Lately, it seems like everyone I talk to has a “Time Management” problem, but when I ask a few questions, it quickly becomes obvious (at least to me) that the problem isn’t Time Management. There is most certainly a lack of enough time for important activities, but it isn’t a result of bad time management.  The real problem is poor Self-Management, which I define as the process we use to prioritize things in our life and then allocate our time to our priorities. Work on This First There are all kinds of time management tips and techniques out there that can help you, but for any of them t ..read more

I’ve had three conversations with business owners in the last week where the fear of hiring a much-needed employee came down to one thing – not wanting to add another expense.  While payroll is obviously an overhead expense on the P&L, employees should be considered an investment, not an expense.  Here is what we discussed that convinced them to invest in new team members. Some roles in a business are obvious investments, with an obvious payback in either sales or productivity.  Hiring for other roles is not always as obvious, so let’s look at the different types of employee ..read more

2024 gives us a bonus – February 29th! In honor of a Leap Year, I wanted to give you a few tools that you can use to in your business to Leap Ahead. Since an extra 24 hours may not be enough to make big changes, let’s talk about smaller changes you can make throughout the year that cumulatively will have a big impact. 1. Be Customer Focused Build a relationship with your customers. Get to know their buying patterns and preferences. Then make it as easy as possible to buy from you. While a generic request for feedback will give you some information, make an effort for a personalized email or ca ..read more

Groundhog Day Syndrome is the feeling you get when your business is stuck in the same cycle, and you’re playing the same game of catch-up over and over again. The symptoms of Groundhog Day Syndrome are inconsistent sales and profits, stress and anxiety, and the feeling that you have been here before (because you have).  So what can you do about it? Remember Who Your #1 Client really is We all know about the concept of A,B,C and D clients, right?  Your “A” clients are 20% of the work and 80% of the profit.  “D” clients are 80% of the work and cost us money.  Well, I have dis ..read more

This month we are gifted with an extra day. It’s a leap year, and February 29th is a bonus 24 hours for all of us. You can treat the 29th  just like a regular work day, or you can treat it like a gift and spend some or all of the day working on the things you always put off. Here are my Top 5 suggestions to leverage your Leap Day: 1 – Create a list of 5 things to Stop Doing.  Every business owner knows they are doing things that they shouldn’t be doing.  Either things that don’t really need to be done, or things that someone else should do.  If you set aside 15 minutes of t ..read more

It’s a new year and your inbox is flooded with tips and tricks to Make this the Best Year Ever! Sometimes, especially after a busy holiday season, we respond with a Bah Humbug to all of the cheery, positive messages. Maintaining that Scrooge mentality is a sure-fire way to make sure 2024 is anything but the Best Year Ever. Let’s explore some of the ways you can sabotage your year. Ignore Your Numbers This is the most common mistake I see business owners make. They ignore their finances until it is time to file taxes. Financial statements can be difficult to understand, and sometimes they tell ..read more

The New Year is upon us, and with it comes the inevitable barrage of advice urging us to “embrace change” and “seize new possibilities.” As a business owner, you’re bombarded with articles and conferences promising to propel you into a future of growth and innovation. It’s easier to tune it all out and keep doing things the same old way. If you prefer to stay right where you are at, are determined not to change a thing, not to improve or grow, then here are my Top 5 Strategies to Be Stagnant in 2024. 1 – Convince yourself that “good enough” is actually good enough.  Let go of your dreams ..read more

As you look back on 2023, you may find that not everything went according to plan. We have been faced with many challenges – inflation, staffing issues, and supply chain backups, to name a few. If your bottom line isn’t where you want it to be, it’s time for a different approach in 2024, attracting abundance to your business.  Get Your Thoughts on the Right Track It starts with an abundance mindset. Leave negative thoughts and words in the storeroom. Believe in yourself, your business, your team and your goals. Use affirmations and positive statements that you will attract customers and a ..read more

The economy is always changing, your customer base is growing and changing, and buying habits change. Your world is always changing, yet in many ways it remains the same, as business is still business. The reality is a combination, with the fundamentals of business mostly unchanged, yet the business environment completely different than ever before – not better or worse, just different. So how do you navigate your business and your team through the uncharted waters? It’s simple really…you must be the leader that your team and business needs and lead them through it. The first reaction I often ..read more

One of the steps to building your client base is to identify your ideal client. Sometimes it is easier to identify who is NOT your ideal client. I talk to a lot of business owners, one of the perks of the job, and while these conversations are always interesting, I have had to learn who is a potential client and who is not a fit for business coaching. If you are considering hiring a coach, here are some of the things I am looking at to build a successful relationship. Satisfaction The business owner who is satisfied with the status quo of their business is not a good client for coaching. While ..read more