Next Level Strategy · 15. March 2023

Do you have a strategy that is truly protecting and nurturing the best interests and opportunities for your company?

Next Level Strategy · 01. June 2017

Too many business executives believe, wrongly, that differentiation requires blazing new paths or innovating something from nothing. Instead, paying attention to trends can help you differentiate and identify needs and opportunities like nothing else can. Being a “trend getter” is a best-kept secret among high-growth companies, with executives envisioning new ways to approach and leverage what already exists. Here are some ways to make "trend getting" an ongoing initiative in your company....

Momentum Building · 01. April 2017

Too often, owners and managers operate their businesses in silos that cause many opportunities to be overlooked. Accounting focuses only on accounting. Operations focuses only on operations. Marketing focuses only on traditional sales and promotion. Safety and maintenance only focuses on safety and maintenance. I could go on and on. High growth companies understand that each area of the business is a spoke on a wheel that works in tandem to truly keep opportunities flowing in and turning into...

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...

Value Building · 01. January 2016

I often refer to a strategy as an umbrella over a business. As you launch into 2016, do you have a strategy that is truly protecting and nurturing the best interests of your company? I am so adamant about the need for business owners to truly understand the powerful impact a strategy can have on a business, that strategy and business planning have been the subject of my last three columns. Your strategy should be the foundation from which you ensure sustainability and continued growth, as well...

Next Level Strategy · 01. November 2015

Part I of II - As we near the end of another year, midway through fourth quarter in a calendar fiscal year, how are you feeling about your business as a whole? How are you feeling about your business strategy and where it is leading your company? Is it not reaping the results you had hoped? Do you even have a strategy in place or are you taking it day by day hoping what you throw out there works? If you think a strategy is merely trying various tactical things, it is time to graduate your...

Momentum Building · 01. August 2015

As we are a month into the second half of the fiscal year for most businesses, savvy business owners are already planning for the year ahead, along with continuing to look 3 to 5 years ahead strategically. For decades, the norm for situation analysis within a business plan and strategy is to use SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) as a basis for making strategic decisions and prioritizing action. Too often, however, specifically the weaknesses and threats are not effectively...

01. February 2015

A small business is a boot-strapping business in the beginning. Anything that can be done without huge expense or investment is the underlying motivation in order to realize a profit sooner rather than later. The problem with many business owners' mindsets is that they are more focused on curtailing spending as opposed to making wise investments of their time, resources and money. Could one of these five misguided mindsets be causing more harm than good in your business? 1. Friends & Family...

Momentum Building · 01. December 2014

Nothing can be more frustrating for a business owner than to put immense time, energy and effort into building a business, only to realize that the effort is not paying off. Not only are the results desired not occurring, but the results garnered are heading the business in an undesirable direction, in spite of what was believed to be the right course of action. In working with small businesses through the years, I have noticed missteps that lead them down a misguided path, even though the...

Image Building · 01. October 2014

If you want to be considered the best in your industry, seeking awards for your business should be a part of your strategy. Award-winning companies are viewed as more credible, stable and worthy of patronizing. Many business owners do not realize the number of opportunities that exist for a business to be named among “the best” or where to begin to identify them.Google can easily open your eyes to the world of awards in your industry and marketplace. Winning awards can become a competitive...