The pandemic has shown us one indisputable truth: There’s always a different way of doing things. Whether in life or in business, we’ve all made adjustments to our standard mode of functioning. And it hasn’t been easy—it’s never easy to make dramatic changes. But now, as the world is slowly shifting back to in-per...
Any entrepreneur who’s had to pivot their business during the pandemic can attest: Hardship breeds innovation. We’ve seen many EMyth Clients make critical creative shifts in their business or delivery model in order to meet their customers where they were—and to keep their company alive. But now that life is slowl...
Think about the role you play in your small business—not the title on your business card, but what you actually do. Are you a manager one minute, a receptionist the next? When there’s a problem with shipping or facilities or finance, are you the one racing to put out the fire? If any of this rings true, you’re not...
In moments of crisis, it can be hard to see beyond the overwhelm. You may be faced with the need to keep employees safe, manage productivity, protect revenue—or all three at once—in an environment that’s constantly changing. But often in crisis, there’s opportunity. As the leader of your business, taking hold of t...
Marketing is an art. And if you want your small business to be successful, understanding that art (or having people on your team who do) is an absolute must. People can’t turn into customers until they know who your company is, why they need your products or services, and what sets your business apart. That’s wher...
Growing fast is a good thing if you know how to handle it. When you meet or exceed a customer’s expectations—when you go above and beyond the promises you’ve made—you’ll be rewarded by the look in their eyes, the happiness in their voices. You’ll know their names because they keep coming back. Their pleasure becom...
How do you create a company that produces consistent and desirable results? It’s a question every business owner asks, and the answer is simple: Create systems that support the outcomes you want to achieve—from the customer experience and team culture you want to promote, to the product you deliver and your annual...
Some small business problems lurk beneath the surface; others wave a red flag that’s impossible to miss. Cash flow problems can be the hardest to ignore. They feel big because they are. But issues with cash flow aren’t insurmountable. If you're not making enough money to cover your expenses, it means something abo...
Most small business owners we speak to about growing their companies spend the majority of their time making, selling or delivering their product or service. They know how to do the work the way they want it done, but they struggle getting other people to do it according to their standards. And when there’s a job ...
Starting a business doesn’t naturally transform you into a leader. In fact, many business owners we work with didn’t get into business to be leaders. They simply wanted to follow their dream, to use their natural interest or talents to create their own path in life. For these folks, the idea of leading can be anyt...
Creating the environment you need to be a better business owner—to do the work that matters most to your business—takes structure. You have to structure your communication system, workspace and calendar in a way that lets you escape the tactical work that gets in the way of being a true Entrepreneur. And once you’...
Do you remember your mindset back when you decided to start your own business? You were good at something, and you knew it. Why spend your time doing that something for someone else when you could have the freedom of being your own boss? But then you got wrapped up doing the work of the business—doing the graphic ...
As an enlightened business owner, you understand the importance of doing market research on your prospective customers. For example, you want to know where they're located, any common characteristics they may have and, ultimately, as much as possible about how they think - their needs, wishes, and motivations. The...
A team is a group of people cooperating to achieve a purpose. Your entire organization makes up your team. A management team, of course, is a group of managers. And a strategic management team is a group of senior managers responsible for the strategic management of a business. But here’s something you may not kno...
When you think about your business and life as a business owner, do you know why you do what you do? Does leading your business provide the life you imagined it would when you started it, or is it running you ragged with little payoff?
When Michael E. Gerber released his best-selling book, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It in 1995, he described, in a deeply-relatable way, what makes it so difficult for business owners everywhere to build a business that really works. Through the story of Sarah, a ...
When there’s a management gap to fill, you might look to your top performers first. And it makes sense—”super technicians” work hard and know how to do their job well. They deserve to be recognized for that, and you know they have the technical knowledge needed to lead other technicians. But knowing how to do a jo...