We have always recommended seeking the advice of experts, but your approach will make it either affordable and effective, or expensive and unproductive. Most advisors work by the hour, so be careful you don’t run up the bill unnecessarily. Make sure you are paying for their expert advice and not for listening to your vague [...]

7 Keys to Advice Management

Put Your People on the Same Team
No matter what kind of business you think you’re in, you quickly find out you are in the personnel management business. With careful hiring, mentoring, recognition, and compensation plans, your people can be your greatest asset. Recurrent, personnel issues can be a distraction to you and your staff. Some react to personnel problems by firing [...]

Your Business Can Improve by Admitting to Mistakes
You and your company are not judged by how well you do when you’re good, but by how well you do when you’re bad. To err is human, but denial can exacerbate and magnify an awkward situation. It can add an air of insincerity to an already regrettable occurrence. This can hurt your reputation much [...]

Find Good People – Make Great People
People always ask us what we look for in a job applicant because we had such a great staff. Sure, we looked at qualifications, but we looked beyond that. We wanted people who were not only qualified, but also had foundational qualities we could build upon. We wanted to see our staff achieve the highest [...]

Kindred Spirits, Fellow Travelers, and Strategic Partners
One of the most effective and often over-looked resources to build and grow your business is strategic alliances. “Partnerships” with other businesses and organizations who benefit by your success can help you meet your bills, get the word out about your company, and improve your image. Who succeeds if you succeed? As your business begins [...]

5 Ways to Increase Your Service Business
In this two part series we are addressing service businesses. Last time we identified a way of classifying your clients and customers. This time we will offer some ways to increase your business. Your goal is to get more referrals. These are new customers who were sent to you by your existing customers. They will [...]

A Solid Business Foundation is Necessary for Success
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 [...]