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 […]
SWOT Those Pesky Business Problems
If you are the owner of a business, you are involved in making critical business decisions every day. As an entrepreneur, the buck stops with you. You do not have a manual or a supervisor to go to for advice on issues relating to what new products to introduce, where and how to promote your […]
Tell Employees What They Need to Hear
All employers, whether they are businesses, government, or non-profit organizations, have employees that they depend on to make the enterprise function. Making sure employees understand what their responsibilities are and whether they are meeting expectations are responsibilities of managers. Performance evaluations should, on occasion, be written, but they should not be limited to only once […]
Utilize CustomerFocused Job Descriptions
Customer satisfaction was recently named as a top priority for 200 companies surveyed by Insight Express. As a small business owner, have you ever considered using your employee job descriptions as a way to maximize customer service and enhance your company’s goals? What’s in a Name? There’s an old story about a South Georgia farmer […]
Emergency Preparedness—Is Your Business Ready?
Blackouts, brownouts, tornados, hurricanes, ice storms, terrorist incidents… Each of these events can have a devastating effect on the way in which we live our lives and for the continuity of your business. Though preparation will not eliminate the stress or potential for injury or death, it can help mitigate the effects. And being prepared […]
When the Business Check Engine Light Comes On…
Most new start-up business owners generally face difficult challenges during their first five years in business. Research indicates that a majority of these business owners start their business without a well-defined business plan, inadequate working capital, and also a lack of managerial experience. Today, most small business owners are finding out the hard way that […]
Partnerships and PreNups: Gotta Work For That Happily Ever After
Remember how you felt when you first became engaged to be married? The whole world was beautiful. Your intended was wonderful. The future seemed so perfect – full of hope and promise. You were on cloud nine and ready to live that fairytale Happily Ever After life. However, we know that even in the best […]
There is no “I” in Customer
The old sports mantra says, “There is no ‘I’ in Team.” Well, the same thing can be applied to business… “There is no ‘I’ in Customer.” As a SBDC consultant, I talk with many successful, as well as aspiring business owners. Although there is no guaranteed rule-book for success, the prosperous business owners seem to […]