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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: financial
Iron Rice Bowls and the Impact of Government Funding
There was an interesting editorial item in The Economist that unintentionally says a lot about the impact of government intervention on industry. In the last generation, the average number of working hours needed to purchase an automobile, clothing or other … Continue Reading
Posted in Economic Trends, John's Opinions, Politics and Regulation
Tagged business ownership, business strategy, economy, entrepreneurship, financial, health care costs, health care reform, leadership, medicare, politics, recession, small business, small business advice, social security
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Goals are More than Just Resolutions
Most of us (at least those who don’t own retail businesses) are in low-power mode at this time of year. Double midweek days off and decompression following the holiday rush allows us time to think. For many, that thinking naturally turns … Continue Reading
Should a Small Business Have a Budget?
“I know that my company is doing OK,” the old joke goes. “I still have checks in my checkbook.” Many small businesses run on a version of checkbook accounting, where anything that isn’t paid out at the end of the … Continue Reading
Posted in Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, business planning, financial, management, small business advice
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What is Your Company Worth?
A business owner hires a financial planner to help him with his retirement options. They review the owner’s current assets, his house, stock portfolio and other investments. They go over his insurance coverage. Then the planner asks, “What about your company? How … Continue Reading
Left Behind
As business owners, most of us understand that the people who help us get our company to one level may not be the folks who can get it to the next. A great salesman may not be your next sales … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Planning
Tagged financial, management, sales management, small business advice
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Is It All About the Money?
If you have more than ten employees, and an outside observer (like me) asks them confidentially to say in one word what their boss cares about the most, what do you think they will answer? We’d like to think that answer … Continue Reading
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
Profits and Savings aren’t the Same Thing
How much profit will you make this year? If you are like many business owners, the answer is “We’ll see.” They consider profit to be the amount left over after all of the business expenses are paid. That’s an accounting … 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
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