Moving Your Business Forward, Any Way You Slice It.

OK, this one is mostly for fun, folks. Consider it my attempt to show you that anything – any day – is a chance to help your small business.

Case in point: Today is National Pizza Day. (Yes, there is such a thing.)

Everyone loves pizza. It’s delicious. Just check out this video of a toddler trying ’za for the first time.

But something as random as pizza can’t help you move forward as an entrepreneur, right?

Challenge accepted.

Here are a few tips for moving your business ahead – today, or any day.

Meet a work friend or past client.

As small business owners, we all have a network of clients, past clients, vendors, and work acquaintances.

Give one of them a call. Suggest that you have lunch. With today in mind, I would suggest meeting for a slice of pizza, but anything works.

Make this a lunch and learn. Ask past clients for candid feedback that would let you get better at what you do. If it’s someone you know had a rave-worthy experience, ask him or her to leave you a Google review.

Meeting with a vendor or work acquaintance instead? Compare notes. Share leads even. The more you put into networking, the more you’ll get out of it.

Enjoy some pizza + some brain food.

Or, here’s an idea. Order Domino’s or Papa Johns for lunch, and watch some skill-building content while you savor your pepperoni and green peppers with thin crust. (That’s my favorite, but you do you.)

Consider one of these short videos:

• Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk. The author of Eat, Pray, Love, on getting in touch with your inner creative genius.

• Best Advice to Small Business Owners. This one is short – just three minutes – but you can hear from titans of the business world, all sharing their “best advice to small business owners.”

• 17hats U. This isn’t one video, but a host of them. These free videos are like a virtual business school!

Of course, it doesn’t have to be a video. Instead, devote just 30 minutes to reading content tailored to small business entrepreneurs. You can find that – and lots on getting the most out of 17hats – on our blog. Or just scroll our Instagram posts.

Try something (or someplace) new.

According to research, breaking out of your routine now and then may improve your physical and mental health.

We can all benefit from a change of pace – or a change of place.

So grab that laptop and do lunch out for once. Find a nearby place that serves pizza and order something different. (Except for anchovies. Never anchovies.)

After lunch, work from that coffee shop you’ve been meaning to try. And before you go home, wander into your neighborhood library or bookstore, and peruse the business section.

A few books worth looking for:

• The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, by Michael Gerber. Gerber’s E-Myth series was instrumental in the founding of 17hats.

• The Work: My Search for a Life That Matters, by Wes Moore. In this book, Moore seeks to answer questions that all entrepreneurs face.

• Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success, by Adam Grant. This book argues that we all need mentors and friends in business – and we need to serve in the same role for others.

Finally, you won’t find this in the business section, but check out The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White. It remains a classic for a reason: Whether it’s clarifying “its” versus “it’s,” or simply reminding you to opt for stronger verbs, this book will improve your business writing.

Support another small business.

Finally, you can use the excuse of National Pizza Day to pay it forward: Find a local, mom-and-pop pizza joint, and order dinner from there tonight.

When you pick up your “large supreme, with the works,” be sure to chat up the owners. Ask them how their business is. Compare notes on the challenges – and highlights – of being your own boss. You never know what you’ll learn.

______

OK, OK – that’s enough about pizza. The larger point is, on any given day, there’s something you can do to continue your business education.

Waking up each morning, looking for opportunities to get better and smarter…that’s a good mindset, any way you slice it.