Leadership
How to Build a Team
An organization includes a whole group of people, from employees to partners to other forms of support and even customers. But entrepreneurs are often natural DIYers, self-starters who tend to go it alone. To get from one to the other, a business owner has to learn how to glue a company together. One of the…
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Stay Humble and Learn
I don’t think I’ve ever had an original idea in my life. Every idea I’ve ever had, all my learning, has come from other people—from what I’ve read, what I’ve seen, and what I’ve heard. And I think that’s true for all of us. The notion of the great genius who sits down, thinks for…
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Are You Trying to Be a Hero, or a Leader?
I don’t think anyone can do it on their own. It’s why I talk so much about team. But it’s not just a question of doing everything yourself. To most people, that much is obvious. There are only so many hours in a day, and we are still only able to be physically present in…
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Small Business Mythbusters: How to Motivate Employees
Myth 1: Money is the only effective way to motivate employees to improve performance. Raises and bonuses certainly are ways businesses can motivate employees to work harder and better. But, cash isn’t the only way to encourage workers to improve their performance. Some studies have shown it is not even the best way. Helping employees…
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Consultant’s Corner: Should I Register as a Woman-Owned Business?
Question: What are the benefits of registering my business as a woman-owned business? How do I register on a national and state level? As a woman, of course, if you own your business, then it is a woman-owned business; however, whether any type of minority or women-owned business certification would possibly be an advantage for…
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Success is Not an Accident
One of the many lessons I learned playing football that has completely translated into my life in business is that success doesn’t happen by accident; it takes a lot of hard work. Every player on the team has to work hard and learn all the fundamentals, the blocking and tackling, catching, reading a defense. And…
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How to Keep the Office Movin’ and Shakin’ During Slow Times
One of the best ways to gain one more customer is to keep your employees happy: your people who deal directly with the people. And sometimes, sales get slow and morale begins to droop. Or it goes the opposite, and everyone is go-go-go and can’t stop for a break with so much on their plates to address (tax season anyone?).…
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Consultant’s Corner: Motivating Salespeople
Question: We are a base pay + commission compensation company that has been in business 5 years. What is an effective way of motivating employees to understand that they are not cost effective until they generate 5 times their pay? While it is important for workers to experience transparency in their company and understand where…
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The Power of Small Business Team Players
This weekend, the United States women’s soccer team defeated the Netherlands and won the Women’s World Cup final. This is the fourth time the U.S. women’s soccer team has won the World Cup, the first team to reach three consecutive finals. One of my favorite parts of watching any sporting event, from the Olympics to…
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Belief and Action Equals Passion
I believe that if you’re going to do something, you have to really commit to it. Whatever you do, give it the best of yourself, not just “enough.” A big part of that commitment is having great passion for whatever it is you’re doing. If you look around at the people giving business advice, you’ll…
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