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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: small business
Gifts are not incentives, and incentives shouldn’t be gifts
I knew a couple who owned a company with about 20 employees who had what may be the worst incentive distribution plan I’ve ever seen. The company gave out large holiday bonuses every year at the company party, which was … Continue Reading
A 35K guy is a 35K guy…
I had breakfast with a client this morning. He was planning a new training initiative for his sales team. “How much do the make now?” I asked. “About $30,000 to $35,000 a year.” he replied. “What are you trying to … Continue Reading
Posted in Leadership, Managing Employees, Sales
Tagged business ownership, employees, management, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice
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Attrition Opportunities
A client of mine used a great term in a conversation last week. Someone asked him if he had instituted any reductions in force (layoff, for those on the receiving end) in his company. “No,” he replied “but we’ve had … Continue Reading
Jerry West on dealing with tough times
Sorry I’ve been away. Actually, I wrote this to post last week and forgot to publish it. Lately I’ve been telling business owners a story from an interview I did with Jerry West during his tenure as GM for the … Continue Reading
Serendipity and Strategy
This is kind of an unusual posting. It is more philosophical than most, and more personal. This blog tends to practical comment and advice. While I stray a bit with this, it has a business objective. I have a coach. … Continue Reading
“Only Dead Fish Go with the Flow.”
That quote, by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, is one of the best I’ve heard in a while. While she wasn’t commenting on entrepreneurs at the time, she hit the nail on the head regarding small business success. There are times … Continue Reading
Tough Times Call for Tough Tactics
My motto for this recession, quoted previously in this space, is “You don’t have to outrun the bear.” As the recession lingers, and the slow, jobless recovery trickles in with a whimper, my clients are finding it both tiresome and … Continue Reading
‘A Recovery Only a Statistician Can Love’
This editorial, from the The Washington Post talks about some of the same things I am concerned about going into 2010. While we will get some positive GDP numbers, perhaps as soon as this quarter, it won’t feel much like … Continue Reading
Cabin Fever
My mom lives in New Jersey. Around February or March of every year she gets cabin fever. Too many cold and miserable days spent indoors, and she starts climbing the walls. It’s August in San Antonio, and we are in … Continue Reading
You can’t keep a good saying down.
“There are lies, damn lies and statistics.” It’s a great saying, and in the USA is typically attributed to Mark Twain. He, in turn, attributed it to Benjamin Disraeli. That credit is undocumented. What is certain is that it was … Continue Reading
Advertising Effectively
I’ve heard it three times in the 24 hours since returning from my vacation; “I’m spending a lot of money on marketing, but I don’t know how effective it is.” The problem goes back for as long as there’s been … Continue Reading
With My Apologies to Ray Davies
“Sooo tired, tired of waiting. tired of waiting for youuu.” For those of you who weren’t weaned on British Invasion Rock’n’Roll, Ray Davies is the lead singer and songwriter of The Kinks. One of their earliest hits was “Tired of … Continue Reading