According to estimates, 80% of businesses fail by their fifth year of operation. Startling odds, to say the least. However, the 20% that make it beyond this time frame is testament enough that by doing things better and differently, it is possible to enjoy longevity and profitability in entrepreneurship. At times, improving your internal business […]
Setting Goals
What is the Real Goal for Our Management and Company?
Often, we joke together as managers of companies or of people that our goal is “world domination” or “to crush the competition.” But no matter how stated, the primary goal of an enterprise is to make money. The three measures of progress How do you measure progress toward such an undefined goal? We measure it by […]
How to Make Sure Your Small Business Keeps Growing
Growing a business is a phenomenal feeling. Some even compare it to watching your offspring mature right before your eyes. There may be a time when the growth of your business begins slowing down, or even stall completely. It doesn’t hurt to ask for help from outside sources about overcoming these growth hurdles. There are […]
Text Marketing Basics: How to Create Great SMS Marketing Campaigns
Did you know in 2017 more than 15 million texts were sent every minute of every day! I’m sure that number will only climb in the next few years… This tells me one thing… texting is incredibly popular! So, if you’re a business owner or doing digital marketing, it means you need to use texting to […]
9 Important Goals to Hit in Your Startup’s First Year
If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and have yearned to start your own business, now is the time. With the highest survival rate in over a decade, approximately 79.9 percent of startup companies are surviving their first year of operations. However, this is no small feat. As a business owner, you have to be very […]
4 Critical Steps to Create a Small Business Brand Identity
In any type of business, building a strong brand identity is a key part of creating a thriving company. That goes double for small businesses, who rely even more on their reputation and the goodwill of their customers than their larger competitors do. Still, building a brand’s identity from the ground up is no easy […]
Are You Selling What You Can Sell or Selling What You Need to Sell?
Most sales people I meet are genuinely busy. They are trying to meet new customers, find new deals, qualify them, move them to closure. It seems to be almost a badge of honor when I speak to sales people, to proclaim the long hours and hard work. Sometimes, they proudly proclaim, “I’m selling everything I […]
A Guide to Project Management for Startups
Faced with client meetings, finance issues and an inbox bursting at the seams with unanswered emails, giving attention to project management may seem impossible. Without a clear scope, budget and timescale—and a project management methodology—the business is in danger of being blown around by conflicting needs. Worse still, priorities will be dictated by the last […]
10 Thinking Methods That Foster Business Innovation
Innovation is the key to long-term business success, both in startups as well as established organizations. Yet every business and every entrepreneur I know struggles with this challenge, focused on hiring the right people and implementing the right process. Yet, in my experience the key seems to be more a discipline of innovative thinking from […]
Don’t Let the World Define What Success Means for You
Whenever I read popular publications for entrepreneurs, like Inc. and Entrepreneur magazines, I feel like a failure. I didn’t attend an Ivy League college (although I was an academic All-American!). I have no coding skills. I don’t live in Silicon Valley, I’m not an Instagram influencer. I’m not a fearless 22 year old with world […]
