Maria Tanski-Phillips

Maria creates helpful and practical content for Patriot’s marketing department. She began as a content writer in 2018.

10 Common Small Business Mistakes Owners Make When Starting Out

Part of being a business owner (and being human) is making mistakes along the way. Blunders happen to the best of the best, and learning from them can help you grow as an entrepreneur. And chances are, you’re not the only one making business mistakes. In fact, there are a whole bunch of common mistakes […]

How to Go About Setting up Google My Business

A whopping 97% of people turn to online search engines, like Google, to learn more about and research businesses in their area. So, you want to be seen on these search engines to increase website traffic and, ultimately, sales. One way you can increase your online presence is by setting up Google My Business.

Show Me Shaved Ice collage with owners and product

Show-Me Shaved Ice Is a Show-stopper in the Summer

Cardell and Karla McDonald are the co-owners of Show-Me Shaved Ice, a seasonal shaved ice and frozen custard stand located in Hannibal, Missouri.

Employee stressed about a toxic workplace.

6 Signs of a Toxic Workplace (and What to Do About Them)

Productive, happy, and engaged teams all have one thing in common: a positive, supportive, and healthy work environment. Toxic workplaces? Well, they look a little different. In negative environments, gossip, conflict, and poor communication run rampant. So, how do you know if your business is plagued with toxicity? Keep your eyes peeled for signs of […]

Want Your Company to Succeed? Set Some SMART Goals for Business

When you start a business, you have plenty of goals. Maybe you want to reach a certain customer count by year-end. Or, maybe you want to make a profit by a specific month or year. Whichever goals you strive to achieve, make sure that they’re smart—well, SMART goals, that is. But, what exactly are SMART […]

10 Email Marketing Tips and Tricks to Keep up Your Sleeve

With 87% of B2B and 79% of B2C marketers using email, it’s no secret that it can be a great marketing tool for your business. But if you’re not using emails to your advantage and optimizing them as much as possible, your business could be missing out on new customers, additional sales, and more. To […]

Collage featuring Wink Boutique, a small town gift shop in Pflugerville, Texas

Need a Buzzworthy Gift? Wink Boutique Has You Covered

For our April spotlight, we spoke with Brittany Parker, owner of Wink Boutique.

Got Conflict? Here’s How to Keep the Peace in a Family-run Business

A whopping 90% of businesses in the United States are family-owned or controlled. And if you fall into the 90%, you know how challenging it can be to keep the peace while running a family business. From minor disputes to full-on squabbles, the last thing you want to do is ignore family problems if they […]

5 Problems That Cause Unnecessary Workplace Drama

Conflict in the workplace costs employers roughly $359 billion in paid hours each year. Yes, you read that right—$359 billion. But, what kinds of problems are causing businesses billions of dollars per year? We’ve pinpointed the main problems that cause unnecessary workplace drama. Read on to learn what problems you should keep your eyes peeled […]

Running Out of Steam? Here are 6 Tips for Keeping the Momentum in Your Business

When you think about the word “momentum,” you may have flashbacks about your days in science or physics class. Momentum is often defined as mass in motion. But, momentum doesn’t just belong in science. It also has a place in business.