How does everybody spend their time?

“I want all my employees to be in the office to Build better camaraderie Brainstorm more Make sure I know what they are doing“ If you’re in point three, where your employees work doesn’t matter. You still don’t know what they are doing.  What are people doing? It’s unlikely that you spend all day standing…

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Are you living by your guiding principles?

Leading by example is one of the main points of leadership.  You may have noticed: it’s in the word.  To get the behavior you want from your employees is to be the person you want them to be.  They can see you We don’t live in an episode of Big Brother, but we are being…

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Why does a small business need a business plan?

…  It’s just that… It seems like a lot of work. Especially for a small business.  To spend all this time writing out a detailed plan for the next five years when you can’t even predict the next 5 months, let alone stop working for 2 weeks to complete a plan that will live at…

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You only need two things to meet your goals ✌️

Motivation and support.  When you have the motivation to do the thing, and the support to get it done, you have the perfect formula.  Motivation means willingness, but it is more than that. Motivation is also the excitement of doing the thing, it means looking forward to it and being a reliable party.  Support means…

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The ten minute business plan

Let me start by pointing out that you will not write a “Business Plan” – big B big P – in ten minutes. Not something an investor or a bank would accept.  But you can write a preliminary business plan – small b small p – in ten minutes.  And that business plan will be…

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Yes, business person: your work is creative

Photo by Alice Achterhof on Unsplash

I am talking to you, the accountant. And you, the attorney. I am talking to you: the realtor, the banker, the writer, and the art hanger.  Everybody reading this, all of our work is creative.  It is the core idea in my interview on Jessica Matthews’ How I Create Me podcast.  Creativity is transformation When…

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An introduction to company culture

It’s not really a “thing”, it’s more of a concept. An abstract we can talk about but not physically build. Right? No that’s not right. Culture is when we put ping pong tables in the office and offer beer on tap and relaxation pods. Right? Is it when I let all my employees work from…

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The things in your business that you can’t control

In business, you have to focus on the things you can control.  Things like knowing how to pass the so what test, and creating systems for your three business pillars.  In part because your business will always be open to things that you can’t control.  Those sudden surprises, whether good or bad.  External surprises There…

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The three pillars of a sustainable business

When you search for images of an ancient Greek temple, most of what you see will have at least a foundation and columns remaining.  This image springs to mind when I think of a sustainable business.  The foundation is the mission.  The columns are the business pillars of happy employees, loyal clients, and business goals. …

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Your next employee is exactly nothing like you

There are so many theories about how to decide who to hire.  Only hire somebody you’d want to hang out with on a weekend.  As well as Hire people who are completely different from you, and that you wouldn’t otherwise connect with.  And everything in between.  What’s a business owner to do? The hiring balance…

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