Small Business Toolbox
Are you serving or engaging?
What does it take to excel in business today? A key area in which a business can excel against competitors, regardless of industry, is through customer service. Making it a focus to serve customers better than anyone else is becoming more and more of a priority for savvy businesses that understand what a dismal job […]
Is your sales strategy protecting you enough?
I often refer to a strategy as an umbrella over a business. As you launch into 2016, do you have a strategy that is truly protecting and nurturing the best interests of your company? I am so adamant about the need for business owners to truly understand the powerful impact a strategy can have on […]
Why your plan is missing its mark. Part II of II
I find many business owners confuse a strategy with a plan, and they are not the same. A plan focuses on action and tactical activities. A strategy focuses on vision, purpose, differentiation, advantage, goals, objectives and desired outcomes. It then includes the necessary plans to accomplish these outcomes. Too many businesses do not have the […]
Has your strategy gone stale? Part I of II
As we near the end of another year, midway through fourth quarter in a calendar fiscal year, how are you feeling about your business as a whole? How are you feeling about your business strategy and where it is leading your company? Is it not reaping the results you had hoped? Do you even have […]
Are you in a cash flow crunch? Part 2 of 2
In last month’s column, I shared some common missteps businesses make that may be the reason behind poor cash flow, in spite of having plentiful sales. The real question is, what can be done when you still have employees and vendors to pay, orders to fill, and your sanity to maintain? Many business owners become […]
Are you in a cash flow crunch? Part 1 of 2
A challenge every business owner experiences, no matter how long in business, is the stress of cash flow not flowing as expected or projected. Especially when there are receivables on the books, if the money isn’t in the bank, it can be stressful waiting for it to be received when payroll must be met, vendors […]
Food for thought: Patience, adjectives will help you make the sale
We all seek speed in much of what we do: Communicate, drive, eat, shop, and even dating! We want to get to what we want, fast. But when it comes to selling, too much speed can hurt sales professionals. Why? Because the tables are turned on us. When we want something fast, we have already […]
Is it time to swat SWOT?
As we are two months into the second half of the year for most businesses, savvy business owners are already planning for the year ahead, along with continuing to look three to five years ahead strategically. For decades, the norm for situation analysis within a business plan and strategy is to use SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, […]
Drive sales with performance tools
Performance measurement systems are supposed to be a helpful, powerful, insightful management tool for building a strong sales team. And they can be, if the system is used as intended-using meaningful data judiciously to distinguish differing levels of effort, skill, and outcomes. But if underused or misused it can demotivate your sales force. Remove rote […]
Is fearful thinking impacting your business? Part II of II
Last month, I shared insights on how Wishful Thinking can stagnate business progress. While Wishful Thinking is often openly expressed in a somewhat exasperated state of mind, Fearful Thinking is often not shared or spoken, but lies within one’s subconscious, impeding decision making or effective action through an undermining whisper. Are any of these Fearful […]
