Value Building · 01. August 2016

Speed of change is the new norm in building a business. Agility is critical to growth and even more critical to value-building, sustainable growth. If you are not strategically building your business based on this fact, you are already falling behind. Your company's ability to scale is contingent on four critical success factors. Effectively aligning and leveraging its Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Quotient (EQ) and Velocity Quotient (VQ) will directly impact your ability to realize a...

01. June 2015

Part I of II - In working with and observing entrepreneurs over 30 years, I have identified limiting mindsets that can have a direct impact on business owners' ability to grow their businesses. These mindsets either fall into the category of Wishful Thinking or Fearful Thinking. When it comes to Wishful Thinking, the best way to describe it is that you find yourself saying something along the lines of "If only I had more …" Are any of these Wishful Thinking detractors ones you have said...

Value Building · 01. June 2014

Whether you are in a start-up mode or have been conducting business on your own for years, knowing where your business is headed is critical to your future well being as well as the livelihood of others who may be depending on the success of your venture. This is why strategy is so important in a business, starting with the long-term vision of your venture in order to make better decisions and to identify and pursue opportunities effectively. While some of what I write here will seem basic to a...

01. October 2013

Part I of II - In the next two columns, I am going to explore the mentalities behind how your customers or clients are shopping for your services and products and then buying them. Most people associate the idea of shopping with a consumer/retail experience, but this is short-sighted.Anyone seeking to buy is in a shopping mode before they are in a buying mode. Understanding this and the type of shopper you are dealing with can help you better convert them to buyers. 1. Window Shopper: Window...

Confidence Building · 01. May 2013

Over the past several weeks I have witnessed, advised or helped rectify numerous encounters and situations related to technology with business owners. What I have concluded is that business owners are perhaps trusting too much, don’t know enough to properly manage their Internet presence and technology, and then are left at the mercy of others at the most inopportune of times. Part of the problem is in assumptions that business owners make or because of what they don’t know that they...

Team Building · 01. February 2013

Have you been told that your expectations are too high? For some business owners, this may make you feel that you should lower your expectations due to pressure felt by these comments, resulting in managing in a “settle-for” mindset to the detriment of your business or what you envision. Another consideration about expectations is in what you as the business owner expect of others and then what you practice and demonstrate to others. If you are not practicing what you preach in your...