To launch, a business needs time and capital; but to genuinely scale, partnerships become equally as important. This has become a forced reality in a day when competition is now global, not just local. For business leaders, it means mastering and leveraging the resources outside the company as well as within. To lead successfully, knowing what is available, how to ask and how … [More]
Outsourcing in 2020
Skilled workers are needed to make a business run. In the past, hiring people was possible only if a business had enough capital to sustain new hires. Today, internet connectivity allows even small businesses to find the exact help for the tasks at hand while limiting the costs. Whether automated through AI or outsourced to remote workers, virtual assistants are powering a … [More]
Financial Considerations before Launching a Startup
Even seasoned entrepreneurs will tell you taking your startup from a pipe dream to an actualized business can be an overwhelming process — requiring a serious time and financial commitment. One might have the right idea. One might have the drive. One might even have the initial funding to get one’s startup off the ground. But what really sets an entrepreneur up for long-term … [More]
Before Disaster Strikes
Before Disaster Strikes Natural disasters can devastate communities and cause significant disruptions for local companies, particularly small and medium-sized businesses. As organizations look to minimize the business impacts of natural disasters, company leaders should consider preparing in advance to help their company weather the storm. Make a plan. Business leaders … [More]
Finding Financing to Fit One’s Business
For smaller businesses, debt sometimes gets a bad rap. But for many businesses, access to a business line of credit may be not only necessary, but a smart move. Knowing how to select the right line of credit and manage it wisely, rather than managing everything on a cash basis, can help a successful small business become a larger successful business. Financing options can be … [More]
Let the Sales Team Sell!
All those sales tools, programs, seminars and meetings business owners think are helping could, in fact, be hurting both their sales team and their revenue gains. It may seem counterintuitive — the more tools we give them, the better — but most high-performing salespeople thrive from customer contact, not from meetings or reports. The key is to start somewhere; choosing one … [More]
The Experience Economy
Apple Stores, Disney, LEGO, Starbucks. Do these names conjure up images of mere goods and services, or do they evoke something more — something visceral? Welcome to the Experience Economy, where businesses must form unique connections in order to secure their customers' affections — and ensure their own economic vitality. This seminal book on experience innovation by Joe Pine … [More]
Strategizing Time
Time can be a very costly resource if used incorrectly. You know how it goes — the daily todo list gets bogged down by details, unexpected problems and time suckers that distract business from the bigger picture. Before the business owner realizes it, his eye has wandered away from more important activities that lead to profitability and growth. Another challenge is the … [More]
Chasing the Bright Side
Success is not born out of skill, school, where we’re from, who we know or what we scored on the SAT. None of us were born ready. But we are born with something more important than skills. We’re born with optimism — the initial seed for success. Optimism fuels the belief that you can be the one to create the good the world needs. But you’ve got to hone it. And practice it. And … [More]
Be Alert for Operational Inefficiencies
While company processes and procedures are necessary, some may be distracting a business’s employees from delivering on company goals. Operational inefficiencies waste time, cost money, reduce quality, and impact associates’ morale and even client/customer retention. Since there are so many places to look for operational inefficiencies, business owners should start by … [More]
