The team at Brian Tracy International (BTI) has just partnered with Laughlin Associates as their exclusive incorporation, and corporate record book management services provider.

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The long days and sometimes sleepless nights that come along with being a business owner are certainly something we can all relate to. The challenges of the recession have made such diverse and significant impacts on companies, that it is challenging for owners to put their daily circumstances into clear perspective against changing conditions in the economy. Every business owner that I know has had to take a hard look at how they are organized, what they are selling, and how they connect with prospective customers. Add to that the need to remain relevant to current customers and one can understand why it has sometimes been difficult to sleep.

Is it too obvious to say that much of the frustrations and anxiety come from concerns over money? I mean, we set lofty (but attainable) goals and then spend our days trying to guide, help, and inspire our staff toward them. We look at our value proposition and try to evaluate if there really is value. We want to make a difference in the community by helping those who need it. We take on new challenges and try to improve our own abilities. But, no matter what we do or how well we do it, typically our headaches come from not having enough money. And when the future’s prospects look bleak or are difficult to define it is even tougher. I think this is the way a lot of small business owners have been feeling.

The interesting thing is that even as we endure the nightmares about making the payroll, funding new marketing and paying our own bills, our days are often spent dreaming about how things are going to work out. A report that was just issued called “U.S. Small Business Outlook 2010: Lessons Learned – A Case for Greater Optimism” published on Forbes.com shows that small business owners are feeling more confident and better positioned than ever.

The report indicates that the financial crisis has forced us to look at how we operate and how we continue to provide value to our markets. It shows that the vast majority of small business owners believe that 2010 will be a growth year for them in spite of a lack of help from national, state, or local governments. It indicates that there will be increased investment in new initiatives, partnerships, marketing and technology. Overall, it shows that a lot of things have been figured out during those long nights and that small business has decided to embrace the new day and continue to hold the economy together just like it always has.

We all have our challenges. No two are exactly the same and none of us will escape having them. But keep your chin up and take heart in the fact that you will work your way through the ups and downs. You will solve your business riddles. You will remain the captain of your destiny. It is simply what entrepreneurs do.

I recently had a friend suggest that we should go horseback riding and asked when I could be available. I said that I could go most any day at any time. He commented that he was amazed and that it would be nice to have such flexibility of time. I just smiled. He probably hadn’t started his day at 2 a.m.

My name is Aaron Young and I’m the CEO of Laughlin Associates, Inc. I want to welcome you to our new blog. Blogs are one of the coolest tools available on the internet. They provide a way to have a sort of casual conversation with somebody that you might not otherwise have been able to visit with. It is my hope that a dialog can now be started between you and me. The messages that will be delivered here will attempt to give you a feel for what is going on at Laughlin and why we do the things that we do.

Before I go any further I had better review what it is that we do. Laughlin Associates has been in business since 1972. We set-up corporations, LLCs, and other business structures for people and then try to help those people to get the most “bang for their buck” out of those structures. We also provide virtual offices where we take mail and answer phones everyday for over 1200 companies.

Through the Compass Group, we offer a service that helps companies complete their required annual corporate records (things like minutes, resolutions, and annual meetings). This is a fun service to offer because almost every business owner needs it. It seems that all of us entrepreneurs have an aversion to doing paperwork. Who knew? Anyway, we can help with that, too.

We do lots of seminars. I think that 2008 will have seen nearly 100 different programs put on all over the western United States. The seminars are geared to give lots of specific information that you can take home and put right to use in order to reduce your legal liabilities, improve your tax position, and sharpen your competitive edge.

We have thousands of business owners that we count as customers and I often have the distinct pleasure and opportunity to hear some fascinating stories. As appropriate I will share some of those with you here from time to time. I will tell you about new products and services that we are thinking of offering and will hope to hear from you to know what kinds of services you would like us to organize. I guess that’s what I mean when I say that the blog can serve as a kind of conversation between us.

We are in an exciting time right now. Everything in the business world is a little scary and unsure. This is a good time to be in business for your self. Those with the courage to be creative and to look for opportunities will come out of this crazy time on top. These are the just the kind of people that are our clients. We are grateful to work with you and to help you to make progress as you pursue your goals and dreams. You guys really are the heroes of American business. It is an honor to know you.