Tag Archives: business ownership

Computer Technology: Curse You, Bill Gates!

Every business is held in thrall to its computer technology. In most white-collar environments a computer crash comes with the added expense of employees sitting dumbly at their stations, unable to function. When a function of our business becomes a core … Continue Reading

Posted in Business Perspectives, John's Opinions, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

More than a Feeling

This is the story of two business owners. It is true. It is real-time. Both stories occurred last week, and I was present in both conversations. The first story is one of disaster. A restaurant owner I work with was … Continue Reading

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lords of Chaos

Every business owner must be adept at dealing with chaos. Entrepreneurship demands the ability to choose a course of action when everyone else is staring into the headlights. It requires a willingness to make a decision with inadequate information, and to make new decisions … Continue Reading

Posted in Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Strategy and Planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Should You Sue?

This column appeared as an op-ed piece in this week’s San Antonio Business Journal titled “Most Legal Battles Played by Risk Rules.” If you are in business for any length of time, eventually you will face a situation where the only … Continue Reading

Posted in Entrepreneurship, John's Opinions | Tagged | 2 Comments

Unlimited Time Off From Your Business

The second “rule” on our downloadable poster “Your Rights and Obligations as a Business Owner” is: “You have the right to unlimited time off with pay.” followed by the corollary obligation; “You have an unlimited obligation to customers. Business deadlines … Continue Reading

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Managing Employees | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Where’s Waldo?

An old New Yorker cartoon depicts two men walking down the streets of Manhattan. “The think I like most about being the Boss is that you get to make your own hours.” one says. “Yes,” the other replies, “as long … Continue Reading

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An Army of One

Hollywood has done an excellent job of defining what it takes to be an action hero. George Smiley, the grey civil servant of John Le Carre’s spy novels, is a protagonist, but not a hero. Heroes are cast in a distinct … Continue Reading

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Leadership | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Proactive, Preventative Sales

Sometimes a topic rises to the top of my long list of candidates because it seems to come up repeatedly. It may be a coincidence (probably is), but a single business ownership issue is raised in multiple coaching sessions or … Continue Reading

Posted in Customer Relations, Marketing and Sales, Sales | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Choosing a Buyer for Your Business

You may be questioning this title. After talking in depth about the shortage of buyers over the next 10 years, the differences in values and work habits of Generation X, and the competition for ambitious people from better financed and … Continue Reading

Posted in Exit Planning, Incentives, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beating the Boomer Bust

We’ve looked at the coming generation of business buyers, and many things about that picture aren’t pretty. When I present to business owners about the Boomer Bust, this is around the time that someone in the audience says “So, are we just … Continue Reading

Posted in Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Gen X Business Buyer

Generation X’ers aren’t mini-Boomers. Raised in a rapidly growing economy by parents that approached child rearing as a competitive activity, they saw more, did more, and were given more than their parents could have dreamed of. I took my first … Continue Reading

Posted in Building Value, Business Perspectives, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Outsourcing America

The Baby Boomers created seismic shifts in American culture and economics throughout their lives. Their mere numbers caused much of the shift, but their competitiveness and commonality enhanced the impact at every stage of their lives. In the mid 1960’s, … Continue Reading

Posted in Business Perspectives, Economic Trends, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment