business owner
THE PURPOSE OF YOUR BUSINESS
As a business owner, the purpose of your business is straightforward. The purpose of the business is to help you accomplish your personal purpose. I know too many business owners who behave (or believe) as if the opposite is true. They run their businesses as if the business is their life. This way of thinking…
Read MoreI’M SEEKING 10 BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE TIRED OF PRETENDING THINGS ARE “FINE.”
I’m seeking 10 business owners who are tired of pretending things are “fine.” It is a common situation. More than one might think. Not always from the same cause, but for the same reason. For example: • The company is successful, but you are frustrated at the slowness or lack of growth. • The company…
Read MoreHERE ARE 2 TAX CREDITS THAT SAVE GET YOU THOUSANDS (AND YOU SHOULDN’T ASSUME YOUR CPA KNOWS ABOUT THEM)
I speak to dozens of business owners every month. This week I asked a couple who work in tax if they had any tips for other business owners this year. Here are two that are so good I needed to share them with you. Recall these are tax credits (not deductions), so they directly reduce…
Read MoreUSING AVATARS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS
I ask business owners, “Who is a good customer for you?” I find that more than half answer some form of either “Everyone” or “Everyone who wants to buy what I provide.” Disappointing. If your answer is the same, your marketing activities are equally broad. And ineffective. A more effective method is target marketing. To…
Read MoreTHE REAL REASON COMPANIES DON’T GROW
After years of monthly conversations with dozens of business leaders and owners, unsurprisingly, one of the most common topics is about growth and how to grow. From these discussions, the single, most common reason many companies don’t grow has become evident. They don’t want to. Now those are not the exact words they use. Instead,…
Read MoreTELECOMMUTING IS NOT SIMPLE
There is a lot of talk about telecommuting and how business owners must adapt for the good of their companies and their employees. It feels like it is becoming an obligation for employers, not a choice, which is not usually a good thing. One reason is telecommuting is not appropriate for every job. Industries particularly…
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 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 MoreNETWORKING IN A PANDEMIC
Do you miss networking? Even though it is not natural for me, it is good for me and my business. So I do it. Networking gets you noticed and drives all-important word-of-mouth recommendations. It is an excellent opportunity to help others and learn by finding qualified and willing mentors as well as hearing about changes…
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…
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