Welcome back to the Small Business Summary: There is so much happening with the Small Business Owners Community Conference that this email is going to be a double-wide, extra-large, triple-mocha macchiato newsletter of awesomeness.
So sit down, buckle up, and let's get into it…

In this week’s episode:

• Cybersecurity: 60% of SMBs will Experience a Cyberattack this year!

• Poll Result: Do you list your prices on your website?

• Keynote Clip of the Week: Jesse Cole reminds us why he’s the GOAT Small Business Owner

• SBOC Conference Updates: The #SBOC25 Awards presented by Enji are NOW OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS - AND - You’re Invited to a Pop Up Conference “Meat & Greet” in Milwaukee!

Welcome to the Second Half…

Welcome to the second half of 2025. January feels like a lifetime ago, and New Year’s Eve is still a ways off. That’s because we’re right in the thick of it. Mid-year. I want to take a minute for a useful thought exercise to see how 2025 is treating you.

Let’s break the moment into two parts:

Scoreboard: How are you doing?

Blueprint: What are you going to do about it?

Take five minutes. Answer these questions. Be honest. By the time we’re passing around the eggnog, you’ll either be celebrating a record year or wondering what went wrong. Let’s make sure it’s the former.

Scoreboard:

• How’s your money? Are you tracking where you thought you’d be?

• How’s your time? Are you overwhelmed? Busy with the wrong things? Making progress on passion projects?

• And finally, how do you feel? Do you still love what you're doing? Does your business feel like a chore? Are you energized, or just trying to get through the day?

Blueprint:

You don’t need permission. You don’t need approval. You just need courage, clarity, and the will to make the changes necessary for you and your business.

Sales: 
What will you do to increase your revenue between now and the end of the year?

• Do you need five more one-on-ones per month?

• Do you need one high-ticket client?

• Do you need a simple lead magnet to bring fresh people into your funnel?

Time: 
What will you strategically quit to make space for what matters?

We all say we don’t have enough time for sales, but we spend hours on things that don’t move the needle. We can’t productize our business or update our website because of THINGS. Not everything is helping you. Find the dead weight and cut it. I dare you to quit one thing. Bonus points if you quit two. I’ll buy you lunch if you quit three. Not everything on your to-do list deserves your energy.

Energy: 
If you're feeling off, how will you recover?

What can you do to recharge so you're ready to go? If you're feeling good, ask yourself why. Is it your diet? Exercise? Friends? A great book? Sunshine? Whatever it is, write it down and double down on it.

By now, one side of your paper should show your scoreboard. The other should outline your blueprint.

Now it's on you.

This is halftime. It’s not over. You’ve got time to turn things around, or better yet, run up the score and make 2025 a record year.

And speaking of building your record year…

We’re ready to help at #SBOC25 presented by Horicon Bank, happening this September. The entire conference is designed around this exact idea. Day one is all about you—your mindset, your energy, your challenges. Day two is about your business—what’s working, what’s broken, and what systems you need to scale.

We’re in our fifth year, and it’s unlike anything else out there. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building, join us.

[Register here]

Best of luck in the second half. I can’t wait to see what you do with it.

Poll Results:
Do You List Your Prices On Your Website?

I wondered if there was going to be a clear consensus on listing prices on your website…apparently not. The winner of the poll was “I don’t list my prices and it helps.” I can see how that is valuable for some sectors. If that was you, I’d love for you to reply and share why it helps you.

One thing that I’m thinking a LOT about right now is the value of proclaiming - almost advertising - that you’re higher priced. You will absolutely lose customers by doing it, but the customers you DO acquire will be eager for your transformation and ready to embrace what you provide. Something to consider, for sure!

Tweet of the Week

Speaking Gig:

Why Productivity is Killing Your Business

The only way to make your business dream come true is to focus on the crucial tasks that move the needle and quit as many of the meaningless ones as possible. Would it shock you to know that your ability to GSD is probably the thing that is tripping you up? I’m working on a BRAND NEW talk that I will debut on July 25 (9am-3pm CT) and you can attend for FREE!

The Choose Your Business Adventure Summit presented by the Time Machine Agency will help you discover how to avoid the “quicksand of overwhelm” so you can focus on what matters.

My piece is an exploration into your workload, choices and burnout.

You’ll learn:

• Why your effectiveness might actually be limiting your growth

• How to evaluate your time and make intentional choices that create more space

• How to redirect your actions to break through business plateaus and drive real progress

Also on the agenda are talks from my good friends Brad Herda, Jennifer Frye and Talmar Anderson.

It’s easy and free to attend…see you on July 25!

Conference Keynote Clip of the Week

At #SBOC21, I introduced the community to Jesse Cole, the founder of the Savannah Bananas. He blew us away. Since then, we’ve had three (3!) additional events with the team: A community road trip to Kansas City, a private fundraiser for Islands of Brilliance with the entire team, and an SBOC Community day at the ballpark when the Savannah Bananas came to Milwaukee.

Jesse is someone we should all look up to because he and his wife took this team and his founding premise: FANS FIRST and changed the world. If you want to know why it works, look at him talking about his passion - he’s ready to FIGHT for the fans during this interview.

His north star is clear - Fans First…what YOU fighting for?

Jesse Cole is our keynote interview at the #SBOC25 Pre-Conference Event presented by Horicon Bank. The event is on August 6. You simply must get your ticket before then!

BUILD YOUR RECORD YEAR AT #SBOC25
Presented by Horicon Bank
September 16-19, 2025
Brookfield, WI

See the full lineup and get your ticket here: https://event.smallbusinesscommunity.com/25conference

A HUGE thank you to our major sponsors: Horicon Bank, Money Masters, Athena Legal Solutions, Magnolia Tax, and Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative

Behind the Scenes of #SBOC25:
SBOC Awards presented by Enji
Call for Nominations!

The second annual SBOC Awards are now open for nominations. That means it’s your chance to nominate yourself or someone in your professional network for one of five categories, including Small Business Owner of the Year. All nominees will be invited to join us at the SBOC Conference on September 18 to see the results, and five winners will be announced live on stage.

Here’s the link to enter or nominate someone. It only takes a few minutes, and yes, nominating yourself is absolutely allowed.

It’s completely free to enter. You don’t need to be a member of the SBOC. You can even nominate a friend with one click. But nominations close on July 18, so don’t put it off.

Take five minutes to put in your name or someone else’s. You never know, you might be walking across that stage, shaking hands, receiving a trophy, and finally getting the recognition you’ve earned.

Good luck. We’re cheering for you.

And, thank you to our Awards sponsor Enji! Enji is marketing software for small business that BUILDS your marketing plan and then consistently executes so you can stop worrying about leads. This AI powered software is dead simple - check it out now: https://www.enji.co

Last but not least - Join us for a pop-up Meat & Greet for #SBOC25

As exciting as the Awards and Pre-Con are I just can’t wait until early August to get everyone together. So, I’m hosting a “Meat Up” for registered conference guests on July 17 in West Allis. If you get your ticket by then, you’ll enjoy be able to connect with other conference attendees, win some prizes and feast on kick butt BBQ...all for free!

It’s dead simple to get your invitation, just order your conference ticket now!

Thanks for checking out this week’s Small Business Summary newsletter.
Now…GO SELL SOMETHING!

-Pat