The Power of Bootstrapping
I’ve learned a lot from failure. One of the biggest lessons came from one of my earliest businesses. After a couple years in professional football, with a motley assortment of jobs in the offseason, I wanted to go out and start my own business. I worked with a close friend of mine to think through…
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Get the Most Out of Your Performance Goals
Performance goals have the greatest effectiveness when they are part of regular discussions and give employees clear ways to measure their progress. A goal that is stated during an annual performance review and then never mentioned again until the next year’s review isn’t going to make much of an impression. To get the most out…
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Do You Do the Right Thing?
Sometimes people go above and beyond in customer service, to do more than would be expected. They do it because, in their minds, it’s the right thing to do. One of my readers recently sent me a note that described a situation just like this, where someone provided him service above and beyond the call…
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Consultant’s Corner: Why You Need an Employee Handbook
Question: I run a small business and have less than 10 employees. Why should I have an employee handbook? An effective employee handbook that lays out all company policies can be a great benefit to your small business. Although there’s no kind of legal requirement forcing you to develop a handbook, experts have found that…
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Friday 5 for April 5th, 2019
Scrambling and the Refusal to Accept Defeat By Fran Tarkenton Rather than look for excuses, look for creative and innovative ways to be able to get your job done. The lesson applies just as much to a small business as it does to a professional athlete… Read article Do You Act Your Core Values? By…
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Do You Act Your Core Values?
Lots of people talk about core values. But are you acting on your core values? If you’re just writing them down without acting on them, it’s just a writing assignment. For core values to really work, you have to understand and consider how they tie into your daily behavior, filtering (to use a great metaphor…
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3 Things Entrepreneurs Need to Know About Corporate Resolutions
Not to be confused with New Year’s resolutions, corporate resolutions are official documents that record formal decisions and actions approved by your board of directors (or members, if you run an LLC) on behalf of the company. If you’ve been tasked with putting these documents together and have never done so before, take a moment…
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Scrambling and the Refusal to Accept Defeat
When I was preparing to enter the NFL in 1961, I was 6’0”, 185 pounds, and a third-round draft choice. The reason I was taken in the third round was because they didn’t think I was good enough to play. If you play quarterback at a big school like the University of Georgia and you’re…
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The Challenge of Defining Corporate Culture
Everyone likes to talk about the importance of culture in their business, but it isn’t always clearly defined. Here’s a definition you can use: “Culture is the shared system of beliefs, values and practices that drive your success.” While this might seem a bit abstract, putting in the hard work to define your organization’s culture…
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Consultant’s Corner: Protecting Your Business Methodology
Question: I’m a professional fundraiser for nonprofit organizations. My clients sign one-year contracts. How do I protect my ideas (e.g., fundraising strategies, event ideas, etc.) when a contract ends and the client implements my methodology themselves? Generally speaking, your fundraising contracts should include terms and clauses that explain the ownership and permitted use of any…
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