Never Having to Say You’re Fired!…Hiring the Right Employees
We all associate those two words with a popular multi-millionaire, but many small business owners find themselves having to say, “you’re fired!” more often even than Donald Trump. According to Linda Gartland of Corporate Insights and Development, the top two things managers and small business owners least like to do are hiring and firing. In […]
Focus on Your Strengths and Grow
As small business owners continue to tighten their belts, minimize discretionary spending, and watch as friends and family lose their businesses, their jobs, their homes and suffer personal challenges during this recessive economy, it is critical to focus your energies on your business strengths. For those companies who have weathered seasons of the highs and […]
Survive and Thrive
In his book Deep Survival, Laurence Gonzales examines stories of people who survived the most dramatic life and death situations. He asserts that while proper equipment and intelligence are important, the most important indicators of survival lie in a person’s psychological and emotional make-up. Gonzales writes that searchers often find people who have died while […]
Making Performance Appraisals Effective
Are performance appraisals necessary in today’s business world? Yes, the appraisal is an important opportunity for the employee and employer to sit down and evaluate the prior year’s performance. Work performance cannot be improved unless it is measured. The actual appraisal meeting should be scheduled so that both parties can sit down and have an […]
LLC or Corporation: Which Legal Structure is Better for Your Business
When starting a business, choosing the best legal form is a serious matter. If you don’t want your personal assets to be at risk, your choices are between a Limited Liability Company (LLC) and a Corporation. Both entities provide the limited liability protection that you want. What other criteria should you examine before making that […]
Building a Relationship You Can Bank On
Business relationships are important to overall business success, and far too few borrowers continue in a meaningful relationship with their lender after their loan has closed. In many cases, an adversarial type relationship develops over time. A common perception is that bankers only want to assist you when you don’t need them. Mark Twain even […]
Juggling Small Business Growth
Everyone in business wants to grow, right? Except for hobby businesses, or those where the owner doesn’t have growth as a goal, the answer is usually “yes.” In the beginning, most business owners think only of survival, and rightly so. The popular press is full of studies touting the long odds against business survival, let […]