Expand Your Entrepreneurial Vision The world around us is changing, and if you don’t want to be left behind, you need to change, too. You can’t afford to hold onto your old ways. (The dinosaurs refused to change, and look what happened to them, and also Sears & Kodak.) But changing is easier said than…
From chapter one of “Small Business Toolbook” By Ray Silverstein, we learn how to manage your business with insight and vision. Goal: Learn to Manage with Insight and Vision Start by taking stock- conduct a SWOT Analysis… Are you familiar with the concept of SWOT analysis? This is a great offensive and defensive study and…
Go Figure… How often do you review your critical numbers, those all-important figures that indicate how your business is doing? Do you wait until the end of the month, quarterly, or year to find out where you’ve been and how you’ve been doing? Or do you keep a constant eye on them? And what numbers…
Market Wisely, and Sales Will Follow, maybe even lead By Ray Silverstein What kind of marketing activities do you do for your business? Do you have a marketing plan? How about a marketing budget? Do you use marketing strategies to focus and support your sales efforts, or do you engage in spontaneous, one-time marketing activities…
How to Sell Smarter: ‘Ditch the Pitch’ Review by Ray Silverstein There’s one subject entrepreneurs can’t get enough of: how to increase sales. Well, here’s a thought. If your current sales pitch isn’t delivering the results you want, it’s time to switch things up. Better yet, why not do something radical, and ditch the sales…
THE ONE THING The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results Gary Keller with Jay Papasan – reviewed by Ray Silverstein The author states “The One Thing is the best approach to getting what you want.” “What’s the One Thing you can do this week such that by doing it everything else would be easier?” The…
10 Ways to Get Great Referrals (Even if You Stink at Asking for Them) When it comes to sales tools, few things are more powerful than customer referrals. They’re simple, effective, and absolutely free. We love when referrals come our way. Yet many entrepreneurs are reluctant to actively request them. If you’re one of them,…
Are Your Habits Helping or Hurting Your Business? Right now, many of us are wrestling with the personal habits we resolved to break or build back on January 1, like losing weight and giving up smoking. But what about your business habits? Have you given them any thought? Like it or not, we are slave…
How to Diffuse Workplace Conflict and Create Consensus I recently conducted a workshop on a highly emotional topic: humans in the workplace. After all, every human being—employees and bosses—shows up for work accompanied by their unique drives, triggers, and tendencies. All things considered, it’s a wonder we get any work done at all. My message…
“Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions.” This is one of those standby expressions that small business owners frequently say to their employees. It recently came up in one of my PRO peer groups. The question was: is it a smart thing, or is it a dumb thing? At first glance, the phrase implies that…
