Wicked is the Broadway musical extravaganza that has been setting box office records throughout it’s 4 1/2 year run.

In fact, according to this article in the Kansas City Star, Wicked is set to break $1 Billion (with a B) in Box Office Gross Revenues sometime in the next couple of weeks!

Here are some other interesting facts from the Star’s article:

“According to the “Wicked” producers, more than 3.5 million people have seen the Broadway production, which rakes in more than $1.4 million a week.

A like number has seen the national tour, which set a record in January in St. Louis when it grossed more than $2.3 million in a single week — the highest weekly gross in North American touring history.

By the end of its run, more than 45,000 people will have seen the show in Kansas City.”

All in all, you’d have to say that the producers are onto something. Read More…

picture by Fort Photo 

Having your own business, being the entrepreneur conjures up imagery of independence, freedom, wide open spaces and a path to prosperity.

If that’s the case, how come I keep talking to business owners that are feeling trapped, closed in and overwhelmed with all the stuff they have to do?  They spend most of their time (and then some) fighting fires, trying to keep up with day to day activities and even though they are doing well and still make progress, it’s often in spite of what they’re doing.

In short, they don’t own their business, their business owns them. Read More…

Monty Python – The Parrot Sketch:

Mr. Praline: I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it, my lad. ‘E’s dead, that’s what’s wrong with it!

Owner: No, no, ‘e’s uh,…he’s resting.

Mr. Praline: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I’m looking at one right now.

Owner: No no he’s not dead, he’s, he’s restin’! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn’it, ay? Beautiful plumage!

Mr. Praline: The plumage don’t enter into it. It’s stone dead.

Owner: Nononono, no, no! ‘E’s resting!

With all of the bad news floating around, I thought it might be worthwhile to do a quick review of what small business failure rates look like.

Small Business Failure rates continue to be a really hot topic – especially on the Internet and (unfortunately) in marketing for certain products and services.  But what’s the reality – and if you’re a small business owner, is this useful information?

What’s actually going on with Business Failure Rates:

Here’s a link to a recent blog post that I think is pretty credible:  Smallbiztrends.com: Startup failure rates.  You will hear people say that 50% of businesses fail within 2 years – sometimes it’s even more dire.

As you can see from the chart in that linked story, 50% of businesses are still around after 4 years – that’s still a rough go of it, but not nearly as bad as some make it out to be.

Additionally, the definition of failure is a little questionable – some studies have shown that 30% of closures were not viewed as failures (retirement, merger, etc.).

Finally – if your interested in more in-depth detail, here’s a link to an SBA study that matches up to that posted data fairly well: SBA Study

What do you think?  Is this kind of information helpful?  As a small business owner do you think about it much or are you pining for the fjords?

Shawn Kinkade  www.aspirekc.com

photo by iLoveButter 

Being a small business owner is hard, but if you go into it with the idea that you want to be remarkable, that you want to be the best you can be, then amazing things can happen.

There’s Happy Cows in Missouri as well

I just had the opportunity to listen to a talk from Leroy Shatto – owner of Shatto Milk Company, a boutique dairy operation just outside of Kansas City.

If you haven’t heard the story, it’s pretty compelling.  The farm itself is over 100 years old and the dairy operations are over 60 years old but towards the end of the last century they started heading into rough times (along with most other small, family owned farming operations). 

The problem was a lack of scale and control over the product – they were a commodity without the scale or opportunity of more ‘corporate’ operations.  Faced with losing the cows and the farm, Mr. Shatto came up with the plan to become a premium dairy provider with a focus on providing the best product possible and a secondary objective of making milk fun.

Read More…