For the second year in a row, our training and consulting company, Performance of a Lifetime, has been recognized as one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. What insights can we offer small business owners for how we achieved the double-digit growth that earned us this distinction? What’s working for us, and … Read more
In business, standing still is moving backward. As a business leader, it is your job to keep your company moving in a forward direction, which often means finding new and exciting opportunities for growth. Regardless of what your business does, it falls into one of three categories: service, merchandise, or manufacturing. The following will help … Read more
Diversifying your income stream as the way to make more money is old advice, but in tough economic times, it’s advice well worth taking. The key to successfully increasing your business income is to be sure the cost of diversifying isn’t making your profits negligible or nonexistent. All of the ideas below are ways you … Read more
Back when I was a full-time student, I used to moonlight as a part-time writer for various technology blogs. I did this on a “remote” basis. These blogs had offices thousands of miles away from my co-working space of choice: my cozy college hostel-room. So when I graduated in 2015, I was pleased to see … Read more
Technology is generally considered a driver of economic growth, yet only 4.9 percent of all US businesses are technology businesses. For the other 95 percent of small businesses, technology is not what they’re selling, yet it is critical to fueling the operations. Recently we talked with a group of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses alumni … Read more
Sure, the best leaders sometimes have to make decisions that are unpopular, but we all crave respect and support from the staff that make our companies work. Being a likable leader isn’t about currying favor or tiptoeing around the people you employ. In fact, being likeable means being the best leader you can be. Employing … Read more
Organizational transformations are always more difficult, take longer and require more resources than we think. Especially in today’s VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) global business environments. Twenty or thirty years ago, organizational change really could be “managed.” Hence the term Change Management. Today, significant change within companies requires much more than management. True leadership and … Read more
I love “shaking things up,” and if you’re like most entrepreneurs, you do, too. Unlike the average person, you probably thrive on change and can always find in it a way to grow your business. No wonder entrepreneurs have a sunnier outlook than the general public. Some 60% of small business owners in a recent … Read more
For David Bladow, entrepreneurship is the family business. The co-founder and CEO of flower delivery startup BloomThat grew up surrounded by people who never had their own boss: his grandfather, mother, father and stepfather. That mentality still runs strong. Every day, he carpools to work with his wife Callie, BloomThat’s production director. The company was … Read more
After my husband passed away, freelance writing became a side hustle that supplemented my income as a therapist. I wrote for a variety of websites and my content ranged from short articles about marketing to long series about mental health. The extra income I earned from writing gave me peace of mind and a few … Read more