Category Archives: Business Management

Got Systems?

| September 3, 2024

Recently, one of our members shared that she was positioning her business to add associates. The question  she was struggling with was how to approach this expansion and asked for suggestions on how to create an SOP of routine or repetitive activity to insure success.

When small business owners really began to grow it has been my experience that they struggled by not having put systems in place to handle the overload. All this makes it harder to really understand what needs to be done and who should be doing it. In Michael Gerber’s E Myth, he says: “Most small … Read More

“Dog Days of Summer”

| July 30, 2024

sun with targetSummer heat has taken over, the desire to head somewhere cool looms large – BUT as your Business Results Strategist, I must ask you are you at the midpoint of your 2024 Goals and Results? After these several months working day and night to achieve those goals that were set in January, to perhaps create a new service, introduce a new product, or even design a new business model – have you found that all the drive that brought the initial motivation and excitement has melted away, the steam run out, and the place you are now in is comfortable … Read More

4 Ways to Develop a Successful Business Strategy

| March 1, 2024

As we approach the final months of 2023, business owners must begin taking stock of their operations in preparation for the coming year. Success in the business world is not accidental; it’s the result of careful planning and strategic thinking. Incorporating a SWOT analysis—examining Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats—is fundamental to developing a robust business strategy that addresses the four major areas of business: Management/Operations, Marketing/Sales, Financial, and Leadership (Personal/Personnel).

Strengths

Identifying and capitalizing on your business’s strengths is the first step toward strategic success. These strengths, intrinsic to both the entrepreneur and the enterprise, range from resource abundance to … Read More

Seeds of Success

| February 27, 2024

As you look to this year you must positively expect good things to happen.  Your belief and attitude about business, money, relationships, education, IQ, the government, what you’re capable of, how deserving you are and more will be the seeds that determine your success.

Your beliefs or what I call the 900 Pound Gorilla—are what hold you back. What it will take to set your plans in action is learning how to install new beliefs, and attitudes.

Defining your business Vision is one of your most important exercises to support and create ongoing success. Without the Vision, nothing you do … Read More

Tap Your Massive Potential for Greater Success

| October 31, 2023

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you already mastered, you will never grow.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

As you look to preparing for 2024 you must positively expect good things to happen.  Your belief and attitude about business, money, relationships, education, IQ, the government, what you’re capable of, how deserving you are and more will be the seeds that determine your success.

Your negative beliefs or catalog of regrets are what science calls negative bias, and are what hold you back. What it will take to set your plans in action is learning how to install new beliefs, and … Read More

Leverage, What is it and How to Use It

| August 16, 2023

In the course of meeting with members, I have found many service providers have a challenge leveraging themselves. So I started looking at what leverage really means to a small business owner. There are a variety of ways to increase business or the bottom line with leverage.

Leverage in the pure sense deals with how a business utilizes borrowed money, (that’s referred to as OPM, other people’s money). Sometimes it is used for expansion, research and development, and in early stages for getting the business on its feet.

Then there is operating leverage, which is the impact of a change … Read More

What Can Accountability Do for You?

| June 27, 2023

Most small business owners don’t have anyone to report to on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis. Sure, you’re self-starters, you’re proactive. You get stuff done—and in some cases, at least some of the time—you get a lot done.

And you like not having to answer to others, and want that freedom and independence. You wouldn’t be in business otherwise.

But I think if you’re honest with yourself, you have to admit that you don’t always do as much as you could. Sometimes you coast. Sometimes you do what you like to do instead of the most important things … Read More

Build From Your Strengths

| May 31, 2023

As business owners keeping pace with the changes in technology can sometimes =, it reminded me of one of the keys I wrote about in my Master the Game of Business book, “work from your strengths”. 

You have the opportunity to do what you do best everyday; but chances are you don’t because you are not investing your time making the most of the strengths, skills and resources you already have. Psychologists have studied the effect that when you’re focusing on strengths, you have higher productivity and increased overall satisfaction with results. 

When a business owner focuses on the businesses … Read More

Work from Your Strengths

| March 30, 2023

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you already mastered, you will never grow.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

You have the opportunity to do what you do best everyday; but chances are you don’t because you are not working from your greatest assets, your strengths. Do you realize you have barely scratched the surface of your potential? Most people do not have a clue to what their strengths are and allow their weaknesses to take hold.

According to Tom Rath in his book “Strengths Finder”, you devote more time fixing your shortcomings than developing your strengths. If you always work … Read More

Strengthen Your Brand Identity

| February 28, 2023

Customers make the heart of your business beat with their desire to choose products, services and experiences that meet their needs, fit their values, engage their emotions and respond to their desires. Your role is to transform prospects into customers and customers into fiercely loyal advocates. As your own marketer you have to be heard over the marketing noise that is everywhere, (TV, newspapers, on every street corner, now even at the movies). You then have to overcome the skepticism of the more sophisticated consumer.

In creating a Personal Brand it is important to understand that all of this starts … Read More