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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 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 »
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 »
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 »
Henry Ford said that if he asked customers what they wanted, they would say a faster horse. Gathering customer insight is not about asking the customer about what they want, but talking to customers about their daily challenges and developing a deeper understanding of their needs. Another challenge is knowing which customers to listen to.
How Zip Car Built a Business Model Based on Customer Insight Read More »
Rather than attract and retain key talent in-house, have you ever thought about building or using a platform like innocentive? Innocentive connects seekers of solutions with solvers. By using this type of platform, you can pay talented individuals based on the number of transactions you need instead of retaining them for a reoccurring salary. They
Buy and Sell Innovation Read More »
