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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Category Archives: Technology
Is “Follow Your Passion” Really Bad Advice?
It’s graduation season, and honored guests clutching honorary degrees are speechifying at commencements all around the country. In a recent story on National Public Radio, quotes from celebrities including Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Bloomberg all included the same … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, Economic Trends, John's Opinions, Technology
Tagged economy, employees, hiring, politics, small business advice
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Does Technology Help or Threaten Small Businesses?
A small computer service company wants to sell Microsoft software licenses to its customers. They send an employee to become certified in licensing. (Microsoft offers some 600 variants.). As soon as they purchase a license, however, Microsoft begins soliciting that customer … Continue Reading
Productivity Declines: Does it matter?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, as reported by Bloomberg, employee productivity dropped last quarter at a 2% annual rate. The common wisdom is that we have pushed an overstretched workforce as far as we can, but there could … Continue Reading
Computer Technology: Curse You, Bill Gates!
Every business is held in thrall to its computer technology. In most white-collar environments a computer crash comes with the added expense of employees sitting dumbly at their stations, unable to function. When a function of our business becomes a core … Continue Reading
Is Distribution Dead?
It’s difficult to talk to any owner of a small distribution business without hearing complaints about competition from the Internet. Their criticisms are pretty universal, regardless of the goods being distributed. “Customers call with prices they claim to have found … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Marketing and Sales, Sales, Strategy and Planning, Technology
Tagged business strategy, sales management
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Being Brave in a Brave New World
In the first three posts in this series I’ve outlined a number of reasons why the American economy is unlikely to grow in the next few years. All of my reasons are factual. The numbers don’t lie, and these numbers can’t be … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, Managing Employees, Technology
Tagged business ownership, economy, leadership, small business advice
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The Catch 22 of IT management
Are you big enough for an “in-house” IT professional? With the rising cost of service by outside firms, many smaller businesses are trying to hire someone to take care of their technology needs. Of course, many small businesses are still … Continue Reading
“Intuitive” Doesn’t Work for Organization
Apple Computer has become the most valuable company on the planet by making products that are “intuitive.” Most Apple fans brag that you don’t even need a user’s manual to get started on their products. Intuitive is a relative term. … Continue Reading
Posted in Leadership, Managing Employees, Technology
Tagged business planning, employees, management, small business advice
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Here Comes Subscription IT…Like it or Not!
It was one of those conversations that changes my perception of my business and an industry in minutes. A client who owns an IT company was discussing his strategic model. “I can’t continue to serve the SMB market like we … Continue Reading
Big Brother is So 2000, but…
Big Brother is Old News This could easily be a post about technology invading our lives. How we are watched and examined and manipulated through out electronic connectedness. But why? If you aren’t aware of the erosion of your privacy … Continue Reading
Posted in Business Perspectives, Customer Relations, Technology
Tagged business planning, sales
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The Black Donut Hole
Recently, there has been renewed attention to the work of Corrado Gini. An Italian Facist, he published in 1012 the Gini coefficient, a measurement of income equality among a nation’s citizens. As happens in the media, one publication picked up … Continue Reading
Instant, perfectly targeted marketing.
I’m finalizing my speaker panel for our Fall seminar series. This season we are concentrating on marketing and sales. The recession is over, but no one can feel the “recovery.” If you are waiting for things to be busy again, you … Continue Reading
Posted in Marketing, Marketing and Sales, Technology
Tagged marketing, small business, small business advice
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