Listen Up, Small Business Owner: It's Time to Grow or Die
By Bruce Phillips Tuesday Feb 2, 2010The recession appears to be over: two quarters of positive GDP growth, including 5.7% in last year's fourth quarter. So why aren’t small business owners feeling more optimistic, according to the widely-respected NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism? Because they know that in order to survive, they have to grow. Grow or die. And it has been very difficult to expand in an increasingly consolidated, credit-scarce and tax-burdened environment.
Key to Closing a Sale: Don't Be Overly Professional
By Eric Reyes Tuesday Feb 2, 2010There are a million books on how to improve your sales pitch, and most teach you tricks that are off-putting. Jill Konrath on HubSpot has a radical suggestion: don't be too professional — it won't, despite what the books say, increase your chances of making the sale.
The Right Way to Think About Social Media
By Steve Cunningham Tuesday Feb 2, 2010Metaphors are a very useful tool when trying to describe something new, and I have found it particularly useful when describing social media to those who want to understand what it is. I've heard them all over the past year or so, many of them posed as rhetorical questions, pointing to the logical conclusion that social media needs to be taken more seriously by marketers and entrepreneurs.
Checklist: Are You Settling for Second-Place Employees?
By Jay Forte Tuesday Feb 2, 2010So many managers settle for second place because they don’t create environments that expect first place. Last week I spoke to an association of swimming pool contractors, retailers and service professionals at their annual northeast trade show. One of their constant observations was employees seem content doing just average — second place seems fine. Few employees seem committed to perform at exceptional levels and consistently do great things for customers.
The Pitfalls of Hiring Contract Workers for Key Jobs
By Eric Reyes Monday Feb 1, 2010The idea of the temporary or “disposable” workforce is nothing new. And it isn't just for rank and file anymore. Management, too, is being called to serve only when needed. This also isn't especially new. What is new is the way it is about to change, writes Art Petty on Management Excellence.
Have This Value Discussion With Your Employees -- Today
By Jay Forte Monday Feb 1, 2010I thought I would try something different in this post. Normally, my message is for managers — to help you develop consistent power performance from your employees. This is key to connecting with customers and growing a successful business. But today, I thought I would write something that you could print for, or e-mail to, your employees. Perhaps this outline of how they can add more value will clarify what you expect of them and encourage them to be more committed to performance.
What Every Manager Can Learn From a Shark Attack
By Paul Diamond Monday Feb 1, 2010The challenges at the office aren’t all that different from a predator’s jaws coming at you, where swift, rational thinking and action is most needed, according to emotional intelligence experts Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves.
Five Public Relations Mistakes You Don't Want to Make
By Eric Reyes Friday Jan 29, 2010Everyone is going to tell you what to do to improve your PR efforts. They are going to tell you to get on Twitter, and do your SEO properly, and foster a sense of community in your industry. Marla Kertzman wrote yesterday on Small Business CEO about some canny things to avoid to further your PR efforts. This list stands out because some of these things are exactly what PR people aspire to do – play in big venues, respond to attacks, doing a lot with a little.
How to Be a Resourceful Leader
By Eric Reyes Friday Jan 29, 2010So you think you're being resourceful? You've cut and slashed — you've even canceled the company picnic. Maybe you've never had to be so resourceful in these strange times, but do you really have the right definition of the word? That's the insight John Baldoni made on the Harvard Business Review blog recently. He said that resourcefulness is often misjudged in a leader's skill set. In other words, you are more resourceful than you think.
A Free and Easy Way to Keep Tabs On Your Competition
By Ira Wolfe Friday Jan 29, 2010Do you know what your customers, competition or the media are saying about you? While social media like Facebook, Twitter and blogs are brilliant tools to convey a message and monitor what’s being said, the simplest way to get started on gathering market intelligence is Google Alerts.