What the Best Leaders Learn from Hate and Hypocrisy
A few years ago, I was on an executive retreat with 10 friends, all of whom run successful businesses. The idea was that we would learn from one another about how to grow our companies and deal with the challenges we faced. John Drury, who became an executive coach after selling his advertising agency, served…
Read MoreHow to Use Metrics and a Dashboard
Have you ever driven a car that had no speedometer? I had that thrill when a student at the Richard Petty Stock Car School of Driving at a motor speedway in California. With a wide track, angled aggressively at the curves, and being told to hug the wall on the straightaways, there was little reference…
Read MoreWhat About Sales Person Retention?
Retention is a hot topic—customer retention that is. We’ve all seen data around customer acquisition costs. Basically, the cost of acquiring new customers is several time higher than the cost of retaining and growing existing customers. The whole subscription model, on which all SaaS and XaaS companies are built has customer retention as a fundamental…
Read MoreAre Your Small Business Goals Too Low?
National “Reach as High as You Can” Day is on April 14, and no, it’s not a day to make you feel guilty about not doing your calisthenics. For small business owners, it’s a day to ask if your small business goals are what is holding you back. “How can my goals be holding me…
Read More6 Lessons Small Businesses Can Take from Germany’s Thriving Startup Scene
You’ve heard it all before: global cities claiming to be the ‘new Silicon Valley.’ The truth is that the Bay Area’s tech and startup dominance isn’t going anywhere, with roughly 70% of all venture capital funding located in the United States. But with the new President at a potential economic crossroads, this doesn’t mean America…
Read MoreStop Data Breaches from Ruining Your Business
One of the hardest things about running a small business is compliance. You have to operate under the same rules and restrictions as large corporations without decimating your bottom line in the process. It can be tempting to cut corners when outsourcing things like mailings and billing, but it’s worthwhile to ensure the company you…
Read MoreHow to Protect Businesses When It Won’t Stop Raining
With the copious amounts of rain hitting much of the U.S. this year already, we know it is going to be a wet one. Especially if your business is in California, you know that the state has received torrential rainfall after years of drought. Talk about a 180-degree change! There is much you can do…
Read MoreProtecting Your Company: Asset Control
What controls should be put in place to protect the company’s assets from fraud? Company assets such as inventory, equipment and vehicles are highly susceptible to fraud and need to be protected. Internal controls should be put in place to protect these assets. Discussion: Below is a discussion of the controls to be put in…
Read MoreHow to Write Your Brand Story from the Heart
It’s called a brand story but all it really is a shorthand way of describing the most important parts of your business. A brand story just means what inspired you to set up your business, why it exists in the world and what real problem it solves for your customers. People buy from people. And people…
Read More6 Reasons to Absolutely Avoid Mixing Your Personal and Business Finances
When you first start your business, it can feel like your company is an extension of yourself. It’s easy to let your personal and business finances mix together, especially if you’re not making a profit from your business (yet!). However, it’s critical to establish a clear line between your personal and business finances early on.…
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