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    <title>COSE Small Business Tools</title>
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      <title>Building Accountability into Your Organization</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/strategic-planning/building-accountability</link>
      <description><![CDATA[I recently walked into a local coffee shop and instead of being greeted by the barista in the expected cheerful manner, I was just about ignored.&nbsp; I am sure I was interrupting the fascinating exploits of a co-worker&#39;s past weekend activities but]]></description>
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      <title>Mirror Mirror on the Wall</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/shift-your-thinkingsupercharge/mirror-mirror-wall</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Mirror mirror on the wall,&nbsp;who&#39;s the fairest of them all?&quot; We all remember this from Snow White, including the response:&nbsp; &quot;You, my Queen, are fairest of all.&quot;&nbsp; At least until the mirror discovers Snow White, which angers]]></description>
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      <title>If You Can't Measure It, You Can't Manage It</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/strategic-planning/cant-measure-cant-manage</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Last week I was sitting at an Indians game leafing through a program when it struck me that everything in baseball is measured. Just looking through the program it was evident that tremendous effort was put into recording statistics for every aspect of a]]></description>
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      <title>The Secret to Happiness? Embrace What You Value Most in Life</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/wellness-boost-productivity/secret-happiness-embrace</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Many years ago, when I launched my health care communications business {http://www.ehbcommunications.com}, I had high hopes of setting my own schedule and taking time for the things that mattered most to me in life. In addition to dedicating myself to my]]></description>
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      <title>Want To Be A Franchisee? Don't Be Like Me.</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/investing-franchise/want-franchisee-dont</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Do you really think you have the right personality for franchise ownership? I want to give you an example of someone who would not make a good franchisee. See if you are like him. Franchising can be a great thing . Just not for everybody... The example]]></description>
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      <title>What's Wellness? And Why Should You Care?</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/wellness-boost-productivity/whats-wellness-should</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ &nbsp; These days, &quot;wellness&quot; has become quite a buzzword. But in spite of its newfound status, there&#39;s still a great deal of confusion about what the word actually means. When I recently introduced myself as a wellness coach to a man at a]]></description>
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      <title>Take a Vacation ... From Technology</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/wellness-boost-productivity/take-vacation-from-technology</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ In case you hadn&#39;t noticed, many people, these days, expect us to be accessible by cell phone and email virtually 24/7. And while it&#39;s important to be responsive to our clients, what&#39;s the cost of being tethered to technology day and night?]]></description>
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      <title>Seeing Is Perceiving</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/shift-your-thinkingsupercharge/seeing-perceiving</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ We have all heard this before - &quot;seeing is believing&quot; - but we typically think of it and use it in the context of people needing to see something in order to believe that it is true.&nbsp; After all, Missouri is the &quot;show me&quot;]]></description>
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      <title>Growth Ideas In Times of Economic Uncertainty</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/strategic-planning/growth-ideas-times-economic</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The normal reaction of businesses during times of economic uncertainty is to pull back, spend less, and wait things out.&nbsp; But instead of adding fuel to the economic &quot;death spiral,&quot; smart business leaders see this time as one of increased]]></description>
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      <title>An Interview With The Cleveland SBA Office's John Renner</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/investing-franchise/interview-with-cleveland</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ I interviewed our own John Renner, who works at Cleveland&#39;s Small Business Administration office, last year. One of John&#39;s specialities is working with Veterans. he even won an award for it. How long have you been at the SBA, and what is your]]></description>
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      <title>Wellness Programs: They're Not Just for The Fortune 500</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/wellness-boost-productivity/wellness-programs-theyre</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Have you been contemplating the idea of launching a wellness program in your small business? Maybe you haven&#39;t taken the first step, because you believe such a program would require too much time and money. If so, you might want to think again.]]></description>
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      <title>Police Officers Are Franchise Owners Too</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/investing-franchise/police-officers-franchise</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Not only was Joshua Miktarian a Police Officer, a daddy, and a husband; Josh also owned a local pizza franchise. It seems that Josh was a real hard worker. Imagine working in an 8-12 hour high stress job, then going in to fling a few pizza&#39;s in the]]></description>
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      <title>Are You Running Your Business Or Is Your Business Running You?</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/wellness-boost-productivity/running-your-business</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Recently, one of my coaching clients admitted that she was no longer running her business. Rather, her business was running her. The question is how true is that for you? While building a successful business undoubtedly takes time and energy, we]]></description>
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      <title>READY, AIM ... NOW WHAT?</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/shift-your-thinkingsupercharge/ready-what</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Strategic planning - everyone needs it, but few seem to have time for it ... or make time for it.&nbsp; Businesses either don&#39;t do it at all and for various reasons (&quot;It takes too long,&quot; &quot;It&#39;s too high level,&quot; &quot;It]]></description>
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      <title>Execution - the art of getting it done!</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/strategic-planning/execution-getting-done</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Formulating a solid business strategy, one that provides your organization with true competitive advantage, is a real challenge. However, when I polled some area business leaders, I found that they viewed strategy building as the easy part. A strategic]]></description>
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      <title>Stressed Out? Consider These Tension-Taming Tips</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/wellness-boost-productivity/stressed-out-consider</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ &nbsp; If you&#39;re a small business owner who&#39;s stressed out, you&#39;re certainly not alone. As a wellness coach, I work with plenty of business owners and busy professionals who say they&#39;re stressed to the limit. The truth is that stress,]]></description>
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      <title>Power Is Asking The Right Question</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/shift-your-thinkingsupercharge/power-asking-right-question</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ People are always looking for answers.&nbsp; They want to know how to improve their business or their life.&nbsp; They want to know how to fix various problems in their business and in their life.&nbsp; They want to know how to get more clients or]]></description>
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      <title>Getting Out Of Your Franchise</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/investing-franchise/getting-your-franchise</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Is your franchise being affected by the US economic downturn? {It&#39;s a recession, folks.} Are you considering your &quot;options?&quot; Can you hang in there until business is back to normal? If your small business/franchise is not being impacted by]]></description>
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      <title>Change is inevitable; failure is optional - Part II</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/strategic-planning/change-inevitable-failure-1</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In part&nbsp;1 of this column, I highlighted one of the CEO&#39;s biggest challenges: the inevitability of change. This challenge has many layers and levels, and since it involves many individuals and teams, it&#39;s much more complex than it appears. The]]></description>
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      <title>So...What IS a Franchise?</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/investing-franchise/sowhat-franchise</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Here is what a franchise really is.... The franchise business is a licensing system by which the owner {franchisor} of a product or a service licenses others {franchisees} to market and sell the product or service within a defined territory, following]]></description>
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      <title>Change Is Inevitable, Failure is Optional - PART I</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/strategic-planning/change-inevitable-failure</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As the old saying goes:&nbsp; &quot; If nothing changes, nothing changes.&quot; Last week I was visiting with the CEO of a landmark area company.&nbsp; The CEO was lamenting the challenges of moving away from the &quot;status quo.&quot;&nbsp; He said,]]></description>
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      <title>Growth: How to Get to Your Destination with Six Disciplines</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/growth-your-destination</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Do you fear that if you don&#39;t make changes to your business now, you wonder what will you will have in five years? You think to yourself, &quot;things are pretty good today, but if I don&#39;t look to where I want to take this business, we may never]]></description>
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      <title>Get your Strategic Plan to Jump off the Shelf</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/strategic-planning/your-strategic-plan-jump</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ I was speaking to a group of CEOs recently at CEO Forum and told them I wanted to perform a &quot;mind-reading exercise.&quot;&nbsp; I asked them to close their eyes and think about their most recent strategy planning session. Placing my hand on one of]]></description>
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      <title>How to Set Yourself Up For Failure</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/investing-franchise/yourself-failure</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ 1. Choose a franchise for yourself in which you have industry experience. Example: Early on in Sylvan Learning Center &rsquo;s growth, a large number of teachers invested in this franchise. Certainly made sense...familiar business, love of teaching, love]]></description>
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      <title>Franchise Basics. 5 Basic Types Of Franchises</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/investing-franchise/franchise-basics-basic</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ There are well over 3,000 different choices in the world of franchise ownership. Where does one even begin??? A good place to start is learning about the 5 basic categories in franchising today. There are certainly subcategories galore, and some evolving]]></description>
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      <title>The Darker Side of Goal Setting: Why Goal Setting Fails ...</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/darker-side-goal-setting</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Beware the Misuse of Goal Setting Why don&#39;t most people set and achieve personal goals, career goals and business goals? Goal setting is a positive, powerful practice when it ignites enthusiasm and provides clear direction. For more, please visit]]></description>
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      <title>How to Attain Your Goals by Creating Your Life's Opus</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/attain-your-goals-creating</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Most people want to live a fulfilling and rewarding life. That&#39;s why there&#39;s no shortage of self-help materials on how to set goals and design an ideal life. However, even with the plethora of information available on how to create the life of]]></description>
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      <title>10 Tools and Tips for Podcasting</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/checklist-tools-business/tools-tips-podcasting</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ So you want to start a podcast series.&nbsp; You have taken the time to develop a podcasting strategy.&nbsp; And now you&#39;ve decided to use audio messages to reach out to clients, prospects and the public. But where do you begin? Luckily, today we]]></description>
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      <title></title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/member-education-series/824286163</link>
      <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
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      <title>Using Podcasts to Grow Your Business</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/checklist-tools-business/using-podcasts-grow-your</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Barb Cagley of SCK threw down the gauntlet!&nbsp;She asked me to share some of my secrets for&nbsp;using podcasts to&nbsp;market and grow a business. While this topic doesn&#39;t necessarily fit neatly into&nbsp;a &quot;startup tools&quot; checklist, I]]></description>
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      <title>The 5 Steps to Setting SMART Business Goals</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/steps-setting-smart-business</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Every large corporation has clearly set and articulated goals to drive the company forward. Yet, in the world of small business, many businesses lack a focused goal. &quot;Get more business&quot; is a typical reply of small business owners when asked of]]></description>
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      <title>It's Time For A New Year's Revolution</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/its-time-years-revolution</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ No, that&#39;s not a typo in the title. Resolutions are easy; most of us make them at least once a year. A revolution, on the other hand, is something you may not have made since you started your small business. For more, go to]]></description>
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      <title>Got Resolutions for Your Business?</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/resolutions</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ You&#39;re probably heading into the New Year revitalized and ready to take on each and every challenge on your list-more sales, enhanced customer service, and maybe just a day off here and there. But you know that it&#39;s as easy to break those]]></description>
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      <title>Local Staffing Trends You Need to Know</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/checklist-tools-business/local</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ A variety of economic indicators say small business employers are having trouble&nbsp;filling&nbsp;open positions with qualified workers.&nbsp;In some cases the lack of qualified staff is putting a lid on&nbsp;productivity and throughput.&nbsp; In other]]></description>
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      <title>If Your Business Plan is Done, So is Your Company</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/checklist-tools-business/your</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ We&#39;re all familiar with the concept of a business plan.&nbsp; And most of us would agree that a business plan is an essential element on your business checklist. But attitudes toward business plans have&nbsp;changed a lot&nbsp;over the years.&nbsp;]]></description>
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      <title>How Do I Incorporate or file an LLC?</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/checklist-tools-business/incorporate</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Let&#39;s say&nbsp;you are starting a business, or&nbsp;you are ready to graduate from a&nbsp;self-employed solo owner to a company structure.&nbsp; You may be thinking about&nbsp;the decision to incorporate or file for an LLC (limited liability]]></description>
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      <title>The Art of the Goal</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/goal</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ ProLaureate &copy; 2007 &quot;Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I&#39;ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I&#39;ll give you a stock clerk.&quot; J.C. Penney The Art of the Goal Goals - we all have them - or at]]></description>
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      <title>Stop Curling Up Like a Porcupine! Get Accountable!</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/stop</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ &quot;That&#39;s not my job.&quot; &quot;Sorry...I can&#39;t help you. That&#39;s the marketing department&#39;s problem.&quot; &quot;I don&#39;t know anything about that.&quot; These are just a few of the phrases that reign in organizations that lack]]></description>
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      <title>Tools to Start and Grow Your Business: A Checklist</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/essential-issues/tools</link>
      <description><![CDATA[To help answer a question I get asked regularly (including several times during the recent COSE Small Business Conference) I put together a checklist of essential issues to consider when looking to start and/or growing your business.&nbsp; Today we are]]></description>
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      <title>The Secret to Setting and Achieving Your Goals</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/secret</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Melissa was a stellar agent in a small real estate agency. After years of being the top earner in her company, she moved from that small agency into one of the largest real estate firms in the country. Melissa felt like she was moving up in the world and]]></description>
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      <title>Six Small Steps to Break Out of a Big Rut By Guerline Jasmin</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/small</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ The following article&nbsp;will not only help you personally, but professionally.&nbsp; Take these tips and put them into practice through a COSE MindShare group. Your group members will hold you accountable for your goals and help you get]]></description>
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      <title>Small Business Conference 2007 Podcasts</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/2007/small</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Every small business has the opportunity to learn and grow and we know how valuable your time is as a small business owner. That&rsquo;s why COSE has made it easier for you. Connect, be inspired and re-energize your business by listening to the 2007 COSE]]></description>
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      <title>Six Disciplines for Leaders</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/disciplines</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Excellence is an enduring pursuit; it requires an enduring approach. Is excellence important to you and your organization?&nbsp; Do you want it to be?&nbsp; Today, it&#39;s hard to pick up a business book or magazine and not find the latest advice for]]></description>
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      <title>Peer Power</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/peer</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Many successful business owners are turning to peer advisory groups. Here&#39;s why... September 30, 2006 By: Nancy A. Shenker &quot;I don&#39;t really want my internal people to know everything about my business&#39;s pain points.&quot; &quot;I&#39;m]]></description>
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      <title>Join Some Great Minds</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/join-some-great</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ Imagine having your own personal network of trusted peer advisors that you could turn to when you need business support - a team that could provide honest advice and a &lsquo;reality check&#39; on your most important business decisions.&nbsp; That&#39;s]]></description>
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      <title>How B2B Peer Groups Can Help Your Business Grow</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/peer-groups-hel</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ What is a B2B Peer Group? A B2B peer group is sometimes also called a Mastermind Group. It is a small group of people, from the same field or business background; they meet regularly to exchange ideas and brainstorm. They also challenge each other to]]></description>
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      <title>Tips for Finding the Right MasterMind Members</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/tips-finding-ri</link>
      <description><![CDATA[TIP: Think alike. Great minds think alike. So do great colleagues.&nbsp; When evaluating potential partners, seven gotta-have characteristics to look for are: integrity, reliability, skills, can-do attitude, complementary abilities, matching values, and]]></description>
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      <title>Leaders Gain Valuable Insights Through MasterMind Groups</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/peer-advisory-groups/leaders</link>
      <description><![CDATA[ By Christine W. Zust, M.A. Two heads are always better than one, but how about 6, 8, or 10 heads? Welcome to the world of mastermind groups, a growing business phenomenon that is being used by leaders around the world for problem-solving, inspiration and]]></description>
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      <title>Strategic Planning in a Family Business</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/implementing-ev/strategic-plann</link>
      <description><![CDATA[&nbsp; Who has time to plan? When first approaching many family businesses about the importance of the strategic planning process, they typically respond with any one of a number of predictable comments such as : &quot;We don&#39;t have time for strategic]]></description>
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      <title>Ten Rules for Strategic Planning Success</title>
      <link>http://www.cosemindspring.com/small-business/implementing-ev/rules-strategic</link>
      <description><![CDATA[&nbsp; Are you considering undertaking a formal planning process in your company for the first time? Perhaps you have gone through a planning process but didn&#39;t see much advantage or results from it? Maybe you have been told by a wise advisor that you]]></description>
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