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The Author
This blog is authored by Mike Clough whose mission is to provide businesses with proven business practices as well as outside of the box creative thoughts. So, who is Mike Clough and what makes him an authority on business?
Mike is a serial entrepreneur launching his first company, Southern Specialty Company, when he was only 12 years old. When he completed the application to represent Nationwide Advertising Specialties, he wrote “under 65” for his age. As a result, they accepted his application and sent him a complete sample kit. That was all he needed to get started. His father, a school teacher, would drive him to different towns and grade papers while Mike was calling on local businesses. Within just four months Mike was one of their top producers earning more in commissions than his father earned in salary teaching school.
Since starting his first business, Mike has founded dozens of companies in various fields: Regal Distributors – wholesale distribution of music media (records & tapes); Fisherman’s International Supply House (FISH) – a mail order catalog business specializing in “do-it-yourself” lures and baits; Alternatives In Motivation (AIM) – motivational rallies and sales training; Creative Ideas – retail sales of motivational tapes and materials; Quantum Communications Group – retail cellular service (where he launched, incubated and sold dozens of rural cellular companies nationwide for its clients); Alliance Solutions – wholesale internet access, hosting and VoIP services through branded resellers; just to name a few.
In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures Mike has also held executive positions in several Fortune 500 companies such as Pitney Bowes, McCaw Cellular (now AT&T) – once the largest cellular company in America, Western Wireless (now Verizon) from which T-Mobile (formally VoiceStream) was founded, and was a member of the initial advisory board for the Cellular One Group. Mike Clough is now a business consultant for SCORE – Counselors To America’s Small Business, mentoring business men and women who want to start and grow a small business.
Whether or not theses experiences make Mike Clough an authority on business, what he has learned from his successes and, especially his failures should, at the very least, cause you to consider his point of view. Of course, when it comes to your own business you will need to decide what will work for you.
If you would like to connect with Mike Clough on LinkedIn or view his profile,
click here. Mike accepts most invitations to connect.
