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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: entrepreneurs
Companies Sell for a Multiple of…What?
Last week we discussed the difference between Main Street and Mid-market companies regarding their prospects for finding a buyer. You can read it here, but the short analysis is that the market is tightening for Main Street businesses, while the … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, financial, leadership, management, selling a business, small business advice
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The Toughest Part of Performance Reviews
There’s been some noise in the business press of late regarding large corporations’ decisions to eliminate performance reviews. Like those who have installed unlimited PTO (Paid Time Off) and other “new” management methods, review-less organizations are deemed to be more … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Incentives, Leadership, Managing Employees
Tagged Baby Boomers, business ownership, business planning, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, hiring, leadership, management, media, public relations, small business, small business advice
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Never Fire a Salesperson
The majority of business owners prefer linking pay to employee performance. The sales role in most businesses is the easiest and most obvious place to begin. Yet owners struggle with compensating salespeople in a manner that is affordable while still driving sustained performance. Building … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Incentives, Managing Employees, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, hiring, leadership, management, marketing, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice
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Few Employees Can Go the Distance
It’s been an unusual week. I’ve had at least four coaching conversations about employees whose jobs have outgrown them. On the one hand, it’s good news. It means that the companies are growing. On the other hand, it’s always tough … Continue Reading
Minimum Wage and the Middle Class
“Amongst the novel objects that attracted my attention during my stay in the United States, nothing struck me more forcibly than the general equality of conditions.” – Alexis De Tocqueville (Democracy in America, 1831) Americans have always considered themselves “middle … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Managing Employees, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning, Technology
Tagged Ayn Rand, business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, health care costs, health care reform, hiring, management, media, new business, politics, small business, small business advice, startups, trade
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Ageing Boomer Entrepreneurs: Fearful or Smart?
Do we become more cautious with age? Startups are usually associated with younger entrepreneurs. By the time they reach their 50s or 60s business owners tend to tackle fewer big new ideas. Those that do tend to be successful enough that they … Continue Reading
Posted in Building Value, Business Perspectives, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Life After, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, leadership, management, new business, small business, small business advice, startups
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Culture Counts!
Small businesses can’t compete with large corporations on salary and benefits. I’m not being unduly cynical, it’s just a fact. The top 1/10 of 1% in US household incomes start at $1.9 million annually. Of all those in that rarefied … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Incentives, John's Opinions, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, small business, small business advice
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When Supervisors Become Managers
Any promotion means more responsibility. Few steps require as big a leap as the transition from supervisor to manager. Each step up the ladder involves a change in tasks, but an employee’s first managerial position necessitates a change in thinking; one which isn’t … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Incentives, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, management, promotion, small business, small business advice
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Structural Tension: Is It Good or Bad for Your Business?
Logically, no one would enter into a business relationship where anything that is better for one party is worse for the other. Such a zero-sum arrangement would quickly grow tiresome. Either one party is consistently losing in every transaction, or … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, John's Opinions, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning, Technology
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, health care costs, health care reform, management, sales, small business, small business advice
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Technology and Bunker Hill Tactics
In a small business, underused technology could be considered a “Bunker Hill” error in using your competitive capabilities. Last Wednesday, June 17th, marked the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Ranked as the 6th most costly battle of the Revolution in terms … Continue Reading
You Can Go This Far, but No Further
When someone starts their first company (especially a technician as defined in my book Hunting in a Farmer’s World) he or she is usually the sole key employee. She (I’ll use one pronoun for readability) does the hands-on work of … Continue Reading