-
Search this blog
Archives
-
Recent Posts
Categories
Category Archives: Protecting the business
It is dangerous, but fair game to hire from a competitor.
Sometimes it is the first thought you or your managers have when in need of skilled talent, especially for sales or product development. It is not hard to find and observe the best employees of a good competitor at work, … Continue reading
Avoid the recruiting boomerang.
It has happened to all of us who have been leaders in business long enough. One of your employees is approached by an employee of a customer or of a supplier, stating that “It sure would be great to work … Continue reading
Update your banker in good times and bad.
You’ve heard the old one – that a banker always seems willing to offer a loan when you don’t need it. For small businesses, there is such truth in that statement that you can trust the story to be based … Continue reading
The “Hold Your Nose” theory of legal documentation
Investors sometimes join into investment rounds that have been pre-negotiated by others, receiving the paperwork already created by attorneys from that negotiation. It is not uncommon for a sharp investor to discover a “stinky” clause or two in such agreements … Continue reading
Posted in Protecting the business, Raising money
7 Comments
The three types of advice
OK. So I occasionally read suspense novels to break up the relative monotony of constant business books. A sentence in the one I am currently reading caught my eye. “There are three types of advice,” the wise White House Senior … Continue reading
Discount your projections. Make surprises positive.
Lots of people do or will depend upon your leadership in driving growth, stability, and profitability. There will always be times when salespersons or associates provide you with projections for future sales that reflect their inherent optimism. Whether you in … Continue reading
No negative surprises! Be first to warn of shortfalls.
In past insights, we’ve explored data gathering and dashboards for tracking the most important information to manage your company. Every good executive has a set of critical data points that best alert him or her to the changes in the … Continue reading
Can you just tell little business lies?
“He’s not in right now.” “I am going to the doctor at that time.” “I paid only two dollars a unit to your competitor.” Whether not true and used to avoid hurting someone’s feelings, or whether used to gain an … Continue reading
Separate “Chairman from “CEO.”
More and more today, shareholder organizations recommend that the positions of chairman and president (or CEO) be split, so there are checks and balances at the board level in the leadership. This recommendation is true for all companies with outside … Continue reading
Protect and grow your core competency.
It is a rule that early stage managers should find, protect and grow the core business, finding resources wherever possible to service that core in the form of variable expense, to be added to or shed at will as the … Continue reading
