When you started your business, you probably did every task needed to produce and deliver your product or service, or near to it. And as your business has grown, do you still carry much of the day to day—if not the actual execution, the oversight of the work? Do you find yourself unable to let go of work you shoul...
When you have a small business, it’s easy to get stuck in the chronic issues you face, to feel alone in your frustration and unable to see the problems in a different way—and often for what they really are. The truth is, finding solutions and innovating often takes escaping your own limited point of view. You need...
You became a business owner to earn a living. To do what you know how to do best, your way. To take care of your family (and maybe enjoy a nice vacation now and then). But it’s easy to get laser-focused on crunching numbers and forget that it’s people that make or break a business. And if you want stronger sales a...
Let’s be honest. It’s been another challenging year for the owners and operators of small businesses. You’ve had to find a new normal as Covid restrictions eased. The prices of goods and services you depend on to operate have shot up, often cutting into already thin margins. Your employees are looking to you for r...
Let’s be honest. It’s been another challenging year for the owners and operators of small businesses. You’ve had to find a new normal as Covid restrictions eased. The prices of goods and services you depend on to operate have shot up, often cutting into already thin margins. Your employees are looking to you for r...
n less than two years, we’ve seen such incredible shifts in workforce trends that the traditional model of five days in the office seems like a thing of the past. And among the conversations of how, where and when to work, the theme of a shorter work week is slowly becoming louder. Recent studies on a four-day wor...
Pretend you’re seeing your business for the first time. Now ask yourself what you’d be willing to pay for it if you were in the market to buy a company. What gives it value, and what’s missing that, if present, would convince you to pay more?
While 2020 was an unprecedented time for business owners, 2021 has continued to present some unique situations. For some, it's remained a challenge to keep business going, managing through pivots and some hard choices. For others, business has been able to stay the course—or even boom. Whatever side of the coin yo...
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 ...
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?
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...
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 ...
When facing the unique challenges in your business, where do you even begin? In our many years of coaching business owners, we’ve learned that whatever the challenge, one thing is always true: the solution starts with you. If your business isn’t working or serving your life the way you want it to, how can you chan...