01. May 2016

Customer Attraction/Retention: Part I of II - Over 32 years in interviewing thousands of customers of clients in almost every industry, I have been able to document key factors of attraction and retention of customers that every business should pay heed to in order to realize a continually growing and loyal customer base. If you feel that you must always be pursuing new customers, chances are you are not truly understanding how successful businesses attract and keep customers through how they...

Profit Building · 01. October 2015

Part II of II - In last month's column, I shared some common missteps businesses make that may be the reason behind poor cash flow, in spite of having plentiful sales. The real question is, what can be done when you still have employees and vendors to pay, orders to fill, and your sanity to maintain? Many business owners become further frustrated by a polite, but disappointing, "No" from their bank when seeking a loan. Even though it may feel as though you have nowhere to turn, you do have...

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...

Image Building · 01. September 2014

In working with various entrepreneurial and small business clients, I have noticed a trend that beckoned to be explored further. Let's face it, business owners work hard in their businesses. So hard, in fact, that sometimes their vision can be clouded and their ability to make decisions can be stymied due to feeling attached to aspects of their businesses that are no longer serving them well. This "hanging on" tends to always boil down to an emotional attachment that derails strategic business...

Momentum Building · 01. January 2014

Marketing a business has gotten more complicated than ever before because of the plethora of options available to a business. Layered over this is the fact that many business owners are at the mercy of an army of tactical technicians who are over-zealous, and often times effective, at convincing business owners to head in a specific direction that is not in their business' or customers' best interests. Have you gotten caught in any of these tactical faux pas? 1. Smart App Ignorance: iPhones,...

Momentum Building · 01. June 2013

What I love about working with entrepreneurs is that they are a continuous source of inspiration, both in their successes as well as the lessons that still need to be learned. This column is inspired by the simple shifts that can make all the difference in keeping initiatives moving, helping initiatives progress more effectively and efficiently or getting initiatives moving again. 1. Make Emails Action-Specific: When communicating by email, among the mistakes I see occurring is not having a...