Members of the ill-fated Everest expedition invested upwards of $65k each. They spent weeks hiking to reach the final base camp before their ultimate eighteen-hour push to the summit. There is an unwritten rule that if you have not made the summit by two o’clock in the afternoon of the final push, you should turn […]
The “Sunk Cost Bias” Read More »
With the federal deficit out of control, at some point, the government will need to raise tax revenues through tax increases or tariffs if for no other purpose but to pay off the interest of the debt. Levying more taxes on individuals, or more accurately voters directly is political suicide. Perhaps politicians will get more
Get Ahead of Tax Legislation Read More »
Many years ago typing was a skill that only a fraction of the workforce possessed. In fact, I had one job where I was concerned about my ability to be successful. The job description clearly required typing skills, and although I took typing in school I was not very proficient. Typing is no longer considered
Social Media: The New Selectric Typewriter Read More »
How A Random Clown In New York Went Viral And Made A Small Film Studio Famous Overnight. Discover What Made This Campaign Work—And How You Can Replicate It.
How a Silent Clown Took Over NYC (And What Your Business Can Learn) Read More »
In a Bold Move, Pepsi Turned a Boring Bus Shelter Into a Jaw-Dropping Ad Experience. Discover How Your Small Business Can Capture That Same Kind of Attention.
How Pepsi’s Giant Tentacle Ad Stopped People in Their Tracks (And What You Can Learn) Read More »
If Your Customer Can’t Quickly See the Price, They Likely Won’t Buy. Learn Why Transparency in Pricing Is Crucial and How to Avoid Losing Sales Over Secrecy.
The Surprising Truth About Why Visible Prices Close More Sales Read More »
Every Business Needs a Jester—Someone Who Helps Reveal the Truth Hidden in Plain Sight. Discover Why This Overlooked Role Can Save You From Failure.
Why Every Business Needs a Jester to Avoid Costly Mistakes Read More »
Discover How Outrageous Marketing Can Help Your Brand Stand Out and Spark Word-of-Mouth Buzz That Gets People Talking and Sharing Your Message.
The Power of Shock: Why Outrageous Marketing Gets People Talking Read More »
Many Entrepreneurs Start Part-Time Before Going Full-Time. Discover How a Side Hustle Can Help You Learn the Ropes Before You Quit Your Day Job.
Learn To Supplement Your Income Before Taking The Plunge Read More »
Entrepreneurship Can Take a Toll on Family Life, but Having the Right Support System Makes All the Difference. Learn Why This Often-Overlooked Factor Matters.
The Hidden Key to Small Business Success? Support at Home Read More »
The events playing out in the news over the past month, with Secretary of State John Kerry trying to broker peace talks between Israel and Palestine, got me thinking about how much national economic conditions affect a country’s bargaining position. More specifically, I was thinking about the role a nation’s attitude toward business creation
The Currency of National Wealth Read More »
America was built on a culture of hard work. American workers work harder than the Germans, the French, and even the Japanese. Even during their leisure time many Americans build furniture and grow gardens just for fun. They coach soccer or baseball teams and volunteer to help non-profit organizations. Overall, most Americans are just not
What Do You See In The Mirror? Read More »
Once a month I sit on a military transition panel where the audience includes perhaps a dozen or so folks considering following an entrepreneurial path after separating from the armed forces. I often ask them why are they considering going into business rather than “working for the man,” as they say. I get the usual
Diversify: Good Advice For Stocks, Good Advice For Business Read More »
Discover How Writing Notes Activates Your Brain, Strengthens Memory, And Helps You Stay Focused, Make Smarter Decisions, And Grow A Better Business.
I’m often asked “Do I really need a business plan even if I don’t need a bank loan?” My response is sometimes“Yes” and some other times “No” One thing is for certain, it is not the destination that is important when it comes to writing a business plan, but the journey you take in writing
Do You Need a Business Plan? Read More »
Ask the average person what made the car affordable and you would hear it was the way Henry Ford used the concept of the division of labor as outlined by Adam Smith in the Wealth of Nations. Most people naturally assume that if you have a job composed of many tasks it is better to
Efficiency Myth BUSTED Read More »
As an occasional golfer, I don’t have any expectation that I will hit a hole-in-one from the tee box. I expect to take several shots, each one taking into account many aspects including distance, slope, angles and more, with each stroke getting closer to the hole. I have learned that if my only goal is
Start-Ups Look For a Hole-In-One Read More »
Operating Leverage is just one part of your Economic Model. Simply put, operating leverage is the relationship between fixed costs and variable costs.
Understanding Operating Leverage Read More »
Sales Volume is just one part of your Economic Model and works in concert with margins. Sales volume is simply the number of units you sell in a specific period of time, say in a month. You can be just as successful if you have a high-margin low-volume business as you could with a low-margin
Understanding Sales Volume Read More »
Margins are just one part of your Economic Model. Margins can be defined simply as the difference between your Direct Cost to deliver a service or a product (often called COGS or Cost of Goods Sold) and the price you charge the customer for that product or service. The basic coffee you buy at Starbucks
Understanding Margins Read More »
Revenue Drivers are just one part of your Economic Model. Revenue drivers are how many ways you have to separate your customer from his money. A few years ago, I went to the Dixie-Stampede while I was in the Great Smoky Mountains. The ticket price was a reasonable $45 per person, which is a sensible
Understanding Revenue Drivers Read More »
Most clients I see can clearly articulate their Business Model, but struggle when it comes to describing their Economic Model. Simply put: Amazon and Wal-Mart share a similar low-cost, wide-selection retail model. However, their Economic Model is quite different, since one business is a virtual store and the other a physical store. Within the Economic
Understanding Your Business vs. Economic Model Read More »
With a large number of Americans either out of work or under-employed, many individuals have resorted to starting small home-based service businesses. It should be noted that a business is an entity unto itself. While it may have only one owner, as is the case with an entity that is sole-proprietor, a business should live
The process of gaining a true understanding of anything can be visualized as a continuum. When dealing with business situations, it is important that when you collect and organize what you think you know, you use the understanding continuum to challenge your thinking and give relative weight to each element. How can you apply the
The Hierarchy of Understanding Read More »
There are 5 things every start-up needs if it wants to be successful. The following list is presented in order of importance:
5 Things Every Start-Up Needs Read More »
Is social media just another way to separate a business owner’s money from the business? Small business owners hear that to be successful these days they have to have a social media presence. I remember with the advent of the Internet business owners were told that to be successful they needed to have a web page.
What is the Role of Social Media? Read More »
Humans have difficulty recognizing and reacting to experiences that are new to them. This mental state is called our “Normalcy Bias”.
Do You Suffer From a Normalcy Bias? Read More »
Take This Quick One-Question Test to Discover If You Have the Mindset of an Entrepreneur. Your First Reaction Might Reveal More About You Than You Think.
Do You Think Like an Entrepreneur? Take This One-Question Test Read More »
Most Entrepreneurs Don’t Truly Know What Drives Them—But Understanding Your Primary Motivation Could Be the Key to Long-Term Success and Satisfaction.
What’s Your Real “Why”? Discover the 4 Entrepreneurial Drivers That Shape Success Read More »
Discover How Saloons Evolved Into Speakeasies And Ultimately Helped End Prohibition. This Story Offers A Powerful Lesson In The Art Of Rebranding.
From Saloons to Speakeasies: How a Rebrand Repealed Prohibition Read More »
You’re Not Just an Employee in Your Business—You’re the Investor. Discover How Adam Smith’s Timeless Economic Insight Can Transform Your Pricing Strategy.
You Deserve More Than a Paycheck: Pricing for Entrepreneurial Return Read More »
Discover How Successful Entrepreneurs Use Unique Skills, Tools, or Knowledge to Gain a Competitive Advantage. Learn How to Identify and Leverage Your Own.
Unlocking Your Business Edge: Why Every Model Needs Special Leverage Read More »
Everyone Loves Cute Things, but Did You Know That Cuteness Can Be a Strategic Asset in Business Marketing? From Trade Shows to Sidewalk Interactions, Discover How Leveraging Adorableness Can Help You Attract More Customers, Start Conversations, and Create Lasting Impressions.
The Cuteness Factor: A Surprisingly Powerful Business Marketing Tool Read More »
Click Here to Discover How Successful Entrepreneurs Simplify Complex Decisions Using Math. Learn How Statistical Analysis Can Guide Smarter Business Choices.
Want to Make Smarter Choices? Turn Your Business Decisions into Math Problems Read More »
The 18th Amendment Taught a Timeless Lesson: When You Push an Extreme Agenda Without Room for Compromise, You Risk Losing It All. Learn How This Applies to Modern Business Strategy.
Win the Battle, Lose the War: How Extremes in Business Strategy Backfire Read More »
When You Have Nothing to Fall Back On, You Tap Into a Primal Drive to Succeed. Discover How Taking Calculated Risks Can Awaken Your Inner Entrepreneur.
Awaken Your Survival Instinct: The Mindset That Separates Winners from Wannabes Read More »
Discover Why Tapping Into the Inner Rebel of Your Customer Can Boost Your Marketing Results. Embrace the Cowboy Spirit That Defines American Identity.
The Psychology of Rebellion: Why Lawless Marketing Works in America Read More »
Politicians routinely tweak the tax code to gain financial support from lobbyists and win favor with voters. But what if you, as an entrepreneur, could take advantage of those same strategies? Learn how staying politically aware could unlock real financial benefits for your business.
How Politicians Use Tax Breaks To Win Votes—And How You Can Benefit Read More »
Money Alone Won’t Fuel Your Motivation—But What It Can Buy Just Might. Discover Why Entrepreneurs Must Focus on Outcomes, Not Income, to Stay Inspired.
Why Chasing Money Isn’t Enough: Focus on What It Buys Instead Read More »
All too often the entrepreneur has a grand vision of how his product should look and how it should work. After spending way too many hours and too many dollars to get the product just right before its debut, when finally introduced the product falls flat. Sometimes assumptions that went into the original design were
Ride The Wave, Don’t Build The Ocean Read More »
Focus On What You Want, Not What You Fear. In Business and Life, Where You Direct Your Thoughts Determines Your Outcome. Learn How to Harness This Power.
The Surprising Truth About Positive Thinking (And Why It Works) Read More »
Great Ideas Often Come From Unexpected Places. Learn How Industry Crossovers—From Vacuum Cleaners to Velcro—Can Help You Solve Stubborn Business Problems.
How Borrowing Ideas from Other Industries Sparks Breakthrough Innovation Read More »
Starting a Business Is Exciting, but Profitability Doesn’t Happen Overnight. Some Ventures Break Even Fast, Others Take Years—Some Never Get There at All. Before Diving In, You Need a Clear Plan and Financial Runway to Make It Through the Ups and Downs.
Do You Know The Path to Profitability? Read More »
Are Your Efforts Moving the Needle or Just Keeping You Busy? Discover How Focusing on the Wrong Targets Can Sabotage Your Success Without You Realizing It.
How Targeting the Wrong Problem Hurts Your Business Read More »
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who
Inspirational Quote Teddy Roosevelt Read More »
Do you remember “paint by numbers”? Would it not make more sense to paint by letters since there are 26 letters in the alphabet and only 10 numbers?
Think You’re Marketing to the “Average” Customer? That Person Doesn’t Exist. the Concept of “Average” Is a Mathematical Illusion. in the Real World—And Especially in Marketing—It Can Lead You Far Astray. Discover Why Targeting the Typical or Median Customer Is a Smarter, More Profitable Move.
Discover Why Emotion Drives Customer Decisions and How Logical Justifications Follow. Learn How to Spark Desire in Your Audience Before Talking Features.
The Power of Emotion: Why You Should Always Sell the Sizzle, Not the Steak Read More »
When Robert Kiyosaki of “Rich Dad Poor Dad” fame said, “It is not how much money you make but how much you get to keep,” he was talking about TAXES. As a business owner, you get to claim business expenses that employees do not. For example, if you use a cell phone to make yourself
Taxes Are The Way to Wealth Read More »
Ever Feel Like Time Is Slipping Away? The Secret to Maximizing Productivity Isn’t Just Working Harder—It’s Knowing What Your Time Is Really Worth. Learn How to Calculate Your Hourly Value, Identify Low-Impact Tasks, and Start Focusing On What Truly Moves the Needle. Stop Wasting Time—Start Making Smarter Decisions Today.
What’s Your Time Worth? Why Every Task Needs a Price Tag Read More »
Are You Running Your Business Blindfolded? Without Measuring Results and Tracking Feedback, You’re Guessing Instead of Growing. Learn How Feedback Loops Can Help You Make Smarter, Data-Driven Decisions That Lead to Real Success.
Why Most Entrepreneurs Fail Without Feedback—And How to Fix It Read More »
