Don't stumble on the road to success
Mike and James had a big plan to sell more of their widgets. The widgets they built were wonderful. They had numerous testimonials that these widgets changed people's lives. Mike wanted to grow this aspect of their business and James agreed. They came up with a plan, built the brochures and sales materials, started down…
Strategies you can use to avoid the swamp of unproductive meetings
Do your days feel like one unproductive meeting after another … and another? Have you noticed how often people get bogged down in the same issues you talked about the last time you got together? You ask yourself: “Why are we going over the same ground again and again?” Somewhere between the positive intentions that people start with and a…
But it takes courage to ask for help
“I told myself I wouldn’t cry,” said the woman on the other end of the phone as I asked her about her business. Patiently I waited for her to dry her eyes and compose herself. She went on to tell me how this year has been tough, and now she is struggling to stay afloat.…
Entrepreneurial diarrhea can leave leaders and their teams exhausted, sapping their energy and consuming valuable resources
“I need your help!” were the first words out of John’s mouth when I walked into his office recently. “We’re starting a new business and I want you to help us figure this out.” As I looked at John, my first thought was: “Oh my god, he hasn’t got this business running properly yet, and…
The list of expenses for business owners sometimes feels never-ending
Profit is one of the most misunderstood and misconstrued words in the English language. Customers often think that profit is anything between a company’s cost for a product or service and the customer’s purchase price. Employees think profit is the difference between the selling price and the cost, less their wages. In reality, profit is…
Be clear about what you will need to sacrifice to achieve your plans
One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t stop home for a quick visit more often when my kids were young and my wife was stuck at home minding them. Because I was so tied up in managing and growing my business, I missed family meals, vacations and days off. If you’re a leader…
Without the right tools, people and plans, your business will suffer. You’re going to have to work harder and that will affect your bottom line
It was almost the final straw. I was laying on the ground after falling off the roof of the house and the carpenter, John, was standing over me yelling. He was mad because his sawhorses had been broken in half because of my stupidity, while I was just wondering if I had broken anything in…
As an online marketer, I spend a lot of my working day (you guessed it!) online. And I try to organize my time so I can be as efficient as possible for my clients and my business. About six months ago, I switched from using the Firefox browser to the Chrome browser as much as…
Part of the reason clients hire me is to give them an outsider’s opinion of the challenges or opportunities facing their businesses. I take this very seriously, so I’m constantly scanning the economic horizon for changes that could have an effect on these leaders and their organizations. Over the past few months, I’ve been talking…
Hiring and on-boarding new employees is costly. Less staff turnover means your organization will reap considerable rewards
Last week, I called my local credit union about my account. The phone was answered by Phil, who I knew as a long-term employee of the credit union. Over the years, I’ve gone into the branch on a regular basis. Phil would always be serving her customers in a caring manner, greeting people by name…