Posts Tagged ‘small business’
DO YOU GROOM YOUR LEADERS OR JUST PROMOTE THEM?
“It was her turn,” said the CEO. I had asked the CEO how a specific member of their leadership team was promoted to that position. I’ve heard other answers like, “They’ve been with me a long time.” “I trust them. She is very loyal.” “He needed to make more money.” “My [family member] needed a…
Read MoreTWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE
How Important Are the Decisions You Make? Leadership is a lonely position. Big decisions require wise counsel. The more critical the decision, the more important the counsel becomes. Do you have the proper support system to help you with decisions? Do you find yourself struggling, as described by Winston Churchill, “Want of foresight, unwillingness to…
Read MoreHOW TO SELL DOG TRAINING
The business owner was an experienced dog trainer who needed to turn her part-time venture into a full-time business. She advertised “Dog Training” and received a good number of inquiries weekly. But most of the people who called wanted “sit, stay and fetch” for $20 an hour. Her offering was four 2-hour sessions at $100…
Read MoreTAKE THE FIRST STEP
A friend of mine tells a story about when he took a job helping a sheepherder in New Zealand (yes, he lived a much more interesting life than I). He and the sheepherder drove out to the pasture where the sheep were grazing. The sheepherder told him to walk over to the dogs were and…
Read MoreIS IT MORE IMPORTANT TO BE RIGHT OR…
Too often conversations about teamwork, delegation, and empowerment, I hear comments like, “but what if they don’t come up with the right answer?”, or some variation thereof. It’s a red herring. Think of a problem. Now think of 10 ways to resolve the problem. Force yourself to come up with 10 different solutions. Consider the…
Read MoreHAVE MORE FUN AND MAKE MORE MONEY – PART I
Do you want to have more fun and make more money? Here’s the first step I use with CEOs and business owners. It all starts with purpose. The raison d’être. The reason for existence. There’s a lot of talk these days about purpose and purpose-driven companies. Purpose-driven companies can acquire and retain more customers, employees…
Read MoreThe First Three Answers You Need Each Week To Run A Business
At times in my career I was asked to take the helm of organizations that were struggling. Sometimes it required a turn around. Other times a jumpstart out of malaise. Either required a closer than usual monitoring of financial performance. Here are the first three questions I asked each week. Do We Have Enough Cash?…
Read MoreThese Three Questions Will Raise Your Income By 10% (And Customer Satisfaction Too)
Here are three fundamental questions you should ask your customers every time you speak with them. Why do you buy from me? Why did you choose me over my competitors? How can I earn more business from you? I remember working with one company about to launch a new marketing campaign. We had called several…
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