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…
Read MoreWhat Separates a Successful Franchise System from an Also-Ran?
Let’s face it, at some point in your life, change becomes necessary to keep your juices flowing. You’re proud of the fact that you’ve achieved some success in what turned out to be a long-term career. But it’s time to retire yourself from that position and find a new venture that will inspire you and…
Read MoreWhat First-Time Parents Need to Know About Building a Startup
Having recently crossed the one-year mark with my daughter, my first and—my wife assures me—only child, I started thinking about the commonalities between raising a human in that first year, and building something in the business world. After starting Rented.com, I thought I would share some learnings that might be useful to other founders and…
Read More10 Steps Michael Schoeff Took Before Launching His New Business
Creating a business from zero is one of the biggest challenges someone can have. The first step into this world is to get yourself prepared for a new and long journey. There are many ideas about leadership and businesses, but there are no standards and paths that are a surefire way to success. However, there…
Read More10 Small Biz Opportunities in the Music Industry
If you’ve always loved music, and are looking for a way to turn your hobby into a business, you should know that there are more opportunities to make money in the music industry than ever before. While working in an area related to your passion is its own reward, there is also a significant amount…
Read MoreScarcity versus Abundance
When I started in the agency business 25+ years ago, there was this odd paranoia that ran through agencies big and small. There was a belief that agency personnel couldn’t be friends with people who worked at other agencies because secrets might leak out. And if you dared to be friends or even associate through…
Read More5 Tips to Help You Minimize Your Small Business Taxes
It’s safe to assume that everyone loves to save money. As a small business owner, the more capital you have, the easier it is to grow your business and generate more revenue. But when tax season creeps around the corner, an unexpectedly large portion of your hard-earned money could wind up in Uncle Sam’s pocket.…
Read MoreBuilding from the Ground Up: Why You Should Hire for Leadership Potential
Promoting your employees internally has a lot of upside: those promoted perform better in their first two years of being hired, are more likely to be successful in their new role, and improve morale and retention. But, to have the luxury of hiring internally your company needs to have a roster of skilled employees with…
Read More3 Big Reasons Businesses Embrace Managed IT Services
In a tech savvy nation like ours, it is common for businesses of all sizes to inquire about Managed IT Services. When it comes to business growth, one must recognize the importance of outsourcing various tasks to save time, money, and brain space. Choosing to delegate your IT services to a third-party vendor is equal…
Read MoreWant to Grow Your Business? 10 Hard Questions You Need to Ask
Fixed mindsets irritate me. You know what I mean. Heard the conversations. We have always done it this way. It is just a fad. As we reinvent business and try to change, the foibles of the habitual human become evident. Calcified thinking. “The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping…
Read More