You could try my old favorite — “Attila the Hun Management” — but I doubt you’ll get very far. Fear of torture and death typically don’t work well in an office setting. Not that I haven’t wanted to slap a couple of people in an iron maiden before, but it’s probably not the best approach. […]
Get Organized With The Great Big Small Business Show Podcast!
The Great Big Small Business Show is a weekly podcast on small business. It’s done by a group of contributors, each recording a 3-5 minute segment on a specific topic (although there’s some deviation from time-to-time.) The format is great — you get a 20+ minute show chock full of small snippets of “to-the-point” info. […]
1 Bonus Benefit of Having a Mission Statement
In a moment of stunning revelation, Jerry Seinfeld says in an episode to Elaine, “Sex to save the friendship. If we have to, we have to!” Somehow this pops into my mind when I think about mission statements and tasks we don’t want to do. I’m clearly deprived in a number of areas in my […]
Master of Your Own Domain? Delegate Anyway.
Small business owners and entrepreneurs are masters of their own domain. You rule the roost. You’re the big cheese. In many cases your business lives or dies with your effort, creativity, guts and passion. You don’t work for anyone right? Well, I’d argue you work for your customers, but that’s another story for another day. […]
Help Manuals Are Obsolete
No one reads help manuals anymore…do they? Help manuals are notorious for being poorly written. Have you ever tried to build an IKEA shelving unit? And that even comes with pictures! Most manuals for software (which is the industry I work in most of the time) are insanely complex, technical and dry. I’ll admit to […]
The Great Big Small Business Show – Episode #4 – Customer Service
The latest podcast episode of The Great Big Small Business Show is all about customer service. It’s one thing I’m passionate about. It’s something I’ve always focused on in building my businesses, and I’ve written about it in the past as well. Even when clients leave you, think about providing great customer service. In the […]
The Secret to Successfully Delegating Work in 6 Steps
Entrepreneurs and small business owners typically have a hard time delegating to others. We’re control freaks, obsessively detail-focused and so invested emotionally into what we’re doing that it’s hard to let others do some of the work. We have no choice. Delegating is critical to a small business or entrepreneurial venture. No one person can […]
The #1 Pro and #1 Con of Watching the Competition
Is watching the competition a good idea? You tell me. There are some clear pros and cons to watching the competition. First, let me say this: obsessing over your competition is bad. It can’t help you or your business. If you want to obsess over something, obsess over your customers. So what’s the #1 pro […]
How to Make Sure a Prospective Employee Will Fit In
The most important thing when hiring someone in a small business or as an entrepreneur is to make sure they fit in well with the team. I said that yesterday. It’s more important than anything else. Remember, there are no guarantees when hiring someone. You could do 10 interviews, 6 background checks, tail the person […]
The Most Important Thing to Remember When Hiring Someone in a Small Business
Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” I’m fairly certain he wasn’t referring to hiring people in a small business, but the thought applies well. When a small business owner or entrepreneur makes the decision to hire someone it’s a big one. It should not be taken […]
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