Would you rather watch than read?\ Another question might be, “Should there even be a difference in how prospects and customers are treated?” Many business owners will immediately assume there is no difference in how prospects and customers are treated. They think and believe that both are treated the same. But are they treated the…

Most of us have a rough vision of where we’d like to take our organization. But sometimes, knowing where and how to begin can be challenging. This is where the process of gap analysis comes into play. Gap analysis is a great strategic tool that gives us a broad framework for defining not just where we are…

Would you rather watch than read? Click here. Although anyone with a small amount of capital and little or no experience can start a business, this does not mean that success will follow. Globally, small businesses and SMEs fail miserably. To counteract the staggering failure rates, a small business or SME owner needs abundant knowledge…

Can employees of a small business be empowered? Frequently, we hear about techniques that are employed by larger companies to empower employees, so why can’t employees at smaller businesses be empowered, as well? They can and should be empowered. Empowerment What is empowerment? It might be described as a management philosophy that places importance on…

Project prioritization is more than just resource allocation. It is, first and foremost, a strategic decision. Whether you prioritize your projects effectively depends on the clarity of your strategic intent and the accuracy of the expected value generated by each project. If you nail these two, your project prioritization effectiveness could very well shift the…

If large, publicly-traded corporations can have a goal to achieve the highest levels of customer satisfaction, can small businesses have the same goal? Of course, businesses on a smaller scale can still strive for ultimate customer satisfaction. Most likely, their market will not target a global audience like an international company, but the target market…

Like most small business owners, you find it difficult to plan because your future has more unknowns than your non-business-owning counterparts. You might not know how much your business is worth when you should sell, where to find the right buyer, how to fetch the best price, or even how much insurance to carry. If…

Regardless of the current sales trend (declining, stagnant, or increasing), all businesses strive for additional sales. The proper analysis of sales challenges and the development of solutions to those challenges can result in improved sales. Sales analysis, however, to be effective, does not strictly come from a small business owner or top management but should…

How does a business get ahead of the competition, or is it an easier path simply to meet the competition? Does meeting the competition with similar operations, marketing campaigns, and pricing produce a higher net profit than trying to disrupt the market with dissimilar operations, marketing, and pricing?  Competitive Marketplace With the current economy, every…

How is EOS™ like tooth care? If you go to the dentist every six months but never brush your teeth, your teeth will fall out. If you brush your teeth every day but never go to the dentist, your teeth will fall out. Tooth care requires both the big event (going to the dentist) and…

As soon as profits begin to slide, the first thing that comes to mind for many business owners, managers, and CEOs is to lay off employees. The philosophy, obviously, is that reducing employees is a quick fix to the bottom line. It must be remembered, however, that employees are the heart and soul of any…

Every business owner, manager, and salesperson should ask this question after every sale, “Am I going to get repeat business from this customer?” Long-term growth and success for a small business are not just based on current sales but on repeat sales that build upon new, current sales. A foundation must be built, enabling sales…