Small Business Articles on Vision

Most business owners start their businesses with a good amount of confidence. They think they have something special to offer the world, and believe people should pay top dollar for it. And then reality hits. They're not seeing the profit they had hoped for, the staff isn't productive as they should be, and new business is trickling in - not pouring in the way they once envisioned it. The confidence is gone ... and this is when things can go haywire. For example, a business owner, looking for a quick fix, decides to offer discounted fees as a way to bring in new business quickly. Success. He gets the new business and things are really moving. And when he has a free moment (because … [Read more...]

A few years back when the economy was soaring, many business owners would think, "If I only had more time!" There was too much work to handle. They were stressed and unhappy. Today, many find themselves with lots of time - too much of it, in fact. Business is slow. And they're ... stressed and unhappy. It's a classic case of: Be careful what you wish for. If they could only recapture those 15-hour workdays again! That was much better, right? Let's face it: neither scenario is ideal. But there is a silver lining to this dark economic cloud hanging over us. For some business owners, it has provided them with the time to reposition their business - and themselves - in the best … [Read more...]

Sit back and imagine yourself sitting on a beach looking into the vastness of the ocean. It seems as if the earth continues forever while you watch the sun slowly dip into the violet horizon. As you look at the beauty before you, your thoughts become clear and you forget about all of your tedious daily tasks. Instead your mind shifts toward bigger thoughts. I see it happen all too often - business owners who become stuck in the short-term find themselves in the midst of a crisis that could have been easily avoided. They spend more time as firemen than they do as leaders. These crises vary from rather simple to severe, but all of them have a common thread. Just a little planning, some … [Read more...]

We have all heard the saying, "Always listen to your customers." But let's be honest. Your customers do say some pretty ... um, stupid things, don't they? Of course, when our customers have good things to say, we are all ears.  It's wonderful to get positive feedback. When our work is appreciated it's fulfilling, rewarding and a boost to the ego! But when they have a complaint, we'd rather not know what they have to say. Some of us would rather live in a fantasy world where we think everything our company does is perfect. But, in actuality, we can always stand to improve. And when you are looking to improve, your customers could be your best source of information. It's important for … [Read more...]

A Look Back - And Ahead In this month's newsletter, we are doing a roundup of some of the small-business trends that we witnessed in 2007, what did we see work and what challenges appeared? We'll also preview some issues we expect to arise in 2008. On the positive side, we saw many businesses growing in terms of sales, profits and workforce size. But along with those positives came some challenges. There were issues with hiring, sales, leadership development and human resources. While these are typical "growing pains" that occur in many businesses, we want to be proactive in addressing them. Here's a breakdown of the issues: Hiring Hiring is tough. It takes time, and if you … [Read more...]

While many business owners consider well-defined job descriptions crucial to their business, how many have actually taken the time to create a job description for themselves? Not many. But, a business owner needs a job description just as much as the rest of the team. In fact, a business owner may need a job description more than anyone on the team. The purpose of a job description is simple: it describes the job's duties and responsibilities. This information is essential when hiring and doing performance reviews, but it also helps keep the team member focused on what's important. For a business to be efficient and successful, team members need to know and understand their function. … [Read more...]

Many of the small businesses that we encounter are family-owned and operated. And on the surface, this seems like a good idea. After all, you love your family, so why wouldn't you want to work with them? You know them well and trust them, so it seems like a lower risk venture than relying on strangers. While working with family members may start out easy, there are some circumstances that can become difficult and even awkward. Take for instance, a man who starts his own company. He asks his wife to help with the bookkeeping. All goes well for awhile. They are able to keep the business' finances confidential among themselves while keeping a close eye on their income and expenses. … [Read more...]

Almost all business owners want their businesses to grow. They want to see more sales and profits. They want to offer their employees the opportunity to learn and achieve. But, how do business owners actually achieve the growth they want? Well, it takes much more than merely wanting growth, that's for sure. When you go on a trip, you likely use a map to show you where you want to go. You also need to plan for money to pay for the trip, gas to fuel your car and food to fill your belly. It's the same for businesses that set out on a journey to grow. They need to map out where they want to go, how they will get there and how they will pay for it. Here's how you can get your business … [Read more...]

It's August now in the Northern Hemisphere - time for vacations, traveling, family reunions and other fun summer stuff. It's the one time when everyone seems to take a break. Unfortunately, there were times in my career when I didn't consider August as being much fun. In fact, it was a hassle. Nothing got accomplished; no one was around to make decisions or complete projects. My company's productivity was down the tubes. When everyone came back after Labor Day, there was more to do and less time in which to do it. I'm sure you know the saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Well, what's left out of that saying is Jack also becomes unproductive, burnt out - even bitter. … [Read more...]

When you are a business owner, it's easy to fall into a rut and feel a little blah on occasion. But the problem is, when the business owner is in a rut, the whole business generally follows right behind him or her. There's no time for this! As much as we love business, even business advisors can fall into a rut. Sales calls, proposals, meetings ... there are days when these can become a grind. But just as we were feeling a little uninspired ourselves, the book The Inner Game of Work by Timothy Gallwey came into our lives. This book yanked us right out of our doldrums by providing us with a lesson in balance. Gallwey wrote that there are three measures of satisfaction in work: … [Read more...]