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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: entrepreneurship
Iron Rice Bowls and the Impact of Government Funding
There was an interesting editorial item in The Economist that unintentionally says a lot about the impact of government intervention on industry. In the last generation, the average number of working hours needed to purchase an automobile, clothing or other … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, John's Opinions, Politics and Regulation
Tagged business ownership, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurship, financial, health care costs, health care reform, leadership, medicare, politics, recession, small business, small business advice, social security
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Why Do We Hate Salespeople?
A recent episode of “Downton Abbey” included a new servant tasked with passing out canapés at a dinner party. “Try one of these,” he quietly suggested to a guest. “I’m told they are quite good.” He was immediately pulled aside … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Incentives, Leadership, Managing Employees, Marketing and Sales, Sales
Tagged business ownership, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice, trade
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How to Get Employee Buy-In for Your Values
There are few things more important than determining your company’s core values. I define an ideal core values statement as something you can frame and put on the wall so that, in your absence, any employee who has a question … Continue Reading
Goals are More than Just Resolutions
Most of us (at least those who don’t own retail businesses) are in low-power mode at this time of year. Double midweek days off and decompression following the holiday rush allows us time to think. For many, that thinking naturally turns … Continue Reading
Is Uber Really Disruptive Technology?
I attended a technology awards event a few nights ago. The speaker extolled technology as the engine of change and economic development, while attendees posted pictures of each other for the Pinterest feed on the screens to either side of … Continue Reading
The Secret to Growing a $1 million company by 5X
In my work with hundreds of small business owners, I’ve noticed that there are two “danger zones” where an owner may, consciously or unconsciously, prevent his or her company from growing any further. The first zone lies at about $1 … Continue Reading
How Can You Sell a Business to a Buyer Who’s Broke?
According to a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank, over half (52%) of Americans could not pay for a $400 car repair without borrowing. We can assume that most of these folks would not be legitimate prospects to purchase … Continue Reading
The Luxury of No Resources
Among the Baby Boomer business owners who are beginning to plan their retirement, there are millions who founded the companies they plan to sell. Many of these were technicians when they started. They began as employees, and then used their … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, Exit Planning, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, hiring, management, selling a business, small business advice
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Wageflation and the Talent Wars
Why are so many employers complaining about the availability of talented workers and the cost of hiring them? Government statistics indicate that real, inflation-adjusted wages are now below 1986 levels. In 2012, the Federal Reserve tracked both an all time … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, public relations, small business, small business advice
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Reputations are Sticky
“We have a great reputation in our industry.” In thousands of hours of coaching and facilitating I’ve never heard a business owner say “We have a lousy reputation.” The myopia of working hard to deliver a product or service leads … Continue Reading