Posts Tagged ‘small business’
BUSINESS IS THE BACKBONE OF THIS COUNTRY
I’m writing this the day before the presidential election. I won’t make further comments about the election because politics and policies, economics and trade, pandemics, and regulation are all challenges that we, as business leaders, own as responsibilities. It matters less what challenges and changes are in front of us, so much as how we…
Read MoreHERE’S HOW DAVID BECAME GOLIATH
At the end of 2012, T-Mobile found itself in a troubling situation. A planned merger with AT&T had just fallen through, leaving it the smallest of the four national providers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile). Compared with the top two brands, T-Mobile only had about 30% of the subscribers, weaker national coverage, and a consumer…
Read MoreIF YOU ARE NOT HEARING FROM YOUR CUSTOMERS HERE ARE 3 FACTS ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS
IF YOU ARE NOT HEARING FROM YOUR CUSTOMERS HERE ARE 3 FACTS ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will not be like that of a hurricane that causes great destruction, then ends, and repairs begin. The effect will be much longer and farther reaching, and the recovery continuous. There has been and…
Read MoreTHE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW IN THIS ECONOMY
The most important thing to know in this economy is two-fold, “Who is my customer?” and “Why do they buy from me?” I know these are fundamental questions in any business, but the key is, things have changed. The pat answers that were true in March 2020 are now likely to have changed. And the…
Read MoreLET’S GET REAL. HOW CAN I HELP?
There are so many different organizations with different issues these days, and there is so much to write about, I thought I’d ask directly, “What is the top issue you are facing today?” Please respond by return email. I will keep all responses confidential. No individually identifiable information will be published. I will use the…
Read More5 THINGS A SUCCESSFUL PIVOT CAN IMPROVE (AND 3 IT CAN’T)
A pivot is a shift from a fixed point to gain an advantage. Essentially, a pivot is a change in strategy to focus the company on an existing internal strength or a gap in the market, it is equipped to meet. Here are 5 things a successful pivot can improve for your business. Target the…
Read MoreEMBRACING FAILURE
I was having lunch with a friend of mine. He asked, “Have you ever failed at anything?” “Yes,” I said. He seemed surprised, “I mean something really big, something that matters.” “Absolutely,” I said and gave him a couple of examples. My friend spent the rest of the meal trying to convince me that either…
Read MoreARE YOU READY TO PIVOT?
We’ve all heard “ready, aim, fire,” as the instructions for hitting a target. We often use it as a metaphor in business. The first stage is ready. What does it mean to be ready? In business, ready is preparation. Target is the goal setting. Fire is the execution of the plan. Consider target shooting as…
Read MoreGOOD TO GREAT REDUX
Small business owners are struggling with a lot these days, COVID-19 health fears, correctly applying for and spending stimulus funds, regulatory limits on business, erratic supply chains, and protecting employees (and customers) in the workplace. Stacked upon that is the need to reinvent or pivot their businesses for the future economy. With all the pressure…
Read MoreTHE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS TODAY
The most important question a business owner should be asking today is: “If I were to start over, what would the company look like?” The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive effect on us all, including me. I started this year trending into perhaps the best year of my company’s short life. It felt like we…
Read More