Tag Archives: small business

See Spot Run- A simple approach to up and downsizing

In a TAB Board meeting yesterday we were discussing how you know when it’s time to add an employee. I recalled an old method I’ve used, and it occurs to me that it can also work in reverse if you … Continue Reading

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Through the Eyes of a Reporter

We had David Hendricks of the San Antonio Express News at one of our Board meetings last week. It’s always interesting to see yourself through someone else’s eyes, David’s column is fair. It accurately describes what actually went on in … Continue Reading

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Freedom Isn’t Free

When asked what they like most about owning their own business, the majority of entrepreneurs put “freedom” at the top of the list. They describe it in a number of ways, working for myself, being my own boss, making my … Continue Reading

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It’s a crisis…uh, no it’s not. Wait…

The Washington Post today announced that the UN’s World Health Organization has upgraded the H1N1 flu virus to a Category 6 Pandemic. It is worldwide, and appears to be gearing up for the Southern Hemisphere’s winter season. For those who … Continue Reading

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Key Performance Indicators

I developed this piece for my peer group clients in The Alternative Board® A number of them have said it’s greatly clarified their understanding of what Key Performance Indicators were, and how to approach them. So I share it here… … Continue Reading

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Is It Time for Courage?

A friend of mine occasionally shares his copy of EcoTrends®. This research newsletter tracks 41 different economic indicators. Since I’m not actually a subscriber, I refer you to their site if you’re interested in the details of their analysis. The … Continue Reading

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Is Less Bad Good?

The government is proclaiming the beginning of the beginning of the end. “Only” 540,000 new people lost their jobs last month, instead of 620,000. The somewhat panicky tone that has characterised these communiques continues. A one month drop, especially following … Continue Reading

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All for one…one for all

The individual incentive, whether monetary or non-monetary, seems logical. It fits best with sales people, who are the most familiar examples when we think of employee incentives. What kind of people would work harder for a group incentive? Actually, there … Continue Reading

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All for one…me

Continuing the discussion on employee incentives. We have four possible combinations for incentives, monetary/group, monetary/individual, non-monetary/group and non-monetary/individual. How can we determine which incentives will work best? Sometimes the answer is trial and error. There are many good reasons to … Continue Reading

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Small Business can Sell in a Recession

This was an article I had published in the San Antonio Express News yesterday. Guest Voices: Small businesses can sell in recession Many business owners think that the current recession has ruined their exit strategy. While the climate may be … Continue Reading

Posted in Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, John's Opinions, Selling a business | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

All for One…

Most small business owners approach employee incentives with mixed emotions.They want to provide some system that creates a sense of urgency and responsibility in their employees, but they don’t want to give up too much of an already thin bottom … Continue Reading

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It’s Not Adoption

I spent some time this week with a client who was implementing his first-ever layoff. He has been in business for over 17 years, and has become very close with many of his employees. Some were friends before they were … Continue Reading

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Incentives, John's Opinions, Leadership, Managing Employees | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment