Rinse and Repeat: Revitalizing Your Business

Here’s a statement that you never thought would apply to your business planning. Sometimes we get stuck in the muck with our marketing, product, management focus, and in keeping up with trends. It is natural for executives and entrepreneurs with lots on their plate and little extra time to just keep up the same activities…

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5 Benefits of Leveraging the Small Business Checklist

While it doesn’t get loads of attention like some other special days, Checklist Day (October 30) should be on the calendar of every small business owner. Let’s look at five incredible benefits you can get by simply creating good checklists in your small business. Reduce errors. Establishing a checklist for routines, procedures, and processes will assure…

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What Happens When You Grow Too Fast? 4 Signs to Watch For

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a rapidly growing venture. However, when a business grows too quickly, it significantly increases the demands—and if the demands are higher than the ability to supply, your business can quickly fail. Fortunately, there are specific signs to look for to determine if your business is…

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Having a System in Place for Your Business

Recently, the soccer coach of my son’s soccer team passed away. On top of being the coach of my son, he was the owner of a sportswear manufacturing and distributing business for 15 years. From meeting with his family members, he and the business were synonymous. There were other no systems in place. With no…

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The Marketer’s Guide to Preparing Early for Christmas

The holiday season is so much more than December 25th. To get the full advantage of the Christmas rush, marketers need to start thinking about and developing holiday campaigns now. As one of the busiest times of the year for businesses, it’s vital to get serious about marketing opportunities and get ahead of competitors as…

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What Do You Wish You’d Known Yesterday?

Wouldn’t it be great if there were no more digital or printed reports to tell us what happened in the past? I know. We need financial data for comparison, and to a degree—for planning. But we should be thinking of finding ways to make data available to us much earlier, when it is more meaningful…

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3 Options Beyond the Standard Franchise

Did you realize that there are other options for you as a franchise owner beyond owning a single franchise? This post will explore area development, master franchises, and multi-unit ownership to present you with additional considerations for your business endeavors. Area Developers: Big Potential in Your Geographic Area Rather than signing a franchise agreement for a single…

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5 Small Business Errors and How to Avoid Them

Many small businesses fail because they make certain basic errors. Hard work and a great business idea will not save a company if it makes one of these mistakes. This article reviews five key small business errors and explains how to avoid making them. Small business owners face many challenges. Hard work and perseverance are…

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Which Comes First: Plan or Pitch?

It’s not exactly the same as the chicken or the egg, but it has some similarities. I get this question a lot lately, so I decided to take it here to my blog. Don’t pitch a business without planning it first. That’s a lot like trying to film a movie without having a screenplay. You have…

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Your Key to Success: Sales Preparation

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. It’s an often heard adage that applies to virtually any situation, but with sales it’s especially important because failure isn’t a mere inconvenience—it can be the difference between financial success and financial ruin…or at least financial mediocrity. I once saw the results of a study that said 57 percent…

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