I know that running and growing your business is difficult. It can be a slog, like running in quicksand. You are working hard and not making the big bucks (yet). We’re on a journey to change that, but we need to take a minute to look at the map. Looking Back Now that we’ve bought…
If you own a business, you are on a mission. You have some way in which you want to dent the universe, something that’s going to make life better for your clients, and your community, and make you some money in the process. For most business owners the thing that holds them back from getting…
If you are committed to making more money this year, it’s imperative that you get control of your time. You are going to need to invest time in making changes, and that means letting go of some of the things you are doing now. When I bring this up with business owners, I usually hear…
In the almost 20 years I’ve been working with business owners one of the most frequent desires/needs/dreams/goals that I hear from business owners is that they want to make more money. So, I want to have a real talk about making more money. Maybe it’s crass, perhaps it’s too straightforward — but it’s on your…
This week we’ve talked about evaluating the performance of our team and having difficult conversations when needed. Now its time for the hardest evaluation question… Who has difficult conversations with YOU? Business owners wear a lot of hats! First and foremost, you are the CEO! You set direction, manage performance, and guide the business toward…
Do you know why I send emails on Saturday morning (and have for many years)? Because I get the highest open rates when I send on Saturday morning! For whatever reason Saturday morning is a time when business owners get caught up on their email (or at least open and read my emails). But one…
On Tuesday we explored what courage can mean to a business owner. Courage is knowing that there’s danger, feeling the fear, and then going ahead anyway. But, being courageous is different from being fearless. When I look back at my career and think about when I was afraid, but pressed on anyway, those situations mostly worked…
When I hear the word “courage” I think first about physical danger; fighting fires, going to war, battles against Mother Nature. But there are other sides of courage that we talk less about. The courage to tell the truth. The courage to reveal your vulnerability. As anyone who’s been on stage can tell you, it…
You took the time to clearly lay out the assignment. You confirmed with your team member the process they would use to accomplish it. They agreed that the time frame was good and that they had the skills and tools they needed to get it done. But when they deliver it to you, you are…
Her goals were straightforward. Sounds like a formula for success, right? So we worked to fire up her marketing so there were more leads coming in. We instituted project reviews to make sure the work was good quality and was getting out on time. We set her up with a bookkeeper who would keep the…