Are we there yet? 6 things small businesses should do post election

I feel like I’m in the election cycle that never ends. As of this writing, Election Day is tomorrow and I couldn’t be happier. I’m ready for this to be over and ready to have my friends and family back. Regardless of whether you are red or blue, own a small business or work in one, we have work to do:

1. Apologize to your colleagues and work friends: I hope I get my Facebook stream back. I’m looking forward to the name-calling, insulting remarks, and rude behavior in the name of politics to come to an end. I’m wondering where civility went. I’m wondering where common courtesy went. I’m wondering why long-time friends feel so good about calling me stupid and attacking me over the things that I believe. I’m wondering why hate speech is acceptable among many of my otherwise kind and considerate friends, simply because everyone doesn’t agree with them — I’ve been married more than 30 years and my wife and I often disagree, but we don’t talk to each other like that. To my friends, I tried to keep my opinions and emotions in check as we discussed the candidates and their positions. I know I wasn’t always able to do so. Please forgive me for being a bore. Our friendship means more to me than who is in the White House or whom we send to the Governor’s Mansion.
2. Apologize to your employees: If you were one of the small business owners who threatened employee jobs if one or the other candidate for President was elected, you should be ashamed. I’ve survived a number of economic recessions and watched business owners struggle to stay afloat and keep their employees, but I’ve never heard one of them presume to tell their employees how to vote or suggest that if they didn’t vote a certain way they could lose their jobs. If you are one of them, I hope when we exit this Great Recession, your employees head off to greener pastures — which they will. Did you forget that in the United States of America our vote is private? Our vote is our own.
3. Roll up your sleeves and get back to work: As much as we’d like to blame the politicians in Washington for our woes, small business people are pretty darn resilient. It’s time to go back to work. It doesn’t really matter who is in the White House, products and services that resonate with the market will come out on top. The aforementioned recessions I’ve lived through have taught me that hard work and determination win — whining about what happens in Washington doesn’t.