Hire…Higher: Invest in Quality People
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Hire…Higher: Invest in Quality People

Hiring new staff members requires time, money and effort – but many small-business owners are low on all three. So, they fill their positions as quickly and inexpensively as they can. And, as a result, they have to fill the same positions over and over again. What a waste of time, money and effort! I know from experience that…

The Family That Works Together… Needs to Stay Together
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The Family That Works Together… Needs to Stay Together

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…

Four Keys to Growing a Creative Services Firm
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Four Keys to Growing a Creative Services Firm

The creative services business requires managing and selling a rather unpredictable product – people. But, this doesn’t mean your business and its success must be equally unpredictable. Creative services companies can realize steady growth and success – even with the uncertainty and variability that accompanies managing and selling people’s services. Here are four key strategies…

Butts in the Seats
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Butts in the Seats

The words “I quit” may signify the end for an employee, but for an employer, the words can mean the beginning of a long, often painful process. When I was General Manager for a 120 person manufacturing company, my right-hand man left for a promotion at a nearby company. Almost immediately after, half the team followed him. I was…

When the Boss is a Lunatic – and You’re the Boss
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When the Boss is a Lunatic – and You’re the Boss

There’s nothing better than being a business owner and your own boss, right? That’s what I thought when I started my business – but then I learned. As a business owner, I work for a demanding, unsympathetic and controlling person – myself. It’s understandable. Business owners, bear a lot of burden. We have to fulfill both the role of…