In the last two emails, I’ve talked about some common problems that entrepreneurs confront when they are growing their business. They are over-invested in their importance and competence. They believe, “If I work harder, it will get better.” They don’t see anyone helping them — it’s all up to them. They can’t let go… If…
I walked into my client’s office, and you could feel the excitement and tension in the air. The business owner had been out at speaking gigs the last three days and came back with a fistful of business cards to follow up on, and she’s been tearing into those. In the meantime, her operations manager…
“Oooh, I LOVE that,” one of my clients said to me, “She worked half the night to finish that project. She’s a superhero! How do I find more people like her?” The only thing small business owners love more than telling stories about how hard they are working, is to tell stories about how hard…
It was April 2001. I was 35 years old, and I was done with corporate life. I had spent over a decade living in airports, sleeping in rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott™, and meeting in conference rooms that were out of state. I was tired of it. I made the choice to step out…
It’s that time of year; when business owners take stock of the year gone by, and start to make plans for the year to come. What went well this year? What do we want to do more of? What do we want to do to make 2016 better than 2015? When I’m reviewing plans and…
On July 4th there were more than 60 people shot, and 9 killed in Chicago. I don’t know about you, but that seems out of control to me. 60 people shot? This wasn’t some 110º day with tempers flaring. How can this much violence erupt on a holiday weekend? I found this quote from Chicago…
I wake up late because my iPhone is stuck in “Do Not Disturb” and with my first step out of bed I step on a Transfomer. Ouch, that hurts! It’s raining outside and I can’t find my car keys. I reach down to pick up my briefcase and spill my coffee all over the floor….
There’s an old joke about entrepreneurship: one benefit of starting your own business is you can set your own hours. Pick any 100 hours of the week you want, and work them. While that may be true when you are starting a business, you should be able to get away once you’ve built your team, right?…
2012 is drawing to a close, and most business owners I talk to say it’s been a pretty good year. Most businesses are making money again, hiring new people and moving forward. That doesn’t mean it’s all sunshine and unicorns. I don’t see anyone resting on their laurels. There’s so much change, so much to figure out. The…
Building and growing a business is hard work! You have to build a strong team, nurture client relationships, be strategic, turn a profit … the list goes on. You know what’s easier? Tearing your whole business apart. So, if you’d rather go that route, here are 10 ways you can destroy your business in no…