Guest post by: Christopher Ryan CEO or Fusion Marketing Partners and Center for Business Modeling. Chris is a SCORE colleague and a marketing and sales maven. We are super fans of each others work. The following post was published by Chris on his blog is February of 2016 and is chock full of valuable advice. […]
The Evolving Journey of the B2B Buyer Read More »
I certainly spend more time shopping online these days than in the mall and I don’t think I’m alone. The internet allowed for “online shopping” that in turn created online-retailers like Amazon and Overstock, but they were the only businesses visible on the front line. While malls suffered from this shift in buying behavior, other
A Major Shakeup Is Looming – Are You in Jeopardy of Missing the Boat? Read More »
Recently, I was speaking at a local community college about the value of an entrepreneurial mindset. While there, one student asked me, “How important do you think a college degree is to becoming a successful entrepreneur?” The question was a bit awkward since I was the guest speaker with no college education and there were
A College Degree and Entrepreneurship in the Millennial Generation Read More »
Why Do Entrepreneurs Participate in Speculative Ventures and Put Their Time, Energy, Passion, and Finances into Launching a New Business?
Why in the Heck Would You Start a Business Read More »
Networking Is Much More Than Just Meeting People and Exchanging Business Cards! See How a Networking Plan Can Lead to Phenomenal Business Success.
How to Make the Most of Networking Events Read More »
The culture that a company embraces can say a lot about the eventual success of a company. In a study performed by sociologists James Barron and Michael Hannan, they tracked the culture of 167 Silicon Valley startups over an extended period of time. The study identified five primary cultures embraced by most startups. Engineering Model This
Your Corporate Culture Defines Your Success Read More »
Learn how savvy entrepreneurs recognize they may have a confirmation bias that can stifle their success and discover how to avoid them.
How Your Confirmation Bias Is Stifling Your Business Success Read More »
Several weeks ago, Sara Pope of ConsumerAffairs.com, reached out to me and asked if I could review a step-by-step guide to business loans and financing that her company had produced. My initial reaction was to just say no. My inclination to decline her offer was based on my experience with hundreds of nascent entrepreneurs. All too
A Step by Step Guide to Business Financing Read More »
Natural law is a philosophy that states that people are motivated in their actions by human nature. It refers to the use of reasoning to analyze human nature and to deduce the rules that govern a person’s actions and behavior. We have all seen the image of a stick and sting that suspends a carrot
How to Apply Natural Law – Your Key to Unlocking More Sales Read More »
Guest post by: Christopher Ryan CEO or Fusion Marketing Partners and Center for Business Modeling. Chris is a SCORE colleague and a marketing and sales maven. We are super fans of each others work. The following post was published by Chris on his blog in September of 2016 and is chock full of valuable advice.
Market Research – 8 Strategies for Getting it Right, Quickly Read More »
Businesses employ both offensive and defensive strategies. However, when it comes to rewards, it is the offense that gets all the attention. If my company makes a sale through the results of my actions, it is not uncommon to receive a reward or commission. However, if I prevent a sale to a customer who would
Why You Should Reward People That Avoid Bad Outcomes Read More »
When it comes to marketing, small businesses should understand that psychology and sales are two parts of the same coin. From the world of psychology, one cognitive bias that a small business owner should embrace when it comes to marketing is known as “the halo effect.” Technically speaking, the halo effect is a cognitive bias
How to Harness the Halo Effect to Boost Profits Read More »
Not long ago, I was driving through Denver in rush hour traffic. As I inched along in traffic, I was replaying a discussion in my head about the Colorado Springs ecosystem being the red-headed stepchild to Denver’s much more robust business ecosystem. Most of the discussion was geared toward activities the Colorado Springs ecosystem could do
Why Bigger is Not Always Better Read More »
Recently, I was teaching a course, “Going Pro – Moving from Hobby to Business” and one of the students was a jewelry designer looking to take her hobby of making jewelry, mostly as gifts for friends and family, and turn it into a paying business. I suggested she focus her jewelry design on a profitable
13 Steps to Find Your Profitable Niche for Free Using Long-Tail Keywords Read More »
I have always been fascinated with Sun Tzu and his tome The Art of War. Consequently, I have taken many of his lessons and applied them to business situations. While Sun Tzu is truly brilliant when it comes to waging a war, upon much deeper reflection, you might be in the wrong business if you
Why Business Marketing Should Not Be Treated Like War Read More »
Understanding monetary policy is critical to understanding why our lives are the way they are. Unfortunately, economics is often viewed by the vast majority of citizens with confusion and boredom. Financial jargon coupled with intimidating mathematics quickly deters people from any attempt at understanding it. That said, our established monetary system exists as one of
Our Fragile Monetary System Read More »
Earlier today, I was reading a reddit.com post about a young man ready to graduate college this summer who was desperately looking to start his own business. He didn’t have a business idea and was looking to the readership to help him come up with one. I often suggest to clients with a desire to
There Is No Prize for Originality Read More »
When it comes to selling your product or service, it is always a good idea to keep in mind what is most important to the other party. This is especially true when you are dealing with a large company run by a guardian. For example, most employees high up in the food chain of a
Your Customer is Afraid you’ll Cost him his Job Read More »
In the Agrarian Age, there was no mechanization; farm businesses were limited by the number of unskilled labors (slaves) they could employ and by the length of the growing season. The stronger and faster the worker was, the more valuable he was to the business. However, as the tractor and other farm equipment were developed,
How Amazon’s Alexa is the Flint that Will Spark a Business Revolution Read More »
Most business articles neglect to discuss one fundamental attribute that is a critical part of a successful small business owner’s personality. This dimension of their personality is so important that some say it is the linchpin to business success. Yet, rarely do you see it discussed in any business books. So, what is this attribute?
Curiosity: The Fundamental Attribute of Successful Entrepreneurs that No One talks about Read More »
Your content marketing efforts may not be aligned with the VARK modalities of your audience. Content should appeal to Visual, Auditory, Reading, and Kinesthetic learners.
VARK – Why Your Content Marketing Is Falling on Deaf Ears Read More »
Every business makes investments to create revenue for itself. All too often business owners consider cash as its only source of revenue worthy of investments. In addition to cash revenue comes in the form of Attention and trust and Referrals
Revenue Comes in 3 Flavors Read More »
We have all heard that an oil tanker or large container ship cannot change direction very quickly. In fact, it often takes them several miles to change their direction. This is because these vessels have a lot of mass. The more mass an object has, the more energy is required to change direction. Mass in
Is Your Business Like a Pirate Ship? Read More »
Have you ever noticed how our culture celebrates the idea of being a workaholic? It’s almost like a badge of honor to kill yourself for work. I think society romanticize workaholics and view them as team players who are always willing to go the extra mile. However, I think if you are a workaholic, you
Are You a Workaholic? Read More »
Recently, I have been exploring my analytics and revisiting my Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s). What began to dawn on me as I attempted to make actionable sense of all this data was that I was falling into the same trap that most businesses owners do when looking at their social media performance. Many of my
How Deep Is Your Audience? Read More »
What I find interesting is that most first time entrepreneurs do not want to offend anyone with their viewpoint. They think that they are avoiding creating enemies by not having a polarizing opinion. In their mind, they think this somehow gives them a better chance at success. Furthermore, they consider people with strong opinions and
Be Controversial to Spread Your Message Read More »
You need to shape the future rather than predict it. Why a manager entrepreneur approach is very different from a founder entrepreneurs
Exploit the Future by Shaping It – Don’t Try to Predict It Read More »
Conventional business advice discourages entrepreneurs from practicing the leverage contingency principle. Instead of encouraging the entrepreneur to make small low-cost incremental steps to observe what happens, conventional wisdom recommend extensive upfront planning as a way to hit their ultimate target or goal on the first try without any type of feedback loop to test assumptions during the development process.
Leverage Contingency Principle – Planning for the Unexpected Read More »
Learn how the strategic partnership principle practiced by founder entrepreneurs can help you build products for little or no cost
Strategic Partnership Principle – The Truth about Competitive Analysis Read More »
Manager entrepreneurs use causal reasoning to focus on the “expected return”. Founder entrepreneurs use effectual reasoning to focus on “affordable losses.”
Affordable Loss Principle – Reaching Markets with Minimum Resources Read More »
The reasoning style of the manager entrepreneur, with their predominantly causal reasoning, approaches a business startup very different from the founder-entrepreneur, who approaches a startup business primarily with effectual reasoning.
How Your Reasoning Skills Can Affect Your Business Success Read More »
Previously, we looked at how the startup landscape has changed and that you might not need a formal business plan to successfully launch your business. In this post, we will look into why we keep getting the same old business advice. What has emerged, as the funding and risk gap has widened, is a greater
Why The Business Advice You Are Getting Is One Sided Read More »
Innovations and manufacturing businesses have different planning requirements than the more common support and local service businesses.
Why The Business Planning Advice You Have Received Is Probably Stale Read More »
One of the most common excuse I hear from people about not starting a business is that they just don’t have the time. Everybody has time. Watching T.V. is not a productive use of your time. What if you used your T.V. watching time more productively to work on a business idea? When you want
A Lack of Time Is No Excuse for Not Starting a Business Read More »
When it comes to growing your business, there are three essential engines of growth: 1. Paid Engine of Growth: Most entrepreneurs consider this the only engine of growth. Often this takes the form of paid ads on websites or advertising on T.V. to attract lots of eyeballs to your product or service. The more targeted
Mastering the Three Engines of Growth Read More »
I agree with Seth Godin when he says that every business owner should write a regular blog even if no one reads it. The other day I was driving to Denver to attend a meeting with the SBA and the Minority Business Office. During the drive, I was listening to an audio-book about how to
The Value of a Blog Even If No One Reads It Read More »
The easy part is building the actual product or delivering the service. If you are not convinced, just consider this – Imagine a substance that falls from the sky and springs up from the earth for free. Yet, we are willing to pay more for it than we do for gasoline. Yep, I’m talking about
Is It Time to Create Your Own Channel? Read More »
As a small business, you have to consider the concept of microeconomics when pricing your product or service to maximize revenue. By definition, microeconomics studies the behavior of individuals and firms in making decisions regarding the allocation of limited resources (i.e., money). Contrast microeconomics with macroeconomics. Macroeconomics considers the sum of all economic activity such
Using Microeconomics to Maximize Revenue Read More »
You Can’t Assume You Can Capture a Portion of The Total Available Market (TAM) W/O Understanding the Served Available and Service Obtainable Market (SAM/SOM)
What Is Your Real Market Potential? Read More »
One of the best things for me about hunting season is not the thrill of the hunt or even trying to outwit a wild and cunning animal. Nope, it’s far less glamorous – It’s the quiet time I have alone with my thoughts. I recall a story that I read as a boy about Fred
What Is the Value of Quiet Time? Read More »
As we discussed in the Anatomy of a Business Owner, most self-employed, micro, and lifestyle businesses are started by a person with a strong technical persona. Often, these entrepreneurs are suddenly seized with the desire to start their own businesses because of their strong technical skills. Michael Gerber, the author of “The E-Myth,” describes this
Is Your Business Persona Aligned for Success as a Business Owner Read More »
The other day I was talking to a client about patents and mentioned that Callaway developed the Big Bertha driver. In fact, it initially sold for nearly $1,000 when it came out. Within a week of its release, a Chinese company created an exact duplicate as a knockoff that it sold for half the price.
Are You Focused on What Really Matters? Read More »
The other day I was watching a cooking show with my wife, Kim, and it dawned on me that what I was watching was a teachable moment for small business owners. On the show, there are a bunch of renowned chefs showing you step by step how to make one of their signature dishes. At
What I Learned from the Food Network Read More »
We prioritize tasks based on our return on investment (ROI). If we undertake a task that we think should take one day to complete and we find ourselves still working on it two days later, it is time to reevaluate our efforts. For the most part, human beings are all poor estimators. Remember the last
What To Do When You Exceed Your Estimate Read More »
The other day I went to a restaurant that I had never been to before with an old colleague. Upon opening up the menu, I was presented with over 100 choices and I’m not talking 50 different types of burgers. Can you even imagine the logistics involved with stocking all the ingredients and trying to
Is It Time to Clean House? Read More »
Like every entrepreneur, I’m motivated by accomplishments. Therefore, it stands to reason that most entrepreneurs seek out small jobs, like catching up on email, that they can accomplish quickly to feel the rush and satisfaction they get when they accomplish a task. Sometimes, however, there are more important tasks that by their nature take a
How to Keep Motivated Read More »
My advice to small business owners making sales calls is to use some type of icebreaker gift and share your story to make you stand out and be more memorable. Several years ago, a delegation from South Korea visited our company. At the time we were working with a publicly traded company whose product, floppy
Make Client Interactions Be More Memorable with This Technique Read More »
I’m writing this post while sitting in a hunting blind with lots of time to think about life and business. Last night after sunset, I located a farmer by the name of Ryan Britten. I have known him since he was a small child. I hopped aboard his Caterpillar tractor and we took several laps
Turning Trash to Treasure Read More »
My youngest son, Hank, works in an upscale country club restaurant. He works in what is known in the restaurant business as the “back of the house,” a.k.a. the kitchen. The hostess, waitresses, and bartenders work in what is known as the “front of the house.” Many businesses are set up in a similar way
Is Your Organizational Model Flawed? Read More »
in Late 2016 The FAA issued a safety alert to the airlines regarding the Samsung Note 7 and its exploding battery issue. Airline gate attendants announce to millions of travelers every day the special regulation to completely turn off the Note 7 phone to avoid a potential battery explosion during flight. To the everyday person,
How to Exploit Bad Press Read More »
What if one of your best employees was forced to move to a new city or wanted to leave for a better opportunity? Would you do whatever it took to keep them, such as making a job for him or her to work remotely or would you encourage them to leave? I was faced with that
Be Willing to Let Key Employees Go Read More »
While the underlining ability to write content that people want to buy is the same for both the magazine and the book publisher, the design considerations mirror many of the same issues entrepreneurs go through when they try to define their business and economic models.
4 Super Valuable Business ROI Lessons From Publishing Read More »
Most people believe that it is the product or service that makes a business successful. To those people, I say they are wrong. From my perspective, it is marketing that makes a company a success. Consider this example – did Starbucks invent coffee? No. Are they the only company that says they have the best
Quality Products Don’t Matter – Marketing Does Read More »
In the old days, companies would do extensive research to try to predict what the market would buy. Once they felt that they had a good idea about what would sell and how much of it they would need, they would build a product line to produce it and develop a strategy to deliver it.
Why Advertising Is Dying In the Long Tail Marketplace Read More »
Entrepreneurship Is a Potential Pathway Out of Poverty for Many Provided That They Understand Some Basic Entrepreneurial Principles.
Retail Arbitrage – The Homeless Can Be Entrepreneurs Too Read More »
My 89-year-old mother lives in an independent living facility that has several businesses connected to them. They have a bank, a maid service, and even a beauty parlor as my mom calls it. During a recent visit, my mom was telling me about how her hairdresser was let go because she was in such high
Are Your Employees Free-Agents? Read More »
Link-baiting is the practice of crafting content that is designed to get other content producers to link to it. The purpose is to increase the number of inbound links to your content and thus improving its performance in search engine results. Link-bait content falls into one of two major categories: Timeliness Content – Create timely
Get Hooked On Link-Bait Read More »
A Business Model is Customer-Focused And Is Your Value Proposition. Most Businesses Can Be Categorized Into 1 of 11 Different Types Of Business Models.
11 Common Types of Business Model Read More »
A 2013 survey by Neilson.com looked at the trust factor in advertising. They based the trust factor on where the consumer saw the ad. While none was considered 100% trustworthy, word-of-mouth recommendations from a friend, which is considered earned advertising, was by far the most influential and effective form of advertising. Here is how they
Where Do You Rank in Trust in Advertising? Read More »
Since writing “7 Rules When Naming Your Business,” several discussions have emerged that have added six additional rules founders should follow when naming their business. 1. Become a verb. Of course, the goal of every business is to have the company name become a verb. When we want to search the internet, we don’t say
6 More Rules When Naming Your Business Read More »
Many of my first-time clients have a fantastic new product idea. However, they often are caught up in the excitement of their new idea and envision the grand future their new product will give them. As a result, they focus too much energy on ways to scale their business, even before they figure out if
Gain Traction First, Then Scale Read More »
When I ask people to name a franchise, they always list restaurant concepts or other consumer-facing businesses. I often use this to pound home the message that business to consumer (B2C) franchises are only a small fraction of franchises, and the vast majority are in fact business to business (B2B) concepts. The same type of
Don’t Innovate, Just Execute Better Read More »
It occurred to me as I saw an article about Apple computers that there are some businesses clearly branded to their founders. For example, while I worked for Digital Equipment Corporation, founded by Ken Olsen, the company was not inexorably branded to his personality. However, that is not the case with Steve Jobs. Jobs was
Branding Your Personality for Profit Read More »
As I write this post, I have just returned from a motorcycle rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This rally is often referred to as just “Sturgis.” As always, the trip was full of lessons for entrepreneurs. Now, you may be surprised by that, but stick with me and you’ll discover these lessons
Four Business Lessons From The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Read More »
I often encounter clients that want to create a non-profit business. They all too often think that the primary difference is just one pays taxes and the other does not. They think that as long as they have a social benefit, they can be considered a non-profit. However, there is a vast difference between their
Non-Profit or For-Profit? Read More »
When he was watching the 2012 London Olympics, Steven Marx felt disappointed with the television coverage offered by NBC. Since he was an intermittent Twitter user with only about 20 followers at the time, Marx tweeted his frustration and used the hashtag #NBCFail. That single post catapulted Marx to fame and put an unfavorable light
Creating and Using Hashtags Read More »
Some time back, I participated in what I believe was a brilliant promotional concept. A local HVAC company held a competition for the oldest water heater. They requested that you email them a picture of the product tag that included the model number and manufacture date. At the time, I had lived in the same
Host a Contest to Self-Identify Customers Read More »
John Jacob Astor was the 1st multimillionaire. He made his fortune from dominated musical instruments industry, fur trade, and real estate.
6 Business Lessons From John Jacob Astor – America’s First Multi-Millionaire Read More »
When the Spanish arrived in the new world, they encountered Montezuma, head of the Aztec Empire. The Aztec civilization was a command and control society. By killing Montezuma, the Spaniards easily defeated the remaining Aztecs since their entire society was built around a single, all powerful leader. As they continued their advance, the Spaniards used
Taking a Lesson from History Read More »
Your product or service may be what your customers are buying, but they make their decision based on your packaging. Since customers can’t interact or use a product until they purchase it, the packaging is what they rely on to make their buying decision. What about the service industry? I can hear many of you
Your Business Packaging Read More »
It amazes me that many businesses just play music when they put a prospect on hold during a phone call. All too often when we are placed on hold, we hear the default phone system music playing. Why not use your customer’s hold time to actually market your business? Why simply have a canned music
Do you say “hello” and “goodbye” to your customers? Simply saying “hello” and “goodbye” can earn you healthy profits with almost zero investment. We have a local restaurant that I often go to for lunch where all the servers say “hello” as soon as you walk in the door. At my bank, they know me
The Value of Hello Read More »
Most people think marketing ends after a sale has been made. However, there’s immense potential in each customer that can be tapped with a follow-up. Why not follow up within one week of their purchase with a note to thank them for doing business with you? When was the last time a business ever thanked
Follow-up: The Key to More Sales Read More »
Most people work from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. It always perplexes me why some business to consumer (B2C) businesses are open during these same hours. How can they build their business when their customers are all trapped at work? It doesn’t make any sense! Increasingly, many successful business owners see the folly in
Hours of Operation Read More »
According to many studies, one of the most precious assets in American society is a person’s time. The time required at work, at home, with friends and family, and running errands do not fall under the categories of relaxation or recreation. For this reason, people place a high value on their free time. Don’t believe
The Most Precious Asset Read More »
You won’t find neatness or cleanliness listed in any marketing textbooks or discussed in any marketing class. Yet, the presence or absence of cleanliness can have a powerful effect upon a person’s decision to purchase. Have you ever walked into a store that had a particular odor? Not like the rich coffee aroma you smell
Neatness and Cleanliness Count Read More »
When it comes to selecting a location for a retail business, there’s a variety of criteria you should use, including: Many entrepreneurs have become bankrupt because they invested too heavily in a location that fell flat. Often, the location failed because other aspects of marketing were not properly attended to. If your location is hard
Choosing the Right Location for Your Retail Business Read More »
Almost anything can be sold from a roadside stand. If you’ve always wanted multiple locations, roadside stands are a great way to enjoy the benefits of expansion without the typical high costs. After all, each stand is a new location and increases the exposure of your brand. Roadside stands are portable, flexible, inexpensive, and appreciated
There are five important things to consider when designing a logo for your company. Learn what they are in this post.
Five Rules for Logos Read More »
When it comes to fighting a war, Americans think about the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marines. Each of these branches practice a strict command and control hierarchy. In command and control structures, the higher up in the command structure someone is, the more skills they have. From this prospective, it makes total sense to
What Businesses Can Learn from ISIS Read More »
The SBA has it wrong. A business plan is not always what you need. Financial planning is advisable to the extent that you have access to enough money or capital to conduct your first few experiments. However, small business counselors, mentors, and the SBA often encourage ALL fledgling businesses to write a business plan. This
Forget Writing A Business Plan Read More »
The other day I went to Denver to visit my mom. Near the entrance to her independent living facility, they were building a bunch of new condos. As I rounded the corner, I could not help but notice a woman dressed only in a bikini and a stocking cap holding up a grand opening sign.
Creative Marketing Techniques Read More »
The other day I was in a meeting with Debbie Segan, Vice President – workforce development at Pikes Peak Community College. She was talking about a successful program at a community college she had visited. She started by saying, “I’m a big believer in R&D.” Debbie then went on to define R&D as “rip-off and
Rip-Off and Duplicate Read More »
Most people believe life is supposed to be tough and big things only happen to other people. When something good happens to them, they wait for the other shoe to drop and for something to go wrong. As a result, their belief system usually finds a way to sabotage their new-found success and return them
Learn to Be an Entrepreneur Read More »
A while back, I was meeting with a client who was seeking venture capital investments to bring his product to market. I arranged to have Patrick Bultema, the Director of Innovation at Colorado College, to join us at one of our meetings. The reason why I invited Patrick to our meeting was that he had
How to Leverage Personal Development Read More »
When I sold my first company, I got a call from my business broker just before I was packing up to go home one night. He said that there was some interest in my business by a potential out-of-state buyer. He added they were a publicly traded company and wanted to fly out a team
Selling a Business – What to Expect During Due Diligence Read More »
Once you agree on a final price for the business, the seller and buyer must agree to what portion of the purchase price applies to the tangible assets vs. intangible assets (e.g., goodwill). The allocation of the purchase price will dictate what portion of the sale price the seller can treat as capital gains vs.
Allocation of Sales Price Governs Tax Consequences Read More »
Most buyers and sellers just assume that when you buy or sell a business you pay cash. While cash may be a component in the sales price, generally a business sale is never an all cash deal. Often, there are secured notes and/or unsecured notes that the seller my extend to the buyer. Of course,
Forms of M&A Payments Read More »
Whether you are using a business broker or attempting to sell your business yourself, you will need to start with a solid business plan. Using the business plan as your base, you will need to edit it to create a confidential business review document (CBR). The CBR is the main document buyers will use to
So, You Decided To Sell – The Documentation Read More »
A schema is a way to organize a pattern or thought using relationships to what is already known. For instance, make a relationship between what is known by your audience and what you seek to convey to them. This eliminates the need to explain much of the detail since your audience brings a body of
Employing A Schema In Marketing Read More »
When you have a new product or service, your customers will likely never take the risk of purchasing it unless you offer them a free sample first. Sometimes the free sample may come in the form of a gift from another person. I never considered getting a massage until I received one as a gift.
Free Samples Can Drive Sales Read More »
Recently, I was a panelist at a boots-to-business workshop at the United States Air Force Academy. After I introduced myself and described what I do each week, one participant raised his hand and asked, “When do you sleep?” He was implying that I have a very busy schedule, which I do. As I was driving
Are You Internally or Externally Motivated? Read More »
In 1913, five investors each contributed $100 in cash to a new enterprise. Each also brought a special skill to the enterprise. There was a salesman, accountant, miner, banker, and lawyer. After forming the company, they raised $75,000, which is just shy of $2 million in today’s money. The founders hoped to create a super-concentrated
Is it Time to Bleach Your Business? Read More »
What if you could create a simple sales hook video in minutes that converts visitors into buyers? This post will show you a proven, easy-to-follow formula to craft a compelling message and turn it into a video that engages and converts.
How to Write a Simple Sales Hook Video Read More »
Small business owners can learn a lot from Pierre Omidyar and the birth of eBay.
5 Valuable Business Lessons from Pierre Omidyar and eBay Read More »
Between the time when a business owner puts his company on the market and the closing date, there are two events that can occur which either kill the deal outright or negatively affect the final sale – the inadvertent disclosure of the sale and the accidental disclosure of proprietary information to competitors and customers. The
Process Mistakes that Reduce a Business’s Value During a Sale Read More »
There are several factors that can positively and negatively affect the value of a business from the point of view of the buyer. Some common factors that add value to a business include: When I sold my first business, the payment was to be made in the acquiring company’s public stock. Since it was during
Factors that Effect Business Value Read More »
John Chambers, the former CEO of Cisco Systems, says he can size up a business, determine their culture, and determine whether or not they are customer focused in less than 5 minutes. Chambers should know because he acquired scores of companies to grow Cisco systems into one of the top computer networking players. First, he
Size Up a Business in Less than 5 Minutes Read More »
Each time we embark on a new election season, I can’t help noticing that red vs. blue has given way to establishment vs. outsiders. In recent years, during their campaigns, politicians have marketed themselves as the candidate who will bring change to Washington, or in other words, the establishment. Yet once they are elected, they
Red vs. Blue → Establishment vs. Outsider Read More »
How Do You Create Instant Credibility in Your Service or Informational Product at No Cost? Give Your Solution a Name!
Why You Need To Give Your Solution A Name? Read More »
