Joanne Campagna

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Cash is KingWe have had a few retail experiences lately that, frankly, rather surprised us. The issue at play is the cost of credit card fees and whether the retailer or the customer should pay them. Historicall...

Our latest Blog discusses traditional retail shops starting to charge additional credit card usage fees directly to their customers. www.illuminatebc.com/making-a-poi...

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Find the Bargaining ChipDog owners know that need to negotiate or bargain with their dogs at times. The matter they are, the more you may need to negotiate. You may be surprised how similar they can be to humans at times! W...

10 Aug

This week’s Blog. www.illuminatebc.com/making-a-poi...

27 July

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —The Many Ways to Open a DoorOur household includes three (3) dogs. Each one reacts differently to closed doors and has his own approach to opening said door. This can be compared to how business owners strategize for opening doo...

20 July

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —A Graceful GoodbyeIn dog sports, you often have to sign up and pay in advance. And that payment is almost always nonrefundable. The reason is that people will sign up and just be a no show, leaving the venue with no pa...

8 July

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —How Competitive are Your ProposalsWe were involved in bidding out a few necessary projects recently. We only asked for two bids from our preferred contractors. It was amazing how much one of them was much more expensive than the oth...

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —A Business LibraryDoes your business maintain its own library? Books can be a source of information, ideas, inspiration, and companionship. We have been assisting a client assemble their professional library recently....

27 June

This week’s Blog - Do you have a Business Library?

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —ProposalsHave you ever been asked to provide hard copies of proposals? If so, how many are too many, how many are not enough? We accompanied a client to an interview recently. The prospect asked for hard copi...

22 June

A colleague’s Proposal Presentation experience.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Open HouseIntroducing your business to the community is an important step to gaining brand awareness. It is never too late to invite colleagues for refreshments and camaraderie. When we opened our indoor dog s...

13 June

There’s always a good reason for an Open House. Has your business had one recently? www.illuminatebc.com/making-a-poi...

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Are You Available?Building on last week’s theme of scheduling, this week we address a question often poised to sole proprietors - ‘are you available?’. Since a sole business owner does not have other staff to take meet...

5 June

This week’s Blog.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Properly Addressing Client SchedulingIn the dog world, properly praising and treating your dog for positive behavior usually works for your dog and you. They like treats, rewards, and praise. As humans, we do also! For sole proprietors ...

29 May

Torn between client scheduling conflicts?

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —How is Your Business JudgedWe live in a visual society. However, as the saying goes, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. This should also be applied when evaluating working with a new small business. A professional colleague r...

23 May

How is Your Business Being Judged? This week’s Blog features Ariel, a colleague’s adorable kitty.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —First Contact Digital Responses DO MatterIn a very digital world, our interactions, particularly first contact ones, are more and more without a face to face approach. Even phone calls have been replaced with first contact emails, texts, or ...

14 May

This week’s Blog reviews a recent experience in how important first contact is in today’s digital environment.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Realtor ReferralsConnections are the heartbeat of a small business. Identifying key players with the right referrals can make or break your business model. Realtors can be a terrific source of referrals. We found th...

7 May

This week’s Blog - Realtor Referrals.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —The Business of Being YouWhether you work for a large organization or you are a sole proprietor, the business of being you is your brand. Pairing that brand with your products or services is the art of marketing. Recently, w...

23 Apr

This week’s Blog - The Business of Being You.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —The Benefits of a Home OfficeYears ago in this Blog, we wrote about the benefits of a formal, commercial space for your business. The article focused on the professionalism it gave your brand. Fast forward several years, and we n...

16 Apr

Today’s Blog discusses a Home Office.

16 Apr

Today’s Blog discusses the Home Office.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Spring into a New Client BaseIt may finally be Spring. Here’s hoping, we in the Northeast, will not see any snow again for months! Spring is a great time to review your client base. We have had a few experiences recently thro...

8 Apr

This week’s Blog: www.illuminatebc.com/making-a-poi...

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Self-Employment TaxAs April 15th approaches, all workers have taxes on their Agenda. For those of us who are self-employed, that means we are subject to a self-employment tax. Per an internet search on Google, here is ...

1 Apr

This week’s Blog - Business Owners are subject to a Federal Self-Employment Tax.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Driving for DollarsThey are called Working Dogs. An internet search defines them as a canine specifically bred, trained, and used to perform tasks that support human activities, such as herding, guarding, hunting, detec...

24 Mar

This week’s Blog, Driving for Dollars.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Health Insurance for the Self-EmployedWe have spent some time recently understanding what limited options are available for the self-employed, the sole proprietor and professional. It has been an interesting journey, to say the least. Ye...

18 Mar

This week’s Blog discusses Health Insurance for the Self-Employed.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —GrantsIt is almost Spring in the Northeastern US. It is a good time to emerge from your office and identify some Grants for your business. Below are the top Small Business Grants we have identified in a re...

11 Mar

Grants- Show me the money!

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Rising Above the ObstaclesWe recently assisted a colleague in achieving a simple goal, submitting paperwork to be paid. Why is it so challenging? If you have ever worked on a project that is funded by a government agency, you...

5 Mar

This week’s Blog - Rising Above Obstacles.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Big and Small - Is it Always a Choice?If you have offered your pet a treat, they will most likely take the largest one in your hand. Big equals more or so we are often taught. Small Business Owners often compete against larger organizati...

25 Feb

This week’s Blog - big or small, is it always a choice?

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —The Art of the ProposalLikely, you have come across the phrase ‘it’s all in the presentation’ at some point in your career. What does that really mean to you as a business owner trying to garner new clients or new projects?...

17 Feb

After working on several proposals recently, this week’s Blog addresses ‘The Art of the Proposal’.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —On the LookoutIf you have ever trained a dog, you know that the use of silent hand signals can be very effective in training. Audible sounds are always important but there may be times that a quiet visual-only sign...

10 Feb

We recently had great difficulty locating a business as they had little to no signage. Don’t be that business! www.illuminatebc.com/making-a-poi...

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —VenmoRecently, we have seen an uptick in small business contractors requesting to be paid by Venmo. We had resisted until recently. With many options to pay for services, we often gravitate to the ones mo...

4 Feb

This week’s Blog addresses our recent experience with contractors requesting to be paid via Venmo.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Get CardedWhen adding a pet to your household, you always want to make sure they have tags or cards on them identifying their name and where they live. Small business owners also need to make sure they are prop...

26 Jan

This week’s Blog - Get Carded.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Paper MailIn today’s digital world, there still can be a place for ‘old school’ paper mail. We recently embraced this method for our book. As an Author, getting your book in front of potential readers is how y...

20 Jan

This week’s Blog: Using Paper Mail to sell your product or service.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —R E S P E C TRecently, we have noticed an uptick in some small business partners experiencing what may be a lack of respect for their time and work. It therefore deserves its own conversation. When making a pitch...

13 Jan

R E S P E CT for Small Business Owners, our weekly Blog engages this topic today.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Payment PointsAs we enter the New Year, there are many ways you can further define your payment approach with clients. Dogs keep trying to get food or your attention until something finally works and they achieve t...

5 Jan

Payment Points for the New Year.

31 Dec 2025

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Happy New YearWishing all our readers a very happy 2026!

29 Dec 2025

With all the wintry weather this week around us, we are taking the week off and want to wish all our readers a very happy and safe 2026!

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —The Gift of Health InsuranceIf you have dogs, you know how quickly something can go wrong. Carrying pet insurance can ease the financial burden of helping your pet heal. Health insurance for you as a small business owner is just...

23 Dec 2025

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Small Business Big HeartDiverting a bit from our usual dog metaphors, we wanted to highlight a local small business, new to us. And without a certain type of marketing, perhaps it would have taken us longer to learn about th...

15 Dec 2025

Today’s Blog shares a very positive experience we had discovering a local small business! 🧡💛💙❤️

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Speak Up & Be HeardA barking dog will always receive attention. In today’s urban landscape, responsible dog owners cannot leave an unattended dog to bark at its will. A dog that barks is always heard. Similarly, in the...

8 Dec 2025

Our canine companions use their voice to be heard and get our attention. Do the same in your meetings. Speak Up & Be Heard.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —PartnershipsIn the canine sports and work environments, partnership is the key to performance. Partners need to be a good fit. It is no different in our business world. Recently, we watched a television show tha...

1 Dec 2025

Partnerships.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Happy Thanksgiving!We have taken the week off to prepare for Thanksgiving festivities with family and friends. We wish all our readers a fun and safe Holiday! 🦃 We will return next week with a new Blog. See you then...

25 Nov 2025

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Is Your Product or Service a Stocking Stuffer?Hard to believe, the holiday season begins next week. It is a great time for some creative marketing. Stocking stuffers, as they are often called, include smaller gifts which physically fit in a holi...

18 Nov 2025

Is your business product or service a candidate as a sticking stuffer? Read this week’s Blog for ideas.

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Veteran’s DesignationOn today’s National Holiday, Veteran’s Day, it is a good time to review veteran-owned businesses. If at all possible, it is always the right thing to patronize a Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise. T...

11 Nov 2025

Happy Veteran’s Day and thank you to all who have served.

3 Nov 2025

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Small Business is Never Just Black & WhiteWhen working with a locally owned small business, that interaction is never just black and white. Each experience with every company often has its own attributes. Recently, when shopping a local reta...

28 Oct 2025

Thanks to the CHQ Chamber for featuring my Ad in a great location of their weekly email Newsletter! Join your local Chambers, they help small businesses in many ways, and enrich your community! #fetchyourcopy #brandpartnerships

illuminatebc.comIlluminate Business Consulting, LLC - Buffalo NY —Making a Point —Do you have a Slow Season?Recently, a small business owner mentioned that an Ad for my book inspired her to make her own Ad. She mentioned it is her slow season and it seemed like a good time to focus on marketing. Some firms...

27 Oct 2025

This week’s Blog addresses what to do with your down Time if your business experiences a down time.