Rethinking Giving Back and Business
As December arrives, so does the season of giving, a time for planning the year ahead. However, the integration of giving and planning remains uncommon in our world. Traditionally, businesses viewed
Category
Strategic Planning
The Art of Making Tough Choices: Strategies for Merciless Decision-Making and Merciful Execution
Strategy is about making choices. Planning is about putting the ducks in a row. Between strategy and planning we find a lot of emotions. Usually about choices we made, need
The Thinking Fallacy Most Likely to Get in Your Way
One of the findings that surprises most, is the fact that high-performing teams report more mistakes than their counterparts. High performing teams take risks, make mistakes, and evaluate their mistakes
The First Question You Need to Answer in 2023
As we approach the start of a new year we will once again begin hearing about goal setting and ways to ensure you achieve your 2023 goals. I’ve written that
The Element of the Business Equation too Many Overlook
Any business owner will tell you that Marketing and Sales are the engine rooms of your business. What most people struggle with is integrating Marketing, Sales, and Service. I was recently
5 Reasons Why Experienced Entrepreneurs Get Stuck – Part 2
I shared five reasons why experienced entrepreneurs get stuck in a previous blog posting. Welcome to part two, where I share five additional reasons experienced entrepreneurs get stuck. Underinvesting in their
The Most Important Word in Business
When I give a speech, I often ask the audience, “If you had to choose just one word that is critical to the success of a business, what would that
5 Reasons Why Experienced Entrepreneurs Get Stuck – Part 1
Most of the people with whom we work are already successful. They come to us because they are stuck. They have reached a ceiling of complexity. Recently, I have been
3 Things We Often Miss During Strategic Conversations
When most people think of strategic planning, they usually think of some sort of periodic gathering where a group of people engage in a ritual of deciding where the future
Why You Need to Put Your Life First
For much of our adult life, we spend more time at work than in any other area of our lives. As a result, we often plan our life around our
Strategy Under Uncertainty
In what we call regular times, many of us fall for the “Illusion of Certainty.” Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s Turkey Illusion provides the best example that comes to mind. He describes
The Starting Point for an Effective Business Plan
Most entrepreneurs do not have a formal planning process; they operate their business informally and implicitly. In other words, they do not have a business plan that they can share
Business Plan: How to Hit Your Target
The entrepreneurial journey is full of distractions. Entrepreneurs are optimists and see opportunity everywhere. These opportunities are beautiful shiny objects and, if pursued, they take the entrepreneur on a path
4 Steps to Developing a Strategy for Creating Client Capital that Will Grow Your Business
The Oxford Dictionary defines marketing as “the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising.” We define marketing as all of those activities
What Business Leaders Can Learn From The Age of Antarctic Exploration
I was recently reminded a great historical tale. In 1911, two explorers, Amundsen and Scott, embarked on a race against each other to become the first known human being to
Why Practice Development and Business Planning Are Essential For Success as a Financial Advisor
Lets examine why practice development and business planning have become so important for success in today's environment. Over the last 30 years there have been three paradigms that have dominated in
Creating Smart Goals for Entrepreneurs
Is your workflow management helping you to meet your objectives? While entrepreneurs like to think they operate like well-oiled machines 24 hours a day, and some might, there are often areas
Don’t Push Away Clients When Using Big Data
Maintaining strong bonds with clients is key in order for an organization to continue generating revenue from existing clients and bringing in new prospects. Companies that don't take the initiative
Refine and Refresh to Make it Right
As the New Year gets underway, marketing is front and center in most of your minds. How can you make 2014 your best year to date? How can you draw
Generate A Predictable Income: Key Internal Marketing Strategies
The right marketing strategies are a great business builder. If executed effectively, strong internal and external marketing plans can help a company generate additional revenue and guarantee a steadier stream
Covering the Financial Management Aspect of Your Business Plan
I have dedicated several recent blog posts to the importance of creating a multi-faceted business plan, which may seem excessive until one realizes how integral this document is to the
Insulate Yourself From Operational Risk
Every entrepreneur has to develop a tolerance for a certain amount of risk. However, this does not mean they have to be vulnerable. By taking steps to assess and mitigate
Budgeting & Planning? Don’t Neglect Marketing
Many small businesses have already started their processes for budgeting for the new year and setting performance goals. Yet how many have given thought to how they will budget their
Create an Ongoing Recruitment Strategy
A firm is only as strong as its people. Although that adage may seem trite, it is true - your business will only be successful if you have created a