As Seen In … Like Erma Bombeck famously said about housework, Succession planning expands to fill the time available. It can take years. Except … when it can’t. Let me share with you stories of three business owners who had to create contingency plans in a hurry: For lifestyle reasons, Kimberly Martinez had already chosen … Read More
Island vs Ecosystem
As a small business owner, it’s common to think of our company as an island. Isolated. Self-contained. Having to generate all resources from within. Surrounded on all sides by unknown threats. That gets lonely. And stressful. It puts a huge burden on the business owner to “make it all happen.” What if you took a … Read More
Losing focus
Where’s your focus? Is it in “just get through today?” Or do you have a real strategy you’re working? One year, it took 3 smack-me-in-the-head-with-a-brick experiences to get the lesson of focus, and to apply it to my business. Lesson 1: I’m driving down Interstate 75 from Gainesville (GA) to Orlando (FL) to get from … Read More
Oy! Yet another privacy policy update?
You’ve probably gotten more than a few emails recently about privacy policy updates. Why? Because privacy policies are part of a system. A system of handling, managing, and guarding customer information. They’re a kind of “contract”—a pledge—you make to your customers about the care you’ll take with their personally identifiable information. When subscribers join our … Read More
Deviating systems
On a trip to Santa Monica, my husband and I stopped into 24 Hour Fitness Express. Armed with a free three-day pass and dressed to sweat, I was ready to climb the Stairmaster and pretend to work off the previous night’s dark chocolate lava cake. Only there was a problem. I hadn’t carefully read the … Read More
You don’t sharpen a knife against a sponge
You don’t sharpen a knife against a sponge. I love that expression. It goes beyond the platitudes like there is no I in team, or it takes a village. To grow—in any area of life—you need people who will help you sharpen your skills and thinking. Who will challenge you constructively. Not just rubber-stamp your … Read More
Building wealth
As Seen In … Have you built a job, or built a business? If you have passion for starting and growing, that’s great. Don’t care about selling your company? Here’s an invitation: When you have a sense of the “end game,” you make business easier for yourself in the long run. Most businesses close because … Read More
White space
Archimedes shouted “Eureka!” in a bathtub. Einstein had sudden insights into the theory of relativity while riding a streetcar. Newton “discovered” gravity during a countryside retreat (Cambridge University was closed because of the Black Death plague). I had my own eureka! moment when I started my first business years ago. I hated my job at … Read More
Paid in Full
As Seen In … Why did you start your company? If I had to guess, it could be for any number of reasons. Your boss was an idiot. You wanted to make a difference in the world. You wanted to work in a collaborative spirit with other people, instead of always watching your back. You … Read More
What’s monkeying with your business growth?
“Every time I call, it’s a [expletive] debate,” Devon fumed. “And I gotta call every month to get paid. I can’t stand it!” My client, Devon, runs a tech support and solutions business. He’s been grumbling about this business customer for many months. How the company never pays on time. Or follows the “rules” in … Read More
Independence
“I took my first 3-week vacation ever,” beamed my 62-year-old client, Tim, over lunch. “Never checked in once. It felt amazing. And my doctor is finally taking me off all the blood pressure meds I’ve been on. Can you imagine?” Tim, the owner of a 7-figure glass business, was finally enjoying the fruits of his … Read More
The day Les Brown called my office for help…
When you’re running your business, it’s easy to feel alone. Your spouse/significant other doesn’t get it. The kids are clamoring for attention. Employees think you’re Daddy Warbucks. Vendors and strategic partners are leaning on you. And the IRS has its hand out …. Is it just a pipe dream that someday you’ll get to play … Read More