Tag Archives: management

Will Small Business Win in the End?

Posted on October 11, 2015 by John F. Dini

A few weeks ago Schumpeter, the nom de plume for each current author of the business op-ed column in The Economist, postulated the decline and fall of the Western Corporation. Could small business be the little furry mammals of the 21st … Continue Reading →

Posted in Business Perspectives, Economic Trends, Leadership, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning | Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, China, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, international relations, management, media, new business, politics, public relations, small business, small business advice, trade | 4 Comments

Boomers and the Lost Generation

Posted on October 4, 2015 by John F. Dini

Those who read this column regularly are well aware of the huge shifts underway as a result of the Baby Boomers’ coming exodus from the workplace. Those who aren’t familiar with the issue are invited to download my free, 45-page … Continue Reading →

Posted in Business Perspectives, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, management, recession, small business, small business advice | 1 Comment

Measurement is Not Management

Posted on September 27, 2015 by John F. Dini

“The employees respect what the boss inspects.” Since Frederick Winslow Taylor published The Principles of Scientific Management in 1911, breaking down tasks into measurable pieces had been the cornerstone for employee training and tracking performance. Why then, do many large organizations with … Continue Reading →

Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Incentives, Leadership, Managing Employees | Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, hiring, leadership, management, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice | 4 Comments

Is There Anything CEOish for Me to Do?

Posted on September 20, 2015 by John F. Dini

The line is from one of my favorite New Yorker cartoons. It’s being asked by an executive of his secretary. It is also a common question of business owners who have built successful organizations. The need for a CEO is present … Continue Reading →

Posted in Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Strategy and Planning | Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, small business, small business advice | 2 Comments

Germany Makes a Business Decision

Posted on September 13, 2015 by John F. Dini

Germany just announced that it could accept an additional 500,000 refugees when other countries are jockeying to accommodate as few as possible. As much as the announcement was portrayed as a humanitarian effort, it is just as likely a simple business decision. Few members … Continue Reading →

Posted in Economic Trends, John's Opinions, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning, Top Blog Posts | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business strategy, China, economy, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, international relations, management, politics, recession, small business, small business advice, social security, trade | 7 Comments

Companies Sell for a Multiple of…What?

Posted on September 6, 2015 by John F. Dini

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 | 5 Comments

Owners Live in Two Different Worlds

Posted on August 30, 2015 by John F. Dini

Business owners live in two different worlds. If you are a Baby Boomer, the title of this column might bring memories of any one of the many covers of the song by the same name. (Everyone from Nat King Cole to … Continue Reading →

Posted in Building Value, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning, Top Blog Posts | Tagged Baby Boomers, Boomer Bust, business, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurship, exit planning, exit strategies, leadership, management, selling a business, small business, small business advice | 1 Comment

The Toughest Part of Performance Reviews

Posted on August 23, 2015 by John F. Dini

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 | 7 Comments

Never Fire a Salesperson

Posted on August 16, 2015 by John F. Dini

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 | Leave a comment

Few Employees Can Go the Distance

Posted on August 9, 2015 by John F. Dini

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 →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, business ownership, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, hiring, management, small business, small business advice | 2 Comments

Minimum Wage and the Middle Class

Posted on August 2, 2015 by John F. Dini

“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 | 1 Comment

The Extinction of the Summer Job

Posted on July 26, 2015 by John F. Dini

I’ve read several articles of late discussing the decline in the number of older high school and college students that take jobs for the summer. Each of these reflected on how summer employment taught millions of Americans their first work habits. Around … Continue Reading →

Posted in Economic Trends, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning | Tagged Baby Boomers, business ownership, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurship, hiring, leadership, management, small business, small business advice | 2 Comments