5 Things You Should Do Right Before a Big Negotiation
Want to make more money? Negotiate. Want to get a better price with a vendor? Negotiate. Want to hire that rock star new hire? Yup, you guessed it….negotiate. Over the past 25 years, I have helped thousands of business owners scale and grow their companies to new heights. And the single most important skill that […]
Think You Understand Your Financial Statements? Ask Yourself These 4 Questions
Do you know how to read a profit and loss statement? Do you know what your gross profit margin is and what it means for your bottom line? How about your Cost of Goods Sold? If you are like many business owners, you have a basic understanding of your financial statements but leave the heavy […]
Effective Communication – What Does It Really Mean And How Can You Improve Yours
Almost every job description for a manager includes some variation of “must be an effective communicator” as part of the requirements. Problem with this is that if you poll (as I often do in my workshops) what people define as “Effective Communication” you will get a lot of different definitions. And that’s where the problem […]
The Real Reason Customers Won’t Buy From You (and How to Convince Them)
Last week, I took my son to the orthodontist. While he has had countless cleanings over the years, he was experiencing quite a bit of anxiety over the unknown of a trip to the orthodontist. Would he need braces? Would they want to put them on right away? How long would he have to wear […]
3 Things You Need to Know About Hiring Top Talent in Today’s Job Market
As you are probably aware, finding and motivating talent to fill your job openings is becoming increasingly difficult in today’s very competitive job market. The following will provide you some insight to the reasons why and what you can do to be more effective. There’s a shortage of great talent We are at a historically […]
The 6 Words Successful CEOs Say Every Day
As a business coach for the past 25 years, I have helped thousands of business owners reach their full potential. They often come to me frustrated, overworked, and anxious about the future. Together we find ways that help them create an owner-independent business that is able to scale quickly and efficiently. The secret- these 6 […]
This CEO Lost His Elite Platinum Status With American Airlines, And Couldn’t Be Happier
When I first met Daniel he was at a crossroads in his business. By many accounts he was successful. He had a consulting firm in North Carolina and had recently acquired two firms in California. When he reached out to me for business coaching, he was struggling to put the pieces together. He was working […]
3 Things You Should Never Do Before Selling Your Business
When it comes to selling your business, there is a plethora of information out there pertaining to how to sell a business. You can learn the mechanics of a good sale, the ins and outs of financing and contracts and even what to do after the sale. When it comes to the how-to’s of selling […]
Six Reasons To Take Tomorrow Off
Another day at the office is about to come to an end. You may have answered hundreds of emails, put out a few “fires” and hopefully made some progress on your quarterly action plan. Tomorrow, you plan to do much of the same. But I challenge you to take the day off. Throw caution to […]
Poorly Run Meetings Can Cost You Thousands of Dollars Each Year. Here’s How to Fix Them
How many meetings have you attended this week? This month? If you are like most business owners, the answer is too many. In my own business coaching firm, I sat down and crunched the numbers on our bimonthly executive meeting, and the results were eye-opening. Every two weeks my executive team and I meet via conference […]
How to find a mentor
These days, it seems like everyone is talking about how to find a business mentor. There are websites, blogs, podcasts, radio and television programs popping up all around the globe talking about business mentoring programs and entrepreneurship mentoring, telling us why every entrepreneur needs a business mentor and how to find one in “6 easy […]
3 Things You Must Do Before You Start Your Next Project
As a business owner, you make decisions each and every day. You have to decide if it’s worth it to get that new equipment that will speed up your production time, you need to decide which candidate to choose for the new sales lead position, or come up with the best way to handle a […]
Where to Find a Business Advisor
Planning, projecting, managing employees, tracking and increasing sales, designing and implementing marketing strategies…the to-do list never ends for business owners. Especially for startups, small companies, or companies who are focused on growing quickly. Sometimes it feels like you’ll never be able to get everything done without four hands and two heads. While that’s not physically […]
How One CEO Grew Her Business by 300% While Caring For A Sick Family Member
Three years ago, my company was hosting an awards dinner for our business coaching clients. There at the banquet were the CEOs and owners of over a hundred companies from around the world. One of the final awards we gave that evening was to a quiet woman named Tina, who along with her husband, Matthew, […]
Why every entrepreneur needs a business mentor
The internet, peers, friends and even family – all of these sources provide a steady stream of industry news, updates, analysis, knowledge and advice. While these sources can be a great starting point, this stream of information will only help to a certain extent. Online publications are typically generic, peers have their own personal set […]
Successful Entrepreneurs Take This Number of Vacations Every Year. Here’s Why
“David, I was wondering what is the number of vacations that a successful entrepreneur should take in a YEAR in order to maintain a healthy body, mind, and spirit (i.e., ideal self-care)?” I recently received this question from a business coaching client, and I wanted to share the answer with my readers. It’s More Than […]
Business Coaching: a Guide to Everything You Need to Know About Finding the Right Fit
If you’ve decided to hire a business coach, but are having trouble knowing where to start, this article is for you. If you’re wondering what exactly a business coach does and how it can benefit your business, you might want to check out this article before continuing. Hiring a business coach will expedite the growth […]
Forget the Resolutions, Let’s Talk About Professional Growth
I really enjoy creating action plans. My inner-nerd gets really excited over the possibilities of a new year or quarter. There are so many opportunities for growth and development, and I love laying it all out on paper and then working towards those goals over the coming quarter. As a business coach, I not only […]
The Problem with Perfection
Over the past 25 years, I have met with thousands of business owners struggling to take their businesses to the next level. They are often overworked, anxious and stuck. They have great ideas and products, and the means to bring them to their client base, yet they suffer from a debilitating condition that really hinders […]
Nobody Reads Your Employee Handbook. Here’s How to Create Internal Systems That Actually Get Used
When most people think about setting up systems and controls for their business, they think of a traditional employee handbook or manual. A central place to keep all the companies processes and procedures. You sit down and think about all the repetitive processes and write out the steps needed to complete each job to satisfaction. […]
