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Helping business owners grow their companies and transition with confidence, added value and complete control.
Tag Archives: small business advice
“Tis an Ill Wind…
…that blows nobody good.” That old sailor’s proverb, first recorded in 1543 and further popularized by Shakespeare in “Henry VI” in 1623, is as plain today in its meaning as it was almost 500 years ago. Anything that is bad … Continue Reading
When Employee Incentives Don’t Work
My definition of an incentive is variable compensation designed to encourage specific behavior. The challenge is to make sure that behavior is really something you want to encourage. A home building company bonuses purchasing managers based on their ability to reduce … Continue Reading
Small Business Owners are the Same Everywhere
I’m returning to this space almost exactly a month from my last post. It’s the longest period that I’ve missed in the last 6 1/2 years, but I heartily recommend a refresh break to business owners, and it was worth … Continue Reading
Wageflation and the Talent Wars
Why are so many employers complaining about the availability of talented workers and the cost of hiring them? Government statistics indicate that real, inflation-adjusted wages are now below 1986 levels. In 2012, the Federal Reserve tracked both an all time … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Economic Trends, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning
Tagged Baby Boomers, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, economy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, public relations, small business, small business advice
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Reputations are Sticky
“We have a great reputation in our industry.” In thousands of hours of coaching and facilitating I’ve never heard a business owner say “We have a lousy reputation.” The myopia of working hard to deliver a product or service leads … Continue Reading
My Interview with Bob Morris: Part II
Robert Morris is the number one reviewer of business books for Amazon.com. A few weeks ago he posted a great review of Hunting in a Farmer’s World, and asked if he could interview me. Bob’s questions were really fun, and the interview … Continue Reading
You Shouldn’t be Your Own Second in Command
Business owners are accustomed to wearing many hats, and many don’t have the financial resources or personnel to field a full management team. The owner winds up wearing one or more functional hats in addition to that of the CEO. If you have … Continue Reading
Posted in Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Managing Employees, Strategy and Planning
Tagged business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, employees, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, leadership, management, sales management, small business, small business advice
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My Interview with Robert Morris: Part I
Robert Morris is the number one reviewer of business books for Amazon.com. A few weeks ago he posted a great review of Hunting in a Farmer’s World, and asked if he could interview me. Bob’s questions were really fun, and the interview … Continue Reading
Posted in Customer Relations, Incentives, John's Opinions, Leadership, Managing Employees, Sales, Strategy and Planning, Top Blog Posts, Uncategorized
Tagged Ayn Rand, business ownership, business planning, business strategy, employee performance, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, international relations, leadership, management, sales, sales management, small business, small business advice
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Google, SEO and the Yellow Pages Game
When the Yellow Pages were a primary source of advertising for small businesses, they had a nifty sales technique. If an advertiser was doubtful about the value of an ad, their sales rep would offer a special telephone number to track how much business … Continue Reading
Meetings Part V: “That’s a Wrap!”
You’ve just run a great meeting, or at least you thought it was great. You stuck to the agenda and got through all the items on it. You reached consensus on action items, and have assigned responsibility with acknowledgement for each … Continue Reading
Meetings Part IV: Action!
Meetings are for the sole purpose of making decisions. Sharing information is important, but there are many far more efficient and cost effective ways to do it. As an aside, unnecessary meetings are frequently excused by “But if I send a … Continue Reading