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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Category Archives: Managing Employees
Here’s an exercise
Nothing fancy. Just presume, for a second, that my last post was substantially right. We will have a technical recovery from an economic perspective, but it won’t feel anything like prosperity. Ask yourself two questions: 1. What will my business … Continue Reading
Sales Comp II: Are You a Supplier or a Vendor?
The next question to consider when you are designing sales compensation is: “Are we a supplier or a vendor?” Without wasting time on the differences or similarities of the dictionary definitions, here are mine: A supplier provides goods or services … Continue Reading
The Rhythm of the Sales Process
With so many of our clients trying to boost sales in a tough environment, we’ve been having lots of discussions about sales incentives. It’s surprising to me how many business owners create incentives that don’t fit their business, simply because … Continue Reading
The Buck Stops Here
This isn’t a political blog, but I’m cursed (or blessed) to see everything in terms of business. The current administration in the Oval Office isn’t my favorite from a policy standpoint, but it is the tell-tale clues of a leadership … 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
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
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
Happy (tweet) Fathers’ Day (from your child via FaceBook)
My wife was working on the vacuum cleaner today. Despite my intention to be a lazy slob all day, I decided to pitch in. A short diagnosis let me do a temporary repair, and sent me to the Internet to … Continue Reading
Changes in Attitude
I imagine that anyone who works with small business owners has noticed an attitude shift since the beginning of this year. Where formerly they were happy to have mediocre employees, now they are looking for something more. Where they overlooked … Continue Reading