Contributed by SBOC Member:
Founder of the Small Business Owners Community
Daylight saving time stole an hour from all of us. Pat Miller asked his audience: if you got that hour back, where would you spend it for maximum business impact? His answer was immediate — sales outreach. Not someday, not when things slow down. This week.
Every small business owner knows they should be doing more sales outreach. It’s the one activity that directly moves revenue, and yet it’s the one that consistently gets pushed to the back of the list. There’s always something more “urgent” — an email to answer, a client deliverable to finish, a system to fix.
But here’s the truth: you can’t outwork a sales deficit. If the pipeline isn’t flowing, nothing else matters.
Pat didn’t just say “sales” in the abstract. He got specific: he would use that extra hour to reach out to 2026 SBOC Conference sponsorship and partnership targets. Not cold outreach into the void, but targeted contacts who would benefit from the exposure across the Businessing show, the Fridays Off newsletter, and a three-day conference event in September.
That’s the model. Know exactly who you need to talk to. Know what you’re offering them. Then use the hour to actually make contact.
Here’s a challenge pulled straight from the show: this week, block off one hour dedicated exclusively to sales outreach. Not admin. Not follow-up emails about existing projects. New business development. Reach out to the people who should be your next clients, partners, or sponsors. Send the LinkedIn message. Make the call. Write the email that’s been sitting in your drafts. One hour of focused sales outreach will do more for your business this week than almost anything else on your to-do list — and it’s the one thing most business owners keep skipping.
Listen to the full episode: Businessing with Pat Miller
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessingShow
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/businessing-with-pat-miller/id1870663109
Fridays Off Newsletter: https://fridaysoffnewsletter.com
Pat spent two decades in broadcasting management and hosting. After leaving the radio industry, he spent time consulting small businesses and realized the support system for entrepreneurs was broken. Where could you find help for improving small businesses and building real connections with other like-minded people. In June of 2020, the Idea Collective Small Business Community was born.