Applying the 80/20 Rule to Marketing and Growth
The 80/20 rule is the flexible idea that basically stands for the fact that 80% of your success will come from 20% of the investment. You can think of it in this manner with regard to your marketing and growth: 80% of your profits come from 20% of your best sellers; having this rule in mind often allows you to maximize your efforts…
Read MoreTop 5 Interview Questions to Really Get to Know Your Candidates
In general, interviews only last between 30-45 minutes, so you have a relatively short period of time to find out about your candidates and make a decision on who to hire. The wrong hiring decision can be detrimental to a business, so it is important to find out as much as you can by asking…
Read MoreHow Big Thinking Will Let You Achieve Big
Do you find yourself in a rut? Do you want to live a life you want for yourself rather than someone else mapping it out for you? To change your current situation, you need to think big. Only then can you achieve big. Here’s how: Make your own roadmap for your future: If you don’t…
Read MoreThe 3 Strategy Questions Leaders Need to Ask Right Now
Do you smell that? That, my friend, is the smell of freshly baked, ready-to-serve strategy. This familiar aroma is wafting through the halls of many companies this time of year as diligent executives return from retreats in fancy places to reveal the results of the heavy lifting called strategic planning. These sessions are as exhausting…
Read MoreShould You Pay Employees Hourly or a Salary?
If you currently employ W-2 workers in your small business, or you are looking to hire top talent in the future, you’ll likely be faced with the decision on whether to pay employees an hourly wage or to provide them with a salary. Let’s explore what each compensation scenario actually means, along with the pros…
Read MoreOrganizations are Reflections of Leaders’ Priorities
I have lots of different conversations with sales executives. They cover any number of issues: “Dave, how do I get our people to use the sales process?” “My people aren’t using the tools we provide them….” “We need to be more customer focused….” “We need to create and communicate our value more effectively…..” “We need…
Read MoreDon’t Neglect These Trademark Basics to Protect Your Product
When it comes to intellectual property, protection is more than just in a name. Trademarks are anything that can indicate to consumers that a product originates from a specific source. Brand names and slogans are typical trademarks, but even a red sole on a shoe (a la Louboutin) can function as a trademark. Search, Search,…
Read MoreHow to Be a Dictator Enforcing Sales Offer Deadlines
Everyone who manages a company or its sales force wants to write as many new deals as possible, and is usually warry about doing anything that might threaten the positive outcome of a pending sale. So, it is common practice to leave an offer containing a discount open, following up periodically to attempt to nudge…
Read MoreWhat Wedding Photography Can Teach You About Business Agility
All businesses share certain qualities, but you might be surprised that wedding photography covers a wide range of similarities to most small businesses. A full calendar, strong social skills, uncertain finances, cutthroat competition and expensive, quickly depreciating equipment are among the many challenges that might sound familiar. And I’m a firm believer that the lessons…
Read MoreThe Value of Feedback: How Talking to Customers Can Drive Innovation
As an entrepreneur, seeing your product gain traction for the first time is a rush. The early years of ContextMedia were some of the most exciting. During the summer of 2006, as rising juniors in college, we decided to act on a business idea we felt passionately about: bringing technology into the consumer healthcare space…
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