Building a Sustainable Business is More Than Profit
I may be a bit old-fashioned, but I have always looked at a business first for its potential ability to be self-sustaining, and provide reasonable profits to feed my family, my lifestyle, and my...
View Article6 Tips to Creating a Unique Company Culture
Creating and fostering a unique bond within a group has always been a challenge, as different expectations and individuals often go head-to-head against each other and undermine precious efforts to...
View Article8 Practices to Promote Urgency within Your Startup
The business world is changing ever more rapidly these days. If you see a need or a big opportunity but don’t act fast enough, the opportunity will pass or a competitor will get there before you do....
View ArticleHow to Capitalize on Evolving Cultures in Creative Businesses
The inherent complexity that underpins today’s digital products seems to have put an end to the age of the arrogant leader with the killer instinct. In past decades, it was this person who ruled so...
View Article10 Ways an Entrepreneur Can Build a Winning Culture
If an entrepreneur can’t build a culture of excitement and commitment at a startup, the chances of long-term success are negligible. It simply doesn’t matter how great your solution is. Every investor...
View Article4 In-the-Office Secrets to Better Work/Life Balance
Striking the right balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers. It takes considerable effort to successfully combine work, family, and personal life commitments. While your busy...
View Article10 Ways to Increase Workplace Efficiency
Being a small-business owner involves wearing many hats—and while being involved in all aspects of your company can be rewarding, it can also take its toll on your productivity. Here’s how to save time...
View Article6 Tips to Make Your Company Party the Event of the Year
You’d be surprised by how many employees do not want to attend their office parties. When planning the company party, you’ll have to think outside the box to make the party inviting and exciting....
View Article5 Ways to Empower Your Employees
Every smart business owner knows that people are an organization’s number one resource, and if they’ve tried putting that principle into practice then they know how hard it can be to keep employees...
View ArticleStrong Cultures Welcome Dissent
In Adam Grant’s fantastic (like, “beyond-words fantastic”) new book, Originals: How Non-Conformists Move The World, Chapter 7 includes the story of Ray Dalio, billionaire founder of the venerable...
View ArticleWhy You Need a Clear Written Mission Statement, and Tips to Write One
When you are buried in the day-to-day operations of running your business, it’s easy to get tunnel vision. Your nose is to the grindstone everyday just getting it done. Such a limited perspective is...
View Article3 Steps to Stimulate Change and Establish a Clear Purpose
Organizations and people grow, evolve, and change. It’s what we do—and failure to do so over time will find us being followers rather than leaders. Change starts with having a clear purpose. Leaders...
View ArticleGreat Company Culture Essential to Success
The Internet has had two very interesting, and important, impacts on small businesses. First, it has lowered the barrier to entry for entrepreneurs and second it has raised the bar for customer...
View ArticleBirds of a Feather Fail Together: The Business Case for Diversity
Diversity is good for business. Equal opportunity is not only morally and ethically right, it’s also a better way to run a business. Here are some reasons why, and points to consider. What’s...
View ArticleOrganizations 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...
View Article5 Steps to Create a Culture of Leadership
In a previous article, we discussed some ideas on how to assess leaders and their capacity to lead. Now let’s discuss some of the steps required to create a culture of leadership. Creating a culture of...
View ArticleHow to Identify the Most Dangerous Person in Your Company
If you’ve read this column for a while, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I tell people that intelligence is learning from your own mistakes. This means intelligence is painful,...
View ArticleA 3-Step Process for Creating a Sustainable Performance Culture
It’s no secret that all leaders want to have a higher performing culture. We want to meet our business goals and objectives, have a culture that attracts top talent, and be a place where people find...
View Article4 Steps to Optimizing Team Strengths for Innovation
Most entrepreneurs I know are individually very innovative, but a successful startup can’t be a one-man show (for long). That means they need to build an innovative team, which is not a skill that most...
View Article9 Steps for Starting an Employee Engagement Program
We have all heard the importance of developing engaged employees at our workplace, but too often the articles are full of theoretical discussion instead of practical steps to making it happen. Without...
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