Archive for Tips for a successful buiness
Small Business Advice
I totally agree that training for coaches is so important. But it seems odd to me that someone who may have no or very little experience as a small business owner would be dishing out advice. That reminds me of the person who has big opinions on child rearing; yet has no children.
Feedback
Respect your customers by acknowledging that you don’t know better than them. Use their generous input to help shape your company’s future or, if you disagree, provide a point from which to “continue the conversation.” Your business may look different from what you originally envisioned, but you will gain the goodwill of potential clients and customers who are looking for integrity in their vendors, shopkeepers, and consultants.
The only time you should stop when you’re almost finished.
I find this keeps creativity on two wheels, sort of in mid careen, so that the next day it’s not so difficult to get going again. Delayed gratification of finishing a thing keeps your creative edge a little sharper, and if all you have to do is finish one small part, it’s all downhill from there, right? Pretty great way to start the day.
To COD or not to COD
Sure, growth was hard. I could only grow at the level of my internal funds. But as a business, nobody could shut me down. No single vendor, no single supplier and no single customer could control me. What a strong position I ended up in.
Living the Dream, Part 2: Back to Basics
“Gentlemen, this is a football.”
I am reminded of the story of Vince Lombardi: at the beginning of every season, and even when the Packers just came back after a really big win, he would have them start the next practice by getting back to basics.
So what are your basics? What are your core foundations to [...]
Abandoning a Good Idea, Part 2
All of your resources that you use (and by that I mean you, personally) are valuable. Your time, your money, your peace of mind, your management skills, your education, your temperament, your office space, etc. These should all be considered assets to your business. Are you siphoning resources away from the parts of your business that are running smoothly and wasting them on your problem areas?
Abandoning a Good Idea (Part 1)
Sometimes what seems like a loss can be a gain. Abandoning a good idea is risky, but leaves you open to achieve other great things.
Goldman Sachs invests $500 Million
Goldman Sachs and Warren Buffett invest $500 Million on Small Businesses, is this self serving or good for small business. It looks more self serving, I hope not.
Not Alone
Internet tools shimmy and evolve quickly to suit a demanding user base, so it can be difficult to keep up if it
Learning About Survival from the Turtle on the Highway
How desperate or stupid does one have to be to cross that proverbial highway? If you know you move slowly and must rely on the goodwill and skill of others not to cream you, do you go ahead and cross the road?
