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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Category Archives: Strategy and Planning
Employees aren’t Partners
Many of my clients are recovering from the recession. They are running lean, and have restored their profitability, even if at lower revenues than prior to 2008. Those that had to reduce or freeze employee compensation are seeking ways to … Continue Reading
Do Goals Make a Difference?
To start the New Year right, let me tell you a true story about a goal. It was a little goal; or at least it started out that way. It certainly wasn’t a goal that was intended to be life … Continue Reading
Turning Plans into Realities
We’ve discussed some simple steps to getting started on your annual business plan. (see previous post: The Seven Questions of Simple Planning). Once you have the questions answered, you can begin moving towards the actions that transform your plans into … Continue Reading
The Seven Questions of Simple Planning
The Creation In the beginning was the plan And it sprang from the assumptions And the assumptions were without form So the plan was void of substance And darkness fell upon the face of the workers And the workers … Continue Reading
Getting Smart about SMART
It is approaching 2012, and (hopefully) most of us are finalizing our plans for the upcoming year. In our groups of The Alternative Board, we are asking each member to state their sales and revenue objectives. We all know that … Continue Reading
Posted in Leadership, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, leadership, management
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Trimming the Customer Tree
Anyone who has shopped for a live Christmas tree knows the drill. They have some on display, but none look exactly like what you want. You start looking through the trees that are still bundled up. If one looks promising, … Continue Reading
When is the Right Time to Sell?
In the last few weeks I’ve had several conversations with owners about selling their companies. In one case a professional firm with whom I’ve worked for the last 4 years completed a merger with a large national company. That was … Continue Reading
Fighting on Level Ground
Poland has been conquered numerous times in history. Since the 11th century, it has been partially occupied, partitioned, or fully subjugated by the Germans, Russians, Austrians, Mongols, Tartar Muslims, French (under Napoleon), Prussians and Hungarians. The Poles aren’t a timid people, … Continue Reading
Changes in the new landscape
Last week we talked about an economy where we can expect things to stay flat, or at least feel like they are flat, for a long time. The ageing Boomers, a long recovery in real estate and construction, shrinking government … Continue Reading
“When everything is flat, you can see a long way.”
That statement was made by Van Palmer of Palmer Technology Systems after a lengthy discussion about economic trends. It perfectly describes why we should be positioning our businesses differently from how we did it at the end of previous recessions. … Continue Reading
Dealing with “Malaise”
This starts out sounding like doom and gloom. It isn’t. I have come to the realization that the world of small business ownership is changing, and we have to change with it. For the next few weeks this column will … Continue Reading