Management Consulting Topics
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I have published articles, written books, taken courses, done extensive research, and earned degrees, but have not made the study of leadership the central focus of my career.
On the other hand, I’ve worked with and studied exceptional leaders in Fortune 100 companies and in dozens of businesses ranging in size from a few employees to a few hundred employees. All of these leaders have set a standard that I find worth emulating. In addition, I have been in leadership roles—sometimes successfully and other times not so much—in most of my fifty-plus years in business.
I share my perspective here with the hope that you may find that perspective useful. I also hope that many who read this brief article add their perspective, which will help me and others grow as leaders, and further the understanding of what it takes to exercise leadership effectively.
Finally, I make a clear distinction between leadership and management.
• Leadership is about how you deal with people.
• Management is about dealing with things and processes.
Leaders create the vision. Managers create plans. Your vision motivates people to action; plans are an outcome that guides your team toward making your vision a reality. Leadership and management are the two elements of being-in-charge and being responsible. The ability to discern which element one is dealing with or which is dominant at any moment in each unique situation is—in my view—the main characteristic of a great leader. I call this characteristic wisdom.
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One aggressive lawsuit can destroy and business owner's financial security.
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Project management software supports in dealing with perplex and multiple projects simultaneously, regardless of industry concerned.
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Management Consulting
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The last five years have seen an explosion of online sales activity with growth rates in almost all verticals in the fourteen to twenty percent range. However, ninety percent of all online businesses fail.
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Do you ever feel like you cause animosity and anger just by answering a simple question? The wrong word or tone of a word can cause misunderstandings, ill feelings and resentment, producing communication barriers that cost your organization more money than server downtime. It is essential that you approach and communicate effectively with your Front Line people.
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We all have the same amount of time and we can all use it a little wiser. Here are some ideas and tips of what I am doing regarding time management
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How to create a Mission Statement that makes a difference
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Winning mindsets and attitudes are paramount to business success. Strategies and tactics are only half the battle. Having a positive mindset and attitude are the other.
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Choose your boss carefully. Make sure he or she has an "open listening to ideas and consideration." Otherwise, your great ideas will remain silent.
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The lack of proper delegation of decision making to lower level managers and employees is the single largest factor in stunted business growth. Without a clear systematic process for delegation, leaders eventually hit their leadership lid and business growth is stifled.
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Small business is facing many challenges today, none of which are more foreboding than burdensome Federal Government Regulation and mandates that thwart investment and stifle job growth
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Business Brokerage & Consulting
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There are several common mistakes that Seller's often make in the sale of their small business. Here are a few important points to consider if you are ready to put your business up for sale.
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The sale of a privately held business can be structured in one of two ways; the buyer can acquire the stock of the selling company or the assets of the selling company. Most business sales are asset sales as opposed to stock sales. Many times the value of a business sale exceeds the value of the assets being purchased; the additional value of the business sale, beyond the asset value, is classified as goodwill.
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Business brokers, business intermediaries, or investment bankers work to sell your business and create a large market of likely buyers while you grow your business and increase the profitability of your business during the sales period. This article covers things to look for in hiring a business broker or investment banker and what to pay them including likely fees for the sale of a business.
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Business Coaching
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We all are bombarded with opportunity or challenge to change. By removing the liabilities, limitations and excuses, we automatically change. Notice the three letters difference in the two ... challenge and change.
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Communicating effectively could be the difference between life and death. When messages are unclear, the expected outcome can be compromised, delayed or not happen at all.
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A look at community development through the eyes of an educational village integrating students with the community.
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One of the most important qualities you can possess is credibility. If you're not credible, you might as well toss in the towel. Your ability to get people to rally behind you in any way shape or form is a direct result of how credible you are.
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Business Advice for Management Consulting
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In the world of business, size really does matter, especially when it comes to how you’re classified.
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Mistake proofing is a technique for eliminating errors. It is based upon the premise that it is good to do something right the first time; it is even better to make it impossible to do it wrong the first time. The idea is to make it impossible to make a mistake. You may also hear the term, Poka Yoke or Error Proofing applied to mistake proofing.
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When it comes to branding, there is perhaps no more important factor than your business logo. What is the significance of a logo? Read on to find out.
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Business Advice for Business Coaching
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Getting started in business requires a method! There are systems in place, and levels to achieving goals. This article gives you the Big 5's!
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The quality of your relationships depends upon your ability to communicate effectively. Your posture, gestures, physical movement and facial expressions may be telling an entirely different story than the one you are attempting to convey.
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Understand the motivations between “Doing” vs. “Being” Leadership and how this fundamental change can propel a leader to sustained organizational success!
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Business Advice for Business Brokerage & Consulting
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Get some tips and advice on the 5 things to consider when starting a new (small) business.
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A quick overview for a business owner who may be considering selling their business.
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The five main reasons businesses do not sell.
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Management Consulting - Questions & Answers
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Top answer: 50%
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Top answer: Lean Six Sigma
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Business Coaching - Questions & Answers
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Top answer: Yes
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Top answer: Always
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Top answer: Yes
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Top answer: 6-8 hours
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HR Consultants Topics
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Annual employee performance reviews may do more harm than good
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Job descriptions are a useful management tool, but many smaller companies don't keep them up to date. There is an easy way to keep them up to date.
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Consultative sales people don’t like to talk and they usually are not the best golf players, either. They are good listeners, they understand the challenges in the marketplace, and they are consistent in their database management.
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Building a winning development culture and fostering employee retention does not come from simply giving speeches, reading the latest book on management or attending an inspirational seminar. Developing an involved, effective, highly committed employee requires planning, commitment, and a variety of interventions and strategies.
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Jobs that existed 10 years ago don't exist today, jobs that exist today didn't exist 10 years ago and there will be jobs in the future that haven't been invented yet. Are you willing to change to meet the needs of the new job market.
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The key to retaining employees starts in the interview process
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This article summarizes the law as it pertains to the differences between Employees and Independent Contractors.
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Business & Personal Coaching Topics
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Business coaching and mentoring for business owners and entrepreneurs.
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The building of a team can be complex, especially when different personalities are involved as well as agendas. It is how individuals interact to create a cohesive team to successfully reach defined goals.
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Short term goals are stepping stones. They are necessary for the preparation of long term goals.
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Success is based upon what your beliefs about yourself and your surroundings are. If you "believe" in the negative, you will express that. If you believe in the positive, that's what you'll get. So, the question is: what do YOU believe in?
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There is much truth to the idiom that "There is no I in team".
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There are many ways to grow your business, but most business owners are cynical, opting to ignore new possibilities. Growth begins with an expansive, receptive attitude, an attitude of 'Yes.'
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Marketing has changed over the years and reaching your audience isn't what it used to be. Do you really need to have a website and get on board with technology?
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A Coach will focus on the strengths that already exist within you and help you to reach your full potential. A potential that you didn’t know existed.
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With emails piling up faster than ever and most people relying on it as the key means of communicating and getting real work done in their businesses, here are 7 simple tips that can help you be more productive and have less stress.
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When it seems like we might miss our mark, our goal obsession pushes us to use questionable methods to hit our target. Quite simply, the principled pursuit of a challenging goal set by another person, forces us to become cheaters.
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As a team leader, responsibilities cover management of people, the team's organization, efficiency of communication, processes, services, other business activities, results and must be in line with overall objectives of the business.
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Having a strategic or business plan is critical for a small business. Understanding where you are and where you are going helps an organization effectively align itself toward accomplishing its goals.
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When the "want to" changes into intentional action we move from the life we live to the life we long to live.
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Every small business owner knows there is always more to do than there is time to do it. This article teaches you three simple questions you can use to help you decide what is most important for you to do and what you can and should delegate to others.
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Top answer: Yes
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Top answer: Yes, every morning
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Top answer: Yes
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Top answer: No
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Top answer: Yes
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Top answer: Yes
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Top answer: Yes
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Top answer: No, I have not relocated for a job.
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Top answer: Yes
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Top answer: Several times a year
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Top answer: Very important
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Top answer: 1-5 employees
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Top answer: Sometimes
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Top answer: Very rewarding
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Top answer: 1-2 days
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Top answer: 25-50 miles
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Top answer: Blue
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Top answer: Favorable
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Top answer: Face to face
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Top answer: Always
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Other Business Consulting Topics
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Chef Ramsay and others have queried restaurant owners and readers of a book have been asked about what I coined in 72. One's WoW Factor.
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Many large businesses have in-house User Experience teams, or they hire UX consultants to do their research for them while internal teams implement changes based on findings. Both options are expensive. Small businesses can still improve their products and services by being smart about when and how they conduct UX research.
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The organization of the future would be an entirely different place to work than the top-down, Worker versus Management organizations of the 19th and 20th Centuries.
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Owners and executives must be leaders first and managers second. As leaders our task is first and foremost to be about doing the right things, and the “seven deadly sins,” should be on the top of your list as leadership issues you are dealing with on a regular basis. Building a small business is one of the most rewarding, but risky ventures one could possibly venture into.
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Changing your “What if, then…” focus from the problem to a solution (whether in business or in your personal matters) changes your whole paradigm.
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I talk with small business owners day in and day out. I keep hearing about this recession thing and how they are waiting to do anything with their business until the economy improves. Guys, this is it. This is the new normal. It’s not just another cycle — we’re in what some people are calling a “reset,” a basic shift in how money moves around. We have to accept that the government isn’t going to change the economy, we are!
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We’ve all heard the old adage, “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.” If what you’re getting isn’t good enough anymore, you need to CHANGE things. Success in business requires three things in this sequence. . .
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Many businesses are not aware of the high risk exposure when contracting third party vendors to aid with their business processes. This article will give a little more insight on why it is very important to have appropriate vendor management guidelines in place to create risk awareness and be able to proactively reduce the risk before high risk exposure occurs.
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Discussing what is really leadership all about
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Its not easy, but you can succeed. This is what it takes.
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In the movie City Slickers the trail boss “Curly”, played by Jack Palance, was a trail-hardened cowboy with some advise for his “city slicker” guests, “all you have to know is that one thing.”
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Here is something to think about when you next review your marketing campaign, your networking efforts, your branding, your advertising materials and your sales scripts…
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Execution - a flavor of the month, another good idea? All of the above... A few hints on achieving the desired outcome in your organization...
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: homeostasis, Any self-regulating process by which a biological or mechanical system maintains stability while adjusting to changing conditions. Systems in dynamic equilibrium reach a balance in which internal change continuously compensates for external change in a feedback control process to keep conditions relatively uniform. An example is temperature regulation — mechanically in a room by a thermostat or biologically in the body by a complex system controlled by the hypothalamus, which adjusts breathing and metabolic rates, blood-vessel dilation, and blood-sugar level in response to changes caused by factors including ambient temperature, hormones, and disease.
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Communication is a topic with many writers and speakers. Most people probably have at least one opinion on what matters most with communication. Perhaps that is because communication is a necessary skill for anyone wanting positive relationships or to get something done with others. Often, problems of many varieties boil down to nothing more complicated than a lack of effective communication.
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Group purchasing and purchasing cost savings has direct impact on bottom line profits.
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A group purchasing organization (GPO) helps small business and organizations in various markets realize savings and efficiencies by aggregating purchasing volume.
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Developing a reporting structure is often a problem for organizations large and small! It's really simple.
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What are the habits that discipline you toward success? Meeting rhythms are one of the tools help you stay on course to achieve your priorities.
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In business if you fail to plan, then you also plan to fail.
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The surfing industry is one of the few industries where one can create a viable Small Business that produces satisfaction beyond your wildest dreams.
Of course it takes alot of MidNight Oil, planning, and dedication.
Never hope for luck but always depend on the creation of quality products and services and depend solely on your own tuition, experience, and be willing to travel and listen intently because you will earn your Street Degree one step at a time.
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Succession planning is critical in a closely held or family business. Plan and prepare properly to assure your company's success.
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Part 1 of a 3 part series of tips for taking control of your time. This article outlines the first 2 tips.
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If your small business has reached a "plateau" point, here are some ideas on how to increase the productivity of your business. It's easy to overlook these proven methods when you are preoccupied with running your business.
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Our capacity to discover and access information is creating an overload that can become dangerous to your ability to perform.
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In this economic climate here are 10 things you can do today that will help you achieve growth in your business.
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If the first impression you make “stresses” me (the customer), any opportunity you had to sell your product or service has just been totally closed off. You know the saying: “you never get a second chance to make a good first impression”.
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Without a clear vision, you may find yourself confused, stuck, stressed, overwhelmed, and drained. How can you get back on your track? The answers are as individual as you are. Use some of the ideas below as starting points.
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Increasing employee productivity is one of the biggest challenges for most employers. While an increased output is essential, the demands of the business should not be unrealistic for the employees. That begs the question: How do we create a balance?
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We all know there’s design--and then there’s "Design"! From beautiful houses and buildings to boats–-you name it--design makes all the difference in a great or just--OK outcome. Organizations are no different--design matters--a lot.
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Social media is the modern equivalent of traditional advertising. If done correctly, social media can grow your online business faster than any other means available. Hiring a company that specializes in Social Media marketing will help ensure the success of your new website or blog.
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We made a “road map” for our business to follow, and it was up and running according to plan. And, then came--life! That's when you have to burn the map, get off the highway and turn your journey into an expedition of the unknown.
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They call it “the plane-crash scenario”: one minute, your company’s chugging along fine, then bammo: a twist of fate -- not necessarily in an airplane -- knocks the CEO and top executives out of action.
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which is more important… sales, or profits? Shouldn’t the goal be to increase profits? …the money you keep after paying your expenses? Doubling your revenues doesn’t equate to doubling your profits, does it?
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I have personally seen that senior management in many organizations view Lean Six Sigma as another quality improvement initiative or flavor of the month. We are often told by many engineers and managers in small and big companies that there is nothing really new in Lean Six Sigma compared to other quality initiatives we have witnessed in the past.
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Even the best run organizations occasionally run into difficult situations with clients, consultants, and vendors. Learn how to manage client relationships.
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Development and implementation of process, procedure and structure is indeed an epidemic if not an obsession within the small business community. However, the process may very well strip a small company of its most valuable assets; entrepreneurial spirit and creativity, rapid time to market, swiftness in adjusting to market trends, cash (development and implementation is an expensive endeavor) and the ability to attract and retain the creative souls who are the very heart of small business.
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Know these 3 biggest mistakes committed in sales and marketing and you will never commit them again.
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Brainstorming works best when everyone participates and breaks out of his or her work group.
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Your business maybe running you instead of you growing it. If that's the case, you might be missing a few of these important steps that help you build a strong business foundation.
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How much time are you and your top team spending on strategic initiatives? You'd be very surprised. Then imagine what this is costing you! You'll be nervous...
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This test will tell you whether or not you are ready to successfully own a business
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Being a great networker is about connecting with people, there really is an art to networking.
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How’s business? Is it great, challenging, fun; is it as good as can be expected? If it’s GREAT – congratulations! If it’s “CHALLENGING” – challenges are good, keep going! If it’s “FUN” – that’s terrific, it should be fun! If it’s “AS GOOD AS CAN BE EXPECTED” – we need to talk! Specifically, we need to talk about what it is you’re expecting.
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Crazy comparison to business and fairy tales in a business philosophy.
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The innovation to help American businesses ‘win the future’ will only come about when corporate leaders create a culture of respect between workforce generations. Over and over, we have seen innovation strangled by leaders with a single-minded focus on organizational profitability and entrenched senior executives looking to safeguard their own bank accounts.
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As we see the economy falter, we as business owners and managers wonder how we can keep it all working smoothly. Lets start by taking a leaf out of big business. Its often the other way around as corporations look to entrepreneurial businesses for ideas.
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Civility in the workplace is often a result of corporate culture.
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Standing still in business makes you a great target for the competition, doesn’t bring the satisfaction of building something great, stifles innovation, motivation, personal and professional growth and gives rise to high employee turnover.
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These famous words by Marshall Goldsmith are appropriate for anyone who has surpassed the five million in sales mark with aspirations of growing to over ten, maybe even thinking of fifty million in annual sales.
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Two of the most misunderstood words in business today are management and leadership. The mere fact that corporate management is what everyone is trying to figure out “how to do” proves the point. “Leadership is doing the right things, management is doing them right “~ Peter Drucker.
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Franchising is a viable and effective way to build a business, brand and operating model across markets with speed and efficiency. It is has been proven to be one of the most effective and profitable business growth systems in the world over the past one hundred years. In the United States alone, the franchise marketplace produces over $1.5 trillion in annual revenue
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When considering ways to grow a business, brand and concept, franchising can be a really effective way to build a business and develop a brand. When considering whether to start a franchise concept, you should know what a franchise is and what a franchise is NOT
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Research outside of the Internet to give yourself the best opportunity to qualify for a franchise.
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This article focuses on the importance of a proper business valuation.
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On this December 25th 2013 whether you celebrate Christmas or another holiday, I want you to realize what a miracle you are. There are over 6 billion people on this planet and of that 6 billion there is not a single person absolutely identical to you. Even a supposedly identical twin is not exactly like you.
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Fact; each year, thousands if not millions of people retire some by mandate of some laws and in most cases, because the retiree wants to stop continuing with the grind.
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Now more than ever, it takes strategic planning to turn your retirement dreams into reality -- especially if you're one of the estimated 76 million members of the baby-boom generation born between 1946 and 1964.
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Today's economic environment is creating new motivations for business owners to consider selling their companies, and some basic preparation steps can increase the value of their companies.
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Social media populates the internet through the use of various platforms. The more exposure you have, the more customers you have. Here are three things you can do to optimize the organic nature of the internet, and they are all free!
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One of the biggest challenges facing HR professionals in the highly competitive and dynamic market of today’s business world is hiring top performing employees. Hiring “successfully matched” employees is a valuable asset for any organization.
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"My interview is today, what am I going to do, oh boy, oh man. I'm nervous. I'm scared. I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe." How many of you have felt this way in the past? I know firsthand from the job seekers I encounter, they felt that way many times before and interview. The panic that set in before meeting would-be employers was so immense that some even skipped out on the appointment altogether in order to avoid the embarrassment. What? No way! Why? That's right! They avoided the opportunity because that fear owned them at the moment, so much that it left them speechless and breathless. Well if this has ever happened to you, I'm here to provide you with a dose of CPR.
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Of late I have seen more lack of appreciation of the HR professionals and the departments they staff, than ever before. Case in point:
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The way you treat your employees makes a significant impact on their engegement and performance.
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Excess Turnover can be very costly. Here's why and some tips on how to avoid it.
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Study reveals 60% of employee work-place distractions are caused by e-mail, social networks, text messaging or IM causing significant financial loss to Small Business.
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Effective January 1, 2012 certain employers will be required to provide 5 days of paid sick leave per year to their service workers......this regulation applies to a wide range of employers and most employers are subject to the provisions of the anti-retaliation provision.
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Many Entrepreneurs have a 'day' or 'night' job, while they are building their business.
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The benefits of empowering your employees and recognizing their untapped value to the organization.
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The passage of the EMR Act is making it a challenge for the medical community to do more with less. Positioning yourself for compliance is a complicated process, but can be accomplished with proper advance planning.
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