When you build a house, the foundation must be laid strong and straight. If it’s not, the framers try to make up for it. When they can’t, the drywall guys try to make up for it. When they can’t, the painters try to make up for it. When they can’t, you’re going to have to [...]
Dress for Success (Especially in the Office)
Many companies these days seem to think that they are giving their office staff some kind of a benefit by letting them dress any way they want. Business casual has become casual and casual has become downright scruffy. What happens when Mr. Big walks into your company and your people are dressed in a way [...]
Positive Company Culture is critical to Growth and Survival – Part 3
This is the third part in the series about the original Barefoot culture. Culture really sets the tone, boundaries, and expectations the team has toward your company, your mission and your product. We’ve saved the best for last because having a common cause and a common challenge forges, more than any other single factor, positive company culture. When [...]
Positive Company Culture is critical to Growth and Survival – Part 2
A company survives and grows due to sales and the loyalty of customers and staff. Sales are based on price, value, dependability, integrity, availability and perception. The basis of perception is image, networking, and more recently, the transparency of the producer. Transparency is what the brand stands for, its authenticity, its identification with higher values, [...]
Beware of “Money Saving” Suggestions from Your Non-Sales Staff
Let’s start by realizing that there are really only two divisions in every company, Sales and Sales Support. Since Sales Support includes everyone not in Sales, Sales Support consists of Production, Accounting, Marketing, and so on. Without sales there is simply no money for Sales Support salaries. Still, Sales needs Sales Support to perform. The [...]
7 Tips to Maximise Your Human Resources
Does your company regard its staff as a commodity, information as a currency, and operate on a need-to know basis? If so, you may be missing one of the primary advantages of Human Resources – good ideas. Some of the best ideas can come from your own people. These include problem solving, creative approaches, and [...]
Hire the Old Guy
Does your company suffer from the “not invented here” syndrome? Many companies believe all the answers must originate from within. In fact, most good business principles have been in existence for a long time. Don’t waste valuable time and money expecting your people to come up with all the right answers. They can actually ignore [...]
7 Tips to Attract and Keep Good People
Your people are your most valuable asset. When you are a start-up, they are critical. They represent your company to your customers, vendors and your associates. When your people interact well with each other, they will make your workplace productive and satisfying on many levels. Remember, most top producers aren’t found, they’re made. Most often, [...]
3 Tips for Start-up Producers
As much as you may love your product and know that everyone else will love it too, you still need to master these three essentials to survive and grow. 1) Cash Flow Management Reduce your costs by how you buy. Extend your credit by how you pay. Get paid faster by how you sell. Here [...]
