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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: trade
Exit Planning in a New Political Environment
What does a new political environment mean for business owners who are planning to transition their businesses? Should you accelerate your plans, or slow them down? As I’ve said many times in this space and elsewhere, the biggest single factor … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Marketing, Selling a business, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, banks, Boomer Bust, business, business brokerage, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, exit strategies, financial, international relations, leadership, management, politics, recession, selling a business, small business, small business advice, trade
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Exit Timing and the Global Economy
How much will your exit timing be affected by the global economy? Most small businesses serve local markets. Their owners, if they have thought about it, plan to sell to a local individual. If the local market is healthy, why … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, banks, Boomer Bust, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, China, economy, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, Exit Planning, exit strategies, financial, leadership, management, politics, selling a business, small business advice, trade
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History Begets Attitudes
History begets attitudes. I’m back from my biannual depressurization trip. This time it was to Central Europe. As always, I assess new and different things through a business owner’s eye. We visited five countries (Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary), … Continue Reading
Posted in John's Opinions, Leadership
Tagged business, business ownership, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurship, international relations, leadership, management, marketing, promotion, public relations, sales management, small business, small business advice, trade
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Help Your Friends, Not Your Competitors’
I hear it all too often. “A customer just called us for a quote. They have always done business with our competitor. We’re going to give them our best deal, and see if we can take their business.” Before you … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, marketing, new business, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice, trade
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Let the Business Owners Pay for It
When it comes to “No taxation without representation,” the rallying cry of our founding fathers, few identifiable population segments are as abused as business owners. One of my long-time clients is a franchisor, and until very recently I was a … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, Entrepreneurship, Politics and Regulation, Strategy and Planning
Tagged banks, business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, credit cards, economy, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, health care costs, leadership, management, new business, politics, small business advice, startups, trade
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The Quest for Recurring Revenue
Recurring revenue is the current Holy Grail of business. Barriers to Entry, a traditional way of assessing your differentiation against competition, have been replaced by Barriers to Exit, how to make it at least inconvenient or at most excruciatingly painful for … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, marketing, new business, promotion, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice, startups, trade
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Will Small Business Win in the End?
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
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Germany Makes a Business Decision
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
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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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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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Giving Referrals: Fire and Forget?
We all appreciate getting referrals. There is a feeling of gratification in knowing that someone thinks enough of your work to send a friend or associate your way. Referrals are usually the life’s blood of most small businesses. When I … Continue Reading
Why is San Antonio Bucking the Trend?
The national economy is recovering, but it has a long way to go. Residential and commercial foreclosures, consumer debt levels, and bloated public pensions will take some time to correct. Yet San Antonio has been named as one of the … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business strategy, economy, leadership, management, trade
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