The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.

Business credit is a critical but often misunderstood tool that can unlock financing, protect your personal credit, and strengthen your small business.
Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/593-gerri-detweiler-business-credit/
Many small business owners assume business credit "just happens" once they form an LLC, but that's not how it works.
In this episode, Henry Lopez is joined by Gerri Detweiler, one of the leading experts on small business credit, to break down how business credit really works and why it matters far earlier than most owners realize. They discuss how business credit affects financing, vendor relationships, and even potential partnerships, and why larger companies often check your business credit before working with you.
Gerri explains the fundamentals of establishing business credit, including whether you should start as a sole proprietor or form an LLC, how credit reporting works, and why payment history is the most important factor in building strong business credit scores.
She also shares practical strategies for getting started such as using net-30 vendors, business credit cards, and equipment financing, and how to avoid common mistakes that can quietly damage your credit profile.
"Business credit doesn't build itself. You have to be intentional about it from day one," Gerri explains.
Gerri Detweiler has spent more than 30 years helping people make sense of credit and financing, with a special focus on helping small business owners. As an Education Consultant for Nav, she guides entrepreneurs in building strong business credit and understanding how it can open doors for growth. Gerri has answered thousands of credit questions online, written or coauthored six books, including Finance Your Own Business: Get on the Financing Fast Track, and has been interviewed in thousands of media stories as a trusted credit expert. Through her widely syndicated articles, webinars for organizations like SCORE and Small Business Development Centers, as well as educational videos, she makes complex financial topics clear and practical, empowering business owners to take control of their credit and grow healthier companies.
This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

Inventory is one of the most misunderstood and cash-intensive assets in a small business, and managing it strategically can dramatically improve cash flow, reduce risk, and support sustainable growth.
Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/592-smarter-inventory-better-cash/
Inventory is often treated as an operational detail, but for many small businesses it is one of the biggest drivers of cash flow strain and hidden risk. In this episode, Henry Lopez reframes inventory for what it really is - cash tied up on your shelves - and explains why poor inventory decisions can quietly suffocate profitability.
Henry walks through the most common inventory challenges small business owners face, including trapped working capital, spoilage and obsolescence, shrinkage, unpredictable demand, and the temptation of bulk-purchase discounts that often do more harm than good. He explains why inventory typically lives on the balance sheet rather than the P&L (Profit & Loss Statement), and how that accounting reality can mask its true impact on business performance.
On this episode of The How of Business podcast Henry also explores the origins of Just-In-Time inventory, its roots in Toyota's post-war production system, and how small businesses can responsibly apply lean inventory principles today, especially now that most supply chains have stabilized after COVID disruptions.
Finally, Henry outlines the core components of an effective inventory operating system, from software and supplier management to a short list of essential KPIs that help business owners stay in control.
The key takeaway: inventory decisions are cash decisions and managing them well is critical to long-term business health and growth.
Inventory management is not just about what you sell or use, it's how you invest your cash, manage risk, and determine whether your business can grow and survive.
This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

Immigrant entrepreneurs often build businesses to last, and their approach to resilience, hospitality, and value creation offers powerful lessons for any small business owner.
Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/591-neri-sillaman-survival-to-sustainable/
In this episode, Henry Lopez talks with Neri Karra Sillaman, author of Pioneers: Eight Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs, about what immigrant entrepreneurs can teach us about building businesses that endure.
Neri shares her remarkable journey from growing up in a Turkish minority family in communist Bulgaria, being forced to flee as refugees, and helping her family rebuild their lives and livelihoods in Turkey. She explains how those early experiences shaped her view of entrepreneurship, not as a career choice, but as a means of survival that later evolved into a powerful business philosophy.
Drawing from her family's business experience and her formal business education, Neri discusses several of the core principles from her book, including resilience, authentic hospitality, cultural bridge-building, and a focus on long-term value rather than short-term profit. She explains how immigrant entrepreneurs often leverage past hardship, adaptability, and deep human connection to create businesses that last across generations.
Whether you are an immigrant entrepreneur or a small business owner looking to build something sustainable, this conversation offers practical insights on trust, perseverance, and designing a business for longevity.
This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

Entrepreneur Norman Crowley shares his remarkable journey and explains why ideas matter far less than the courage to start and the discipline to execute. As Norman explains, "Just begin. The customer will fix your idea very quickly."
Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/r394-norman-crowley-just-begin/
What does it really take to come up with a good business idea, and does the idea even matter?
In this compelling conversation, international entrepreneur Norman Crowley unpacks the truth behind entrepreneurial success, from his early welding business at age 12 to the billion-dollar gaming venture he nearly sold just hours before the 2008 financial crisis.
Norman shares the mindset, discipline, and resilience required to build meaningful companies, including why execution - not the idea - is what actually determines whether you'll succeed.
He also discusses the role of luck, navigating stress and health challenges, building world-class teams, and why big missions attract big allies.
One of the most powerful moments of the episode comes when Norman explains his "hot coals" framework for overcoming fear: "Filling your mind with happy thoughts, being clear on the destination, and just keeping walking."
Whether you're dreaming of your first business or wrestling with your next one, this episode offers rare honesty, inspiring insights, and practical wisdom from decades of entrepreneurial wins, losses, pivots, and reinventions.
Norman Crowley is an Irish serial entrepreneur and climate-tech leader, best known as the Founder and Chairman of CoolPlanet, a global decarbonization and energy-efficiency group helping major corporations reduce emissions and achieve net-zero goals. Before turning to climate innovation, he built and sold several successful technology companies including Trinity Commerce, Inspired Gaming Group, and The Cloud. He also founded AVA, which converts classic cars into high-performance electric vehicles. Today, Norman is recognized for combining deep entrepreneurial experience with a mission-driven approach to solving climate change through technology, data, and industrial systems.
This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

A practical 10-step guide to creating your small business strategic plan for the year ahead.
Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/590-annual-strategic-planning/
In this episode, Henry Lopez breaks down how to create a clear and practical strategic plan for the year ahead, without overcomplicating the process.
Strategic planning gives small business owners a roadmap for growth, helping them stop reacting and start leading with intention.
Henry walks through a 10-step framework that includes reviewing the previous year, refining your vision, conducting a SWOT analysis, defining strategy, setting goals and KPIs, breaking plans into quarterly actions, budgeting, and executing with discipline.
He also explains why strategic planning matters even when circumstances change: "If we don't plan, then you really have no path to follow… things will happen to you instead of you making things happen."
This episode is designed to help you clarify where you're going, stay aligned with your long-term vision, make smarter decisions about limited resources, and create a focused plan you can adjust throughout the year.
You'll also learn Henry's five best-practice tips for more effective planning, starting with basing everything on reality, limiting priorities, tracking KPIs consistently, assigning ownership, and ensuring everything leads to real action.
If you want to enter the next year with clarity, confidence, and intention, this episode provides the structure you need.
This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com