During the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all learned what life would be like with fewer obligations. Business meetings, church services, kids’ activities and other events all got put on hold and we all found ourselves with a lot more free time. Personally, I went from averaging 10-15 in-person meetings per week to …
My Quarterly Update: Q2 2020
Looking back at my most recent quarterly update, it’s amazing to see how much the world has changed in such a short period of time. A little over a month ago, we were attending church every Sunday morning and Wednesday night, our children were in school and we had a full travel schedule planned for …
Preserving Cash is the Key to Your Business Surviving the COVID-19 Recession
We find ourselves in unprecedented times. Many small businesses have had to close their doors and furlough employees with no idea when they might be able to re-open. Unemployment claims have hit an all-time high and some are predicting that COVID-19 related job losses could reach 47 million. The United States economy is undoubtedly in …
How to Invest in Local Startups and Small Businesses When You’re Not an Accredited Investor
I received a message the other day from a high school classmate about what opportunities exist to invest in small businesses and startups when you’re not accredited. There’s no simple and easy way to do this, but I highlight some opportunities in this video. Watch on YouTube (Watch this Video on YouTube) Prefer to read …
How to Raise Money for Your Small Business or Startup – Sioux Falls Business Expo 2020
At the 2020 Sioux Falls Business Expo, I presented a talk that discussed various ways to raise money for small businesses and startups. Thanks to the help of Joshua Novak and Main St. Media House, I was able to record the presentation so that is can be distributed more widely. Here you will find my …
Four Instructions for Christian Business Leaders
Fourteen years ago, I made a decision that fundamentally changed my life. I chose to stop living for my own selfish ambitions and recommitted my life to Christ as a sophomore in college at Dakota State University. Through the work of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and West Center Baptist Church, I recognized that there was a …
Sioux Falls 2030: Four Hopes for the Startup Ecosystem
These thoughts are my own and are not necessarily those of the Startup Sioux Falls, the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship or any other organization I may be involved with. With the launch of the new Zeal + Startup Sioux Falls website, the merger between the Zeal Center for Entrepreneurship and Startup Sioux Falls is now …
How Younger Donors are Changing the Face of Charitable Giving in Sioux Falls.
A while back, I was invited to participate in a focus group of business leaders for the Sioux Falls Brand project which is a collaboration of the City, the Chamber, and the Development Foundation to develop a consistent brand and logo to use when promoting the city. The consultants asked our group several questions about …
Web Push Notifications Are Changing and Marketers Must Adapt
For the last seven years, marketers have had the ability to send push notifications to website visitors directly through their web browsers using a technology called web push notifications. A website can issue a prompt to a user in their web browser asking them if they want to receive notifications from that website. If they …
How to be an Effective Non-Profit Board Member
There are more than 500 non-profits that have 501c3 status in the Sioux Falls metro. The IRS requires each 501c3 to have a governing board of at least three members to maintain their tax-exempt status. Some non-profit boards exist in name only and others are high-profile, high-effort volunteer roles that require a significant commitment but …