The Business Model That Can Get Your Startup Funded

New entrepreneurs are always looking for a shortcut in getting their venture story and plan across to investors, and closing on the funding they need. An effective tool I see used more and more, as a prelude to a more detailed business plan, is the Business Model Canvas, first introduced by Alexander Osterwalder back in 2008. It…

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Plan for Everything When Opening a New Location

A long-time friend recently took the plunge: Small Business Ownership! This decision to become an entrepreneur was not arrived at lightly. Finances were considered and scrutinized. Support – and time constraints – were discussed with the family. A solid partnership was formed so each party could back the other in different aspects of the business.…

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4 Tips to Protect Your Small Business from Cyber Attacks

Entrepreneurs and small business owners who are either ignorant of cybersecurity measures or are downright sleeping on them are in for a rude awakening. Thinking mid- and enterprise level companies make better targets, is actually what makes you the best target, and with the global uptick in cyber crime, it’s no longer a matter of…

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3 Small Business Financial Statements You Need to Know

When it comes to financial statements for business management, small business owners tend to fall into one of three categories: Small business owners who have their financial statements completely in order and use them to drive a thriving company. Small business owners who understand how financial statements work but are too busy to fully apply…

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5 Steps to Increasing Company Morale

The feeling of energy and optimism felt in some companies is not just a fluke that occurs organically. It results from a conscious effort to ensure that employees feel valued and engaged, both on a professional level and on a personal level. You can help to boost your company’s morale by taking a few simple…

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Are Millennials Killing the Modern Office?

There seems to be no shortage of things that Millennials are killing these days. From marriage to lunch, nothing is safe from the imagined wrath of Millennials. Although some deaths may wrongly be attributed to the generation that is coming to dominate the workforce, there can be no doubt that they will change the modern…

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Effectiveness Must Precede Efficiency

Too often, we seem too focused on volume, velocity and activity levels, thinking that the more things we do, the better we are. We set goals for number of prospecting calls, numbers of meetings, and any number of things. The thinking is, if we simply do more, we produce more. On face value, that makes…

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Another Look at Your Customers

In my previous blog I discussed the tyranny of the urgent and why is such a limiting perspective in understanding customers. I closed the blog by pointing out that the focus should always be on all your customers not just the ones who have urgent concerns. In this blog I will point out several techniques…

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