Planning works. A year ago, I shared The 2011 Plan and last week I shared the success story of that plan when I wrote "How to make what you write come true." Finding a planning method that works for you is, unfortunately, not so easy. I've settled on a method that combines Chris Brogan's three words … [Read more...]
Keep It Simple Stupid
The other day a commercial came on TV for a furniture-moving device. It was basically a simple machines (a lever and fulcrum) combined to make it easy to pick up the end of a piece of heavy furniture. Then, you could slip a plastic disk under the feet of the furniture and easily slide it across the … [Read more...]
Trust your team, grow your business
I have a confession to make - I'm a control freak. But by growing the team I work with over the last year, I'm learning to let go. We've added some quality folks to the team and it's a whole lot easier to let go of responsibility when you are putting it in capable hands. With fewer day-to-day … [Read more...]
The Time Management Myth
We don't really manage time. We make choices what to do with our time. The clock stops for no one. So, what we really need to manage is our choices. Right now, you have chosen to read this blog and I thank you. A few days ago, I chose to write this post instead of sitting back and reading a … [Read more...]
Why Strategy Matters
Strategy is the third of my three words for 2011. Previously, I've written in greater depth about both customers and content. Strategy is developed by listening to customers and understanding where the pain points are in their business. Then, we create solutions that fix or remove altogether those … [Read more...]
Changing Business Processes
As I closed out my 2010 bookkeeping over the last two weeks, I realized I had done something right about 12 months ago. As I tallied my business auto miles and out of pocket cash expenditures for the year, the process was going much faster than the previous year. I had made two business process … [Read more...]
The 2011 Plan
For me, 2010 marked a year of radical changes in the way I do business. It was in many ways a year of rebirth, learning and growing. While the learning and growing will continue in 2011, it will also be a year of solidifying positions established in 2010. In 2010, I developed an over-arching … [Read more...]
Start at the bottom of the list
I find myself needing to refer back to Getting Unstuck Now more than I would like. Having observed other successful people, perhaps this is just what happens as you begin to take on more success-related projects. The project "to-do" list grows longer and longer. To get unstuck this time I took a … [Read more...]
Marketing 101: Make the Move Online
The idea to make the move online is such a basic strategy it begs to be a 101 topic. The quandary lies in the fact that moving a traditional offline business on-line turns out to be 201 and 301 subject matter. There will be hard work and pain involved, I promise. Moving online should work with and … [Read more...]
Goals Define Choices
Everything you do in life takes you closer to your goals, or further from them. Without clearly defined goals you have no standard by which to judge your choices. Yesterday I shared four of the key choices I have made in my life over the past year. Each of those choices has brought me closer to my … [Read more...]