The past week has given me the opportunity to observe the management style of a district manager for a fairly well known retailer. As I have had the horror of observing this individual, I’ve noticed that there are some things that entrepreneurs can learn from this horror movie. The staff mistakes are your mistakes What I have observed is this DM ruthlessly pointing out every … [Read more...]
Back to Basics
As small business owners we routinely perform tasks that larger companies would associate with assistants and receptionists. I answer phones, research client questions as well as conduct meetings and business development. As the economy continues to stall I have found myself performing tasks that even I have had to sit back and wonder if I should be doing them. What I have … [Read more...]
The Fiscal Cliff and Your Business
The crux of the situation as many business owners know is consumer spending. As we plan and strategize growth, many of us wonder if our businesses will be around this time next year. Even firms such as my own that concentrate on business services are feeling the crunch that has become the personality trait of this economic climate. If there is a strain on the middle class, many … [Read more...]
12 Signs You Need More Scale in Your Service Business
NEWS AND INSIGHTS UPDATE: For many business women, giving up control of any part of your company and client relationships can be challenging. However, there comes a time in the lifecycle of every business that you must decide whether you want to limit your growth and stay small or scale to grow with your business. Nina L. Kaufman, Esq. of Ask the Business Lawyer offers 12 … [Read more...]
1 in 4 Women Business Owners Are Not Fully Protected Against Cyber Risks
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and a new survey from small business insurer Travelers reveals that one in four women entrepreneurs are not completely confident about their level of protection against cyber threats. That's surprising considering that 65% of women entrepreneurs who responded to the Travelers survey indicated that the internet is critical … [Read more...]
The Power of Perception
As a small business there is a perception that the quality of the service we provide is directly linked to our size. The question is whether that perception is true and if it is, are we actually the ones creating that perception? Here’s what I have learned to consider when projecting your business image. Perception trumps ability I’ve noticed that small businesses have a … [Read more...]
Management by Generations
There is an absolute truth in being an entrepreneur that you will be out of your depth on many occasions. Knowing this fact makes it easier to shift your perspective from a defensive stance to a position on learning from unexpected sources. I recently encountered a similar situation with a younger member of a board for a national organization, here’s what I learned. While it’s … [Read more...]
Are the Costs Worth It?
Being an entrepreneur is hard and the sacrifices you will make will grow as the company does. I’ve encountered a lot of losses on my road and I was having an interesting conversation this morning where this question was asked. ‘Was it worth the costs?’ I didn’t have an answer then, I just knew that when I thought about doing anything else, I got this really heavy feeling in my … [Read more...]
Are proposals worth it?
As a professional services firm, I spend an awful lot of my time preparing and submitting proposals. They are time consuming, sometimes costly and not immediately effective. So why submit them? Well there are a million reasons against them, but here are my top 5 reasons for them. They introduce your company and your ability I am not a formal person, but I do know what I know … [Read more...]
What we can learn from the US Women’s Soccer team
Reporters from all over have had some type of sound bite regarding the t-shirts the US Women’s soccer team. The shirts said ‘Greatness has been found’ and sports writers and enthusiasts are lining up to take aim at the perceived lack of humility. As a woman operating in a male dominated industry I have to say ‘Why should they be humble’? Here’s what I have been able to take … [Read more...]