Make Your Meetings More Productive By Doing This 1 Thing
Over the past few weeks I have been sharing the business coaching concept of the six hats from the Late Dr. de Bono with our readership. Today, I wanted to focus in on the blue hat, which has to do with organization and planning. This particular hat is one that I wear on every team […]
The Thought Exercise Business Coaches Do Every Single Session — and Why You Should Do It Too
I recently shared the idea of the business coaching concept of the six hats from the Late Dr. de Bono with our readership and I wanted to go into more detail about one of my favorite hats: the yellow hat. This hat is the one that the majority of business owners struggle to wear, and […]
A Case For Playing Devil’s Advocate
I recently shared the idea of the business coaching concept of the six hats from the Late Dr. de Bono with our readership and I wanted to go into more detail about the third hat in the series: The Black Hat. This hat is often one that doesn’t go over very well in meetings. It’s […]
The First Thing You Should Do About When Scaling Your Business
I recently shared the idea of the business coaching concept of the six hats from the late Dr. de Bono with our readership and I wanted to go into more detail about the second hat in the series: The Red Hat. This hat is often one of the first hats that you will put on […]
Why the Timing for Hiring Top Talent Has Never Been Better
Just a few short months ago, businesses were flourishing. In February, the unemployment rate was hovering around 3.5 percent . It was the perfect situation for job seekers and as employers we had to work hard to attract, recruit and retain top talent. Fast forward to the present. Job seekers are facing a completely different […]
This Trick Will Change The Way You Look At Your Business
I recently shared the idea of the business coaching concept of the six hats from the late Dr. de Bono with our readership and I wanted to go into more detail about the first hat in the series: The White Hat. This hat is often one of the first hats that you will put on […]
4 Strategic Ways to Tap Into Your Competitors’ Client Lists
For many small business owners the idea of working with the competition can make their blood boil. It seems counterintuitive. But after twenty five years of business coaching, I can tell you that some of best boosts in profit and revenue come from thinking outside of the box. So today I wanted to share six […]
Change the Way You Think About Your Business With These 6 Thought Exercises
Many entrepreneurs have taken to wearing the same thing day in and day out to reduce decision fatigue and free up their time to focus on more important matters. Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, and the late Steve Jobs all believed in minimalist wardrobes. And while I agree the concept is a sound one, I want to […]
2 Things Top CEOs Always Do When Creating Business Plans
I have talked many times about the importance of having a focus day. The act of setting aside a day (or two) once a week to work on your business’s top goal and taking steps to make it a reality is crucial to growing your business and gaining independence. We have seen first hand the […]
Want to Stay in Business Longer? Keep Your Company Small–Very Small. Here’s Why
I was recently talking with Ian, a business coaching client who had seen amazing growth over the course of the past year. He had increased his revenue by almost three hundred percent and had reduced his overhead and staffing costs by almost seventy five percent. He had great systems and controls in place, and was […]
Do This One Thing Every Week To Grow Your Business
As a business owner, you are constantly looking for ways to be more productive. You use the latest software programs, read all the books and try to make your time spent working in the business the most valuable possible. But ultimately, you end up putting out fires and dealing with staffing issues and training. Which […]
Your Impossible Standards Are Ruining Your Company Culture. Here’s How to Fix It
A few days ago I took my kids to the local public library. As I sat there in an uncomfortably small chair waiting for my oldest son to pick out another ninja book, I happened to overhear a father and a son at the table next to me. The boy, no more than eleven or […]
The 1 Word Successful CEOs Say More Than 35 Times a Day
I recently wrote a piece entitled The 6 Words Successful CEOs Say Everyday and the response has been overwhelming. So many of you resonated with the piece, and let us know via social media and through email what your favorite word was and why. So I thought that I would expand on the idea of […]
2 Huge Mistakes That Are Causing 99 Percent Of Your Staffing Problems
As a business owner, you know how important your team members are to your success. And like many, you spend a great deal of time in the hiring and firing process. It can seem like a never-ending quest to find the right team members. Over the course of the last 25 years as a business […]
The Real Reason Business Partnerships Fail–and How to Save Yours
I met Jake (name changed to protect the innocent) at one of our business workshops recently. He had been in business for almost ten years now, and was looking to scale his business and gain more independence. When I asked him about his business, his eyes lit up with excitement as he talked about his […]
6 Questions You Must Ask Yourself Before Any Big Business Decision
As a business coach, I have helped thousands of business owners make major business decisions. We have worked through major key hires, acquisitions, exit strategies, large equipment purchases and everything in between. And for many business owners, making a big business decision can be paralyzing. It’s not uncommon to get caught up in the details […]
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. Negotiating is a tactic that is used in many different situations at work with an intended purpose of coming to an agreement. It is something that is […]
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 […]
