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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: economy
COVID and Dirty Laundry
The longer this virus goes on, the more I am reminded of Don Henley’s 1982 song “Dirty Laundry.” A friend and his wife declined an invitation to come over for a glass of wine (OK, maybe a bottle) on the … Continue Reading
Exit Planning in a New Political Environment
What does a new political environment mean for business owners who are planning to transition their businesses? Should you accelerate your plans, or slow them down? As I’ve said many times in this space and elsewhere, the biggest single factor … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Marketing, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, banks, Boomer Bust, business, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, exit strategies, financial, international relations, leadership, management, politics, recession, selling a business, small business, small business advice, trade
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Exit Timing and the Global Economy
How much will your exit timing be affected by the global economy? Most small businesses serve local markets. Their owners, if they have thought about it, plan to sell to a local individual. If the local market is healthy, why … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, banks, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, China, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, exit strategies, financial, leadership, management, politics, selling a business, small business advice, trade
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History Begets Attitudes
History begets attitudes. I’m back from my biannual depressurization trip. This time it was to Central Europe. As always, I assess new and different things through a business owner’s eye. We visited five countries (Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary), … Continue Reading
Posted in John's Opinions, Leadership
Tagged business, business ownership, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurship, international relations, leadership, management, marketing, promotion, public relations, sales management, small business, small business advice, trade
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Generational Differences and Identity Politics
Generational differences are a hot topic for organizational behaviorists. Is this a real issue, or is it just the current management fad? “Never in history have we seen four generations together in the workplace.” That line starts thousands of articles … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, health care costs, health care reform, hiring, management, medicare, politics, small business, small business advice, social security
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Extreme Democracy
Last week the British government announced that it was naming their new scientific research ship the RSS Sir David Attenborough, acting counter to the people’s selection of “Boaty McBoatface,” despite that name being an overwhelming 3:1 favorite over the next closest choice. … Continue Reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, downsizing, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, hiring, leadership, management, media, politics, sales, selling a business, small business, small business advice
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Let the Business Owners Pay for It
When it comes to “No taxation without representation,” the rallying cry of our founding fathers, few identifiable population segments are as abused as business owners. One of my long-time clients is a franchisor, and until very recently I was a … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning
Tagged banks, business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, credit cards, economy, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, health care costs, leadership, management, new business, politics, small business advice, startups, trade
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Time to Grow Up
Young industries no longer have the time to grow up. The cycle of maturation has long been accepted as a fact of life when a new concept becomes a business. There are a few pioneers (defined here in Texas as … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, Marketing and Sales, Strategy and Planning, Technology
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, new business, small business, small business advice, startups
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Not Just Workers…Qualified Workers
A few weeks ago I attended one of Trinity University’s Policy Maker breakfasts. Although living in a large city has its drawbacks, it is great for access to events such as these. It takes substantial ticket sales to justify top-rank speakers, … Continue Reading
Posted in Building Value, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Incentives, Leadership, Managing Employees, Uncategorized
Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, hiring, leadership, management, small business, small business advice
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The Quest for Recurring Revenue
Recurring revenue is the current Holy Grail of business. Barriers to Entry, a traditional way of assessing your differentiation against competition, have been replaced by Barriers to Exit, how to make it at least inconvenient or at most excruciatingly painful for … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, marketing, new business, promotion, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice, startups, trade
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