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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: business ownership
When is the Right Time to Sell?
In the last few weeks I’ve had several conversations with owners about selling their companies. In one case a professional firm with whom I’ve worked for the last 4 years completed a merger with a large national company. That was … Continue Reading
Never, never, never, never give up.
I kind of see everything as connected. Last week we hosted Larry Linne, author of “Make the Noise Go Away,” a book about the roles of first-in-commands and second-in-commands. I will be writing about a couple of things Larry said in his … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Managing Employees
Tagged business ownership, entrepreneurship, leadership, management
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Being Brave in a Brave New World
In the first three posts in this series I’ve outlined a number of reasons why the American economy is unlikely to grow in the next few years. All of my reasons are factual. The numbers don’t lie, and these numbers can’t be … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Managing Employees, Technology
Tagged business ownership, economy, leadership, small business advice
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The Man (or Woman) Who Knew Too Much
Most businesses need salespeople. Most salespeople need to know what they are selling. This leaves many owners on the proverbial horns of a dilemma. Should they hire a great salesperson and teach him the business, or should they take someone who … Continue Reading
Performance Reviews- Best Practices
Performance reviews are a pain. In my nearly 40 years in business they have always generated the same complaints. Managers hate to do them. As a consequence, they are frequently over due. They provide the employee with little information on … Continue Reading
Who are the Real Business Performers?
A business owner told me a story the other day… “After I was in business a few years, a large corporation made me a terrific offer to come work for them. I left my company in the hands of my … Continue Reading
Posted in John's Opinions, Leadership
Tagged business ownership, entrepreneurship, leadership
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Profits and Savings aren’t the Same Thing
How much profit will you make this year? If you are like many business owners, the answer is “We’ll see.” They consider profit to be the amount left over after all of the business expenses are paid. That’s an accounting … Continue Reading
The Third Factor- A Third Eye?
For several years my writing and speaking has focused on two factors that are indispensable for entrepreneurs; creativity and tenacity. Creativity is the drive that not only makes entrepreneurs see opportunities, but also makes them consider every problem or challenge … Continue Reading
When a Good Employee Fails
One of the most difficult challenges facing any entrepreneur is correcting a prior promotion that didn’t work out. Sooner or later it happens to every business owner. You promote employees because they’ve worked hard, were senior in their position, or … Continue Reading
Posted in Leadership, Managing Employees
Tagged business ownership, entrepreneurship, management, small business advice
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Cancer in the Workplace
It was my first ownership of a business. I had moved to California to take over a failing auto parts distributor, and the deal came with a minority share in the business. I was just 30 years old. The housecleaning … Continue Reading
Posted in Leadership, Managing Employees
Tagged business ownership, employees, leadership, sales management
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Why Business Owners Shouldn’t Cold Call
The Owner as Salesperson If your business employs salespeople, then you’ve probably had them bring an account challenge to you. “You need to talk to this customer, Boss. You can (fill in the blank) better than anyone else.” The fill-in-the-blank … Continue Reading
Posted in Managing Employees, Sales
Tagged business ownership, leadership, sales management, small business advice
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