Jerry Osteryoung

Jerry Osteryoung is a consultant to businesses—he has directly assisted over 3,000 firms. He is the Jim Moran Professor of Entrepreneurship (Emeritus) and Professor of Finance (Emeritus) at Florida State University. He was the founding Executive Director of the Jim Moran Institute and served in that position from 1995 through 2008. His latest book, coauthored with Tim O’Brien, “If You Have Employees, You Really Need This Book,” is a bestseller on Amazon. Email Jerry @ jerry.osteryoung@gmail.com

Latest

Hiring People with Disabilities

There are roughly 54 million people in our country with disabilities of all types, and surveys show the rate of unemployment for this group is twice that of the overall workforce.

Doing the Right Thing

Businesses really need to make sure everything they are involved in is in line with their missions. Every once in a while I see a company making a strategic decision, not because of the money, but because it is the right thing to do.

Adaptability the Key to Long-Term Survival

One thing we can be certain about is that nothing is certain—no matter how much we plan. While planning is critical and necessary, no plan is a guarantee.

Businesses Are Moving Away from Physical Offices

There is a growing trend in business of firms moving away from having a physical presence. Just about every start-up I see does so without an office. And many of these entrepreneurs are determined to continue to operate without one.

Self-Discipline is the Key to Success

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with more than 3,000 leaders, and I have observed they just about all share one common key to success. It is not intelligence, education or training but self-discipline that has enabled them to excel in their respective fields.

What is Good Advice?

Managers and entrepreneurs receive so much advice, and it is hard to know which to follow. I have seen some entrepreneurs get conflicting advice and keep on asking the same questions in hopes of finding a clean solution to their problem.

Capitalize on the Uniqueness of Your Business

I really believe that every business is unique, and if you take a minute to think about it, it is not hard to find something that sets you apart. It is important to realize, however, that simply knowing what makes you different is not enough.

Small Changes in Prices Can Make a Big Difference

If your business is trying to increase profits, raising prices is something you might consider in today’s economy. However, you have to be so careful when doing this so as not to alarm your customers.

Customer Service Must Be Judged on a Relative Basis

So many firms are starting to understand just how important it is that they know how their customers evaluate the customer service that they provide. It seems like every day we all get multiple inquires about the quality of service which they rendered.

Use Your Existing Customers as Your Marketing Base

Customer service is important and necessary, of course, but you also must provide a strong incentive to encourage your existing customers to promote your company on a regular basis.