Category Archives: Growth!

Will you BURN the next manager you hire?

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Dave Berkus

It seems to be a rule, not an exception. Many senior managers and early entrepreneurs create their own mess with this one. The first professional senior manager that an entrepreneur hires to share the growing workload does not last more … Continue reading →

Posted in Depending upon others, Growth!, Protecting the business | 2 Comments

Can you be an adaptive business leader?

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Dave Berkus

The title of this insight happens to be the name of a CEO roundtable organization I belong to and have been a member since 1989 (Adaptive Business Leader Organization – or ABL).  The organization, like Vistage, manages roundtables of CEOs … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Surrounding yourself with talent | Leave a comment

Is your CFO a bookkeeper or a strategist?

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Dave Berkus

Here’s one that most small company founders and CEO’s miss until it may be too late.  What is the role of a chief financial officer in growing and protecting the company? How about co-strategist? I recently coached a CFO in … Continue reading →

Posted in Depending upon others, Growth!, Hedging against downturns, Protecting the business | 3 Comments

Three qualities of a great leader

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Dave Berkus

There are lots of ways to measure a great leader. Here are three that should resonate with you as leader and with those who follow you. These qualities are applicable whether you are leading your company, a board, or a … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Surrounding yourself with talent | 3 Comments

Hit the hardest issues first!

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Dave Berkus

Reorder your priorities for maximum impact. There are two reasons to consider reordering your priorities to attack your most critical issues first, before the easiest ones to knock off the list. First, you are fresher at the start of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Surrounding yourself with talent | 1 Comment

Can you stretch the truth to make your point?

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Dave Berkus

How easily it happens… Sometimes it is easy for someone to make a statement that, in the enthusiasm of the moment or to make a point, crosses the line between fact and fiction.  Sometimes it seems to you to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Protecting the business, Surrounding yourself with talent | 2 Comments

Do you really need a board of directors?

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Dave Berkus

First, the short answer No matter what your size, if you intend to grow your business into more than just a lifestyle workplace, you should create a board of directors.  If you take money from knowledgeable investors, you will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Protecting the business | 4 Comments

When to pivot from your original plan?

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Dave Berkus

Plans do not often work as devised.  We are not always smart about the market or the product.  We may miss the context of the times and come to market too soon or too late. We might not have researched … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding your ideal niche, Growth!, Positioning | 1 Comment

Switching costs: A competitive advantage?

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Dave Berkus

We know that one of the ways we hold onto our customers is if there are high switching costs to move away to a competitor.  But how about the other side of the coin?  Do you have an estimate of … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Positioning | 1 Comment

Could you achieve ten percent net income each month?

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Dave Berkus

How planning is done today Most entrepreneurs and managers, when modeling their business operations using a spreadsheet, start with expected revenue by month.  Then they calculate cost of sales, and then project their expenses, to find the bottom-line profit or … Continue reading →

Posted in Growth!, Protecting the business | 1 Comment