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Collaborating with us can help you overcome your challenges by leveraging your successes. Impactful business routines and strategies can help you.

Obstacles – Going Over, Under or Through

February 16, 2016
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I was reminded today of a children’s story/song, “We’re going on a Bear Hunt” where the family encounters many obstacles on their hunt for the “big one”: long tall grass, a deep cold river, a swirling, whirling snowstorm, a narrow, gloomy cave and thick oozy mud. Achieving your vision for success in your business is just like going on a bear hunt. You encounter many obstacles along the way: some you are prepared for and anticipated when you started out on your hunt and others that surprise you along the way. Whether your obstacles are cash flow, know how, staffing, sales, facility or seasonal, there are many ways to overcome them. Just as the family in the story went through, under, over and around their obstacles, solutions to your challenges can be found. Collaborating with us can help you overcome your challenges by leveraging your successes. Impactful business routines and…

small, business, smallbusiness, succession, success, entrepreneurs, entrepreneur

3 Routes to Small Business Succession

January 24, 2016
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I was talking to three entrepreneurs last month, all of whom had succeeded their parents in running a family business. These conversations always peak my interest because we operate in an industry that traditionally was 100% family run: agriculture. As a business owner, succession is a key conversation for you to have regularly with your coach and your leadership team. Replacing Yourself It’s human nature to think that no one can replace us. As a business owner, you may have several people succeed you as you move out of operations / production and into leadership / business development roles. When you are in “start up” mode, you are often doing everything. As your business and cash flow grows, you begin to either outsource or hire a team to replace you in various roles or tasks. You learn to focus on what you love and do well and those parts of…

A Minimalist guide to Entrepreneurial Reflection

A Minimalist Guide to Entrepreneurial Reflection

January 4, 2016
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Fireside chats over a glass of mulled wine or a frosty pint of beer are times to reflect on the past year and to thoughtfully and intentionally move forward with plans to achieve different results this year. We look back at the last 12 months, celebrate the wins and focus each area of our lives – relationships, family, business, health, lifestyle, personal growth and so on. I then set intentions about the goals I want to accomplish in the coming year for each area. Here are some of my favourite questions to reflect on as an entrepreneur: Did I walk the talk? Did I achieve my business goals this year? It is a lot easier to have good intentions and want to effect change but it is quite another to put new actions in place or stop repeating past actions. For example, perhaps I planned to have an employee grow…

4 Mistakes with your time you don’t even know you’re making in your business.

4 Mistakes With Your Time you Don’t Even Know You’re Making.

December 23, 2015
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Peter Drucker reminds us: Management is about doing things right; leadership is about doing the right things. Mistake #1 – Doing the wrong things Time flies by – no one seems to argue this cliche whether you’re looking at changes in your personal life, your family or your business. Only you can decide what the right things are to realize your vision and achieve what is important to you, your family and your business. Are you choosing to use your time on activities that are impactful and contribute to achieving results? Leadership in your business, community or family calls you to do the right things. Mistake #2 – Multi-tasking Focus! Your calendar can be your best friend to ensure you set aside time to complete everything you need to get done. Schedule the important tasks into your calendar, making them part of a regular routine. You’ll soon discover fewer urgent…

One Simple Change to Benefit your Business in 2016

One Simple Change to Benefit your Business in 2016

December 18, 2015
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Tis the time for folks to start thinking about wrapping up 2015, reflecting on the year that was and developing a vision for the year ahead.  Many New Year’s resolutions are for personal change.  Here’s one small change that you can make in your business that will have a significant impact over the year.  Are you ready? Put time aside to work ON your business. This is simple, but not easy for many entrepreneurs to do.  Putting time aside each week to work ON your business is critical for strategic change and growth.  Many entrepreneurs are so busy working IN the business that time is not consistently dedicated to working on the business. You might be wondering what you do to work “ON” your business or maybe feel you are already doing that.  Here’s a list of some ideas to get you started. Review your financial results for the month / year and compare…

leadership, team, questions, business, coach, coaching, sign, consulting, owner, client, clients, customers

5 Key Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Business Coach

December 14, 2015
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What business consulting and coaching experience do you bring? Coaching and consulting are different skill sets. In a business coach, you’re looking for sound business knowledge, ideas, alternatives, advice (consulting) as well as the ability to step back and challenge you to step up to greatness, be accountable for your actions and ask you great questions so you get unstuck in order to achieve your goals (coaching). You want someone with both skill sets. Check out the recommendations and testimonials from those they have worked with. What kinds of work does your coach write / publish? Is this coach the expert you need? Tell me about your experience as a coach and a small business owner. Working with a business coach who also has experience as a business owner can make all the difference to you. Coaches with prior or current business experience just “get it”. They have walked a…

Who's your wingman in business?

Who’s Your Wingman?

November 26, 2015
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You don’t have to think very hard to find examples of careers that mentor newbies with experienced practitioners. Most professions along with apprenticeship trades know the model is effective, not only at passing along knowledge, skills, professional judgment, but also for building confidence and having a safe “sounding board” in a peer that’s walked a mile in your shoes. As business owners, we often follow the path of the lone wolf, fighting off the predators that threaten our livelihood – competition, cash flow woes, bad contracts, and changes in the political and economic environments we operate in. Our friends don’t “get it”. Our loved ones “don’t get it”. Our friends and family feel slighted and annoyed that we aren’t spending enough time with them. Even with a family that’s cheering you on, they often don’t have the knowledge or skill to REALLY help! You might be fighting the good fight…

Freeing up profits in your business.

Hide And Seek – Strategies to Free Up Hidden Profits

November 3, 2015
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It’s hard to ignore the news reporting an economic downturn in Alberta with some economists even using the “R” word (Recession). Couple the general economic woes with an increasing cost structure (taxes, minimum wage, insurance, etc.) and it may feel as if you’re pushing that string up an insurmountable hill. Fear not, here’s a few tips to help you ferret out those profits that may be hiding in plain sight: in operating costs, customer service or purchasing processes, hiring practices or unproductive assets. This post wraps up the series on Strategies to Improve your Profitability Part 1 and Part 2. Operating Costs There are many items that are included in “operating costs”: facility costs, general & administrative & selling expenses are often significant categories. Some suggestion to release profits: Check into membership and association discounts Trim back on phone, internet, power, wages, general office expenses Ask employees to analyze expenses…

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