How to Fire Someone the Right Way | Businessing

Why Your Phone Isn't Ringing | Businessing

When your phone isn't ringing, it's almost never bad luck. It's one of two things: people can't find you, or they don't know why they should call you. I've been out training owners on AI, and I keep watching the same arc: connected, competent, then curious, right about when it starts feeling like a video game. That's the fun part, and it's why I do Claude training for small business owners. Then we get into the AI price war heating up between OpenAI, Anthropic, Grok, and a Chinese open-source model that's up 27 times in a week, and why that competition is good news for your budget. In the main event, I answer the question I hear constantly: why isn't my phone ringing? It comes down to whether people can find you and whether you're selling the transformation instead of a laundry list of services. In this episode: 00:00 - The AI adoption arc: connected, competent, curious 06:23 - The AI price war heating up between the big labs 10:15 - Why Claude Fable going pay-as-you-go matters 12:48 - When you actually need a business lawyer 15:08 - Why your phone isn't ringing 17:15 - Sell the transformation, not your list of services 19:51 - Bring your problem to the Idea Slam Resources mentioned: - Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com - Automation Bird Dog: automationbirddog.com (code OWNIT) 🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen 📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com 👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #Marketing #LeadGeneration #AI

How to Fire Someone the Right Way | Businessing

Firing someone is a skill, and nobody teaches it. After 20 years of managing people, here's exactly how I do it, whether it's for cause or for performance. This one starts personal. I got a once-in-a-lifetime call to take my son David to a World Cup game in Seattle, and I said yes without blinking, because that's the whole point of building your own thing. Then David Belman from Belman Homes joins me to explain something strange in the housing market: for the first time, new homes are cheaper than existing ones, and why about $131,000 in regulations is baked into every new build. We get into the new strikes on Iran, the news that Claude Cowork is finally coming to your phone, and Claude Fable getting extended to July 12. Then we close with the Idea Slam every owner needs: how to fire someone the right way. In this episode: 00:00 - Why owning your business beats a paycheck 01:29 - Cashing in your freedom for a World Cup trip with my son 10:01 - Why new homes are now cheaper than existing homes (David Belman) 21:48 - When you actually need a business lawyer 23:53 - New strikes on Iran and what they do to oil prices 25:04 - Claude Cowork is coming to your phone 28:41 - Claude Fable extended to July 12 29:45 - How to fire someone the right way (Idea Slam) Resources mentioned: - David Belman, Belman Homes - Athena Legal Solutions: athenalegalsolutionsllc.com - Automation Bird Dog: automationbirddog.com (code OWNIT) 🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen 📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com 👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #Leadership #Hiring #AI

Why In-Person Connection Beats Zoom | Businessing

In-person connection is king, and you just can't get the same connection online as you get in a real room. I spent this week with two mastermind groups in person, and the difference wasn't even close. This episode is for every work-from-home business owner who packs the calendar so tight that putting on real pants and driving across town feels inefficient. I'll walk you through why the before and after of an in-person meeting is where the real relationships get built, and why you leave those meetings recharged every single time. Then we get into the AI conversation nobody saw coming: AI is saving us 20 hours a week and somehow we're all busier than ever. And I answer a Reddit question that hits home for a lot of you...is it worth leaving corporate if you'll only replace your salary? Your assignment for next week is simple. Leave the cave. In this episode: 00:00 - Welcome and today's show rundown 00:56 - Why in-person networking beats Zoom meetings (Big Story) 13:59 - Small business optimism hits a 2026 high 20:04 - Free small business legal risk assessment (sponsor: Athena Legal Solutions) 22:04 - Why AI makes business owners busier, not less busy 27:26 - Claude's Fable model returns and pay-as-you-go AI pricing 31:59 - Leaving corporate to start a business (Idea Slam) 40:13 - Small business community events and SBOC Conference update Resources mentioned: - Athena Legal Solutions and the Complimentary Legal Confidence Review (Carolyn Jahnke and team) - Crown Room Live with Elzie Flenard: https://crownroomlive.com - The Daily Crown: https://joindailycrown.com - Claude by Anthropic, including the Fable model - WhisperFlow dictation software - Live check-in map: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.com - SBOC Conference in September (prices go up August 1st) 🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen 📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com 👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #Networking #ClaudeAI #InPersonConnection

Mid-Year Business Review: 5 Questions to Ask | Businessing

Halfway through 2026, your mid-year business review comes down to one shift: the question goes from what do we wanna get done this year to what can we still get done this year. Hope is not a strategy, and the second half of the year doesn't care about the goals you set in January. Pat walks through seven questions (the five he planned, plus two bonus) that every small business owner should ask before July 1st: what's the biggest problem that's gotta get solved, are you satisfied with your revenue, what's actually selling, is your biggest expense pulling its weight, and where are you using AI in your business. Then attorney Carolyn Jahnke from Athena Legal Solutions joins the show to talk about how protected your business really is, the contract blind spots that catch owners off guard, and why going into business with friends and family is riskier than it feels. If you own a small business and you're staring down the second half of the year, you'll walk away with a checklist you can run in one afternoon. In this episode: 00:00 - Mid-year business check-in for small business owners 02:34 - What's the biggest problem to solve in your business (Question 1) 04:16 - Reviewing your revenue, what's selling, and your biggest expense (Questions 2-4) 07:00 - Where are you using AI in your business (Question 5) 08:39 - Getting a return on your time and avoiding burnout (Bonus questions) 12:23 - How protected is your small business, with Carolyn Jahnke of Athena Legal Solutions 22:22 - Supreme Court rulings on birthright citizenship and transgender athletes (News You Need to Know) 28:57 - SBOC Conference tickets and SBOC Awards nominations Resources mentioned: - Carolyn Jahnke, Athena Legal Solutions (free business legal confidence assessment) - Carl Gould: "Sell what people wanna buy, not what you wanna sell" - Elzie Flenard, Crown Room Live and The Daily Crown: https://joindailycrown.com - Put your business on the live show map: https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.com - SBOC Conference, September 15-17 (ticket prices go up August 1) - SBOC Awards nominations, open through July 19 (presented by Athena Legal Solutions, Money Masters Bookkeeping, Crash Design Co., and Excel and Flourish) 🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen 📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com 👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #MidYearReview #BusinessCheckIn #SmallBusinessTips

Treat AI Like a Junior Employee, Not Software | Businessing

68% of small business owners are using AI, but only 15% have installed it into their regular workflow and are actually getting the benefits. Pat says the gap comes down to one reframe: stop treating AI like software you have to learn and start treating it like a junior employee. This one's for the owner who's been tinkering with ChatGPT and Claude, writing a few social posts, and wondering where all that promised productivity went. Pat breaks down why the AI teachers keep getting small business wrong, then hands you a 20-minute pen-and-paper exercise to figure out exactly what to hand off to your new junior employee first. He also pulls a pricing lesson out of Tidal's new direct-to-artist music model and challenges you to charge for your work in a way that removes objections and pays you more. Plus the SBOC Awards open for nominations, and Pat levels up his Wisconsin card at a polka wedding. In this episode: 00:00 - Why only 15% of small businesses are getting results from AI (Big Story) 04:52 - How to treat AI like a junior employee instead of software 08:01 - A 20-minute brainstorm to decide what to hand off to AI 11:16 - How to change the way you charge customers (Tidal's new pricing model) 16:49 - Pay-for-results pricing for coaches and consultants 26:48 - Why the newest AI models aren't available to small businesses (AI Story of the Day) 38:26 - How business awards help you win more clients (SBOC Awards open) Resources mentioned: - Athena Legal Solutions (Carolyn Jahnke) - free confidence review for show viewers - Crown Room Live with Elzie Flenard - https://crownroomlive.com - The Daily Crown - https://joindailycrown.com - Small Business Owners Community Awards nominations - https://smallbusinesscommunity.com - SBOC live check-in map - https://live.smallbusinesscommunity.com - Money Masters Bookkeeping - https://moneymasters4biz.com - Crash Design Co - Claude Cowork - Tidal 🎙️ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatMillerFridaysOff?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109 🌐 Listen anywhere: https://businessing.captivate.fm/listen 📬 Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com 👥 Small Business Owners Community: https://smallbusinesscommunity.com #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #PatMiller #AIforSmallBusiness #AIAdoption