Back to school season brings an overwhelming sense of realization. After enjoying the greatest Summer of all, we are back to reality and here comes responsibilities of- kids going back to school, routines back in place and entrepreneurs returning back to business. As the kids return back to the new norm, adults try to catch up with business responsibilities kept on the back burner during the Summer. This can be a very overwhelming period for most businesses, but don’t worry, we have prepared 5 Pro strategies to help your business thrive. Time to set a plan: understandably, you might have let some interesting opportunities and business maintenance slip while you were away. It is time to get back on track and recover some of what might still be at reach before it results in penalties. Make a list of opportunities that were available while you were away and try…
No one likes to think about planning for an eventual exit. Either from a job, a business, a volunteer role, or even the final exit, death. For many people, it’s on the “someday” list. Someday, I’ll get a will done. I’ll pay more attention to my health, I’ll work less and enjoy other aspects of my life more. Someday… We have learned many things throughout the Covid 19 pandemic, one is that “someday” may come out of the blue and catch us unprepared. Many of those who were hospitalized or passed away “before their time” were people who had not planned to “exit”. Some were business owners. Some were business owners who still managed and worked in their own businesses; whereas others had achieved “hands-off” status and were still owners. As in many areas of our lives, the more prepared we are for different scenarios, the faster we can respond…
“I have an idea I’d like to share with you. I’ve been thinking of ways to grow my company because it is more valuable than one that’s not growing. Well, I am considering two options. Option 1 offers a new service to my existing clients, or option 2, which is expanding into new locations. I’m leaning towards option 2 – a new location. What do you think? Think that’s a good idea?” As I tell all my clients who ask me this question, the idea might be just fine, but you need to decide if it is feasible – for you at this time. These are the core elements of any feasibility study: What does success look like? Can you validate that there is a market for it? Does this solve a real need? Can you resource it? Is the payoff worth it? Can you be competitive in this space?…
“One of the effects of living with electric information is that we live habitually in a state of information overload. There’s always more than you can cope with.” (Marshall McLuhan, “Understanding Me: Lectures and Interviews”, 2003) I can’t tell you how many times I am asked for suggestions and ideas on how entrepreneurs and professionals can better manage their emails, especially client-related communication. The Problem: You’re using a communication tool to be a relationship management tool. Problem Assessment: You spend time searching your emails to find attachments, instructions or messages to and from clients. You think you need to better manage your email when in reality you need to integrate client management/knowledge management into your processes and systems. Most client management systems have integrations with popular email providers such as Gmail and Outlook. The purpose of a client relationship management system is to capture and track client-related communication (or prospective…
One of the challenges we have encountered in a world where communication takes less effort than the snail mail time and it doesn’t require an investment of a stamp for each message we want to send, email has contributed to the state of overwhelming many business owners are grappling with. Not unlike many other challenges, business owners can improve the situation with intentional email management, education and training. Taking a “do nothing” stance is a decision that is unlikely to improve the situation. Given the impact on your mental health from the state of overwhelm and fear of missing out as well as the financial cost (hourly rate * time to manage email) to continue with your current system, the business case can easily make this one process more effective and efficient. Let’s get proactive! Step 1 Reflect on your role in contributing to the problem. What are you tolerating? What are you…
The nasty flu season impacts people around the world. It’s a sober reminder that people drive our economies, businesses and communities forward. The truth is that all business owners need to lead considering the impact of potential events on the bottom line – whether those be events within their control, or those similar to that of the recent corona virus outbreak; which are outside of their control. We hope that your business is able to weather the impacts of the COVID-19 virus! Businesses can get hit hard in several ways when flu season hits. As we’ve seen first-hand here in Alberta – when people stop travelling, the demand for fuel slows. Without a demand for fuel, the price of oil is lowered and shares in oil stock decline. And, unfortunately, us Albertans know what that means – layoffs! In the case of COVID-19, we are also seeing a decline in overall business…
Your firm might be suffering from tactic-itis and you don’t even know it. How can you diagnose what ails your firm? The primary symptoms are lots of action without corresponding results. Success is elusive. What’s missing? Great packaging of your products/services? Focused resources on key priorities? Effective prospecting activity? Targeted outreach? Great sales process? Leverage? Nope, you’ve on the right track with all the areas listed above. Still not sure? The missing link is STRATEGY. Without a clear competitive strategy there is lack of alignment. Unlock the success your firm was created to generate for your customers, your team, your suppliers, your community and your shareholders. Time to start is today. Book a complimentary consultation with us: your trusted business advisors. What are you waiting for?
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Today, I’m celebrating entrepreneurial Moms. Generally, I think of women in business when I use that term, but today, I’m talking about Moms and the entrepreneurial traits they show in their family leadership roles. In a previous entry, I explored Family Leadership in more detail. Passion Gosh, we know what that is! As a Mom of 4, the overwhelming emotion called passion has spurred me on. As a family leader, my conviction to support our children to be as independent as possible helped me muddle through times when they were learning to make good decisions by allowing them to enjoy the consequences of “iffy” decisions as they grew up. For one of our children with some developmental challenges, the “expert” advice of what she would “never” do spurred me on to try many more ways to help her flourish. And flourish she did. Passion: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or…
I’m often asked, “Laura, how did you manage to build a professional career, raise 4 successful children, volunteer in your community and contribute to a successful family business?” I think they are looking for that silver bullet that they can copy! The silver bullet is grit, perseverance, and focusing on what matters. Accept that there are many different ways to achieve the personal, family and career goals. In a family, talking about your family’s purpose helps all family members align personal, family, career and business activities. We wear many hats and perform many roles in our lives. What I find useful is to focus on the few roles I am performing in the moment rather than trying to keep all the hats on at once – or feeling guilty if I am not performing one or more roles all the time.Focus on what matters to you, your family, your career, your…