreneur, I know my employees are a big part of Patriot Software’s success. After almost 30 years as a business owner, I know that rewarding employees doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. How to reward your employees: The stuff that money can’t buy Employee rewards do not have to […]

Learn the three startup criteria you business needs to meet.

The 3 Startup Criteria Your Successful Business Idea Needs to Meet

It’s easy to come up with a business idea. You can copy an already successful business. Or, you can build on something you are passionate about. However, it’s difficult to come up with a successful business idea that will lead to a thriving organization. Today, my companies sell recruiting software, payroll software, and accounting software, […]

Business Succession Planning for Your Small Company

Whether you own a startup or an established company, you likely focus on growing your business. That’s why it might be hard to think about the day you step down from your leadership role. But, the earlier you start business succession planning, the easier the transition will be. A business succession plan helps you when […]

Use marketing metrics for small business to track the results of your marketing campaigns.

5 Digital Marketing Metrics for Small Business Owners

Many small business owners aren’t just the boss. They’re the secretary, janitor, and marketing department all rolled into one. They wear a lot of hats, spin a lot of plates, and juggle a lot of knives—sometimes all at once!