Small Business Think Tank

Run a business without feeling like you are running on an island. The Small Business Think Tank is a monthly, 2-hour interactive listening post and problem-solving session designed exclusively for small business owners and managers across retail, restaurants, and services. Whether you excel at your craft but need stronger administrative skills, or simply lack a confidential sounding board for day-to-day challenges, this group provides practical guidance and peer-driven solutions to help you navigate management, budgeting, team building, and more.

• Date & Times: Every Third Tuesday, 0930 - 1130 (MST), starting August 26.

• Investment: $75 per participating business per workshop. (A monthly subscription is also available at $65 per month; cancel any time.)

• Access:  Participate from your own business site or home! The workshops are live, online Zoom meetings facilitated by Stephen L Kent. You do not need a Zoom account. When you're registered, you'll receive an invitation by email the week before the workshops. Each participant will need a computer or laptop with a microphone and camera to participate.

• The Value To You And Your Business:

  • Bridges the Technical-to-Business Gap: Translates deep craft or technical expertise into core operational skills for owners and managers who lack traditional business training.

  • Combats Isolation: Provides a trusted, confidential listening post to share burdens and talk openly with peers who truly understand the realities of leadership.

  • Actionable Problem-Solving: Delivers collaborative, peer-driven solutions for immediate day-to-day crises and operational bottlenecks.

  • Culture & Team Resilience: Helps leaders transition out of constant firefighting by improving staff supervision, team building, and retention.

Core Curriculum & Topic Categories

• • Management: Streamlining daily workflows, balancing priorities, and steering overall enterprise health.

  • Supervising People: Setting clear expectations, maintaining accountability, and conducting effective feedback loops.

  • Budget Forecasting: Building an easy-to-follow budget forecast.

  • Team Building: Fostering collaborative workplace cultures and improving staff retention in high-turnover environments.

  • How to Deal with Difficult Employees: Identifying root causes and structuring direct, objective, and professional corrective conversations.

  • Marketing: Maximizing local presence, customer retention, and cost-effective word-of-mouth engagement.