Monthly Archives: June 2015

Structural Tension: Is It Good or Bad for Your Business?

Posted on June 28, 2015 by John F. Dini

Logically, no one would enter into a business relationship where anything that is better for one party is worse for the other. Such a zero-sum arrangement would quickly grow tiresome. Either one party is consistently losing in every transaction, or … Continue reading →

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Technology and Bunker Hill Tactics

Posted on June 21, 2015 by John F. Dini

In a small business, underused technology could be considered a “Bunker Hill” error in using your competitive capabilities. Last Wednesday, June 17th, marked the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Ranked as the 6th most costly battle of the Revolution in terms … Continue reading →

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2 Responses to Technology and Bunker Hill Tactics

  1. Mike Havel says:
    June 21, 2015 at 10:54 am

    Thanks, I love reading history and getting the story behind the story.

    Usually a new hire will bring to our attention features and options we were not aware we had. I have encouged out of office one day tech class, and they have always paid off.

    One of the best ideas we set up a few years ago was a “sales” email address, with all emails received in that email address forwarded to a sales2 email address. The sales2 address is viewed by the managers and myself. We can view customer communication, but the responsibility is still with order entry.

    Allows management to review, be aware, and get involved when needed.

    We only view sales2 and delete. Deleting from sales 2 does not delete from the orginal sales email address.

    Reply
  2. Paul Johnston says:
    September 23, 2015 at 7:11 am

    I love the analogy thank you! It made me think of the civil war as well. A major contributor to the north winning the civil war was communication. The Telegraph was key to passing critical information from the battlefield. Coupled with the strategic development of railways it enabled the North to immediately request supplies and troops and report enemy positions, and then had the means to deploy resources quickly and accurately.

    Business lessons can be learned from this history. The use of the Militia’s smooth bore muskets support the need to adapt to new demands, the telegraph reinforces the effectiveness of communication directly from the front line and down from leaders. The railway development teaches us to deploy both strategically and tactically.

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You Can Go This Far, but No Further

Posted on June 14, 2015 by John F. Dini

When someone starts their first company (especially a technician as defined in my book Hunting in a Farmer’s World) he or she is usually the sole key employee. She (I’ll use one pronoun for readability) does the hands-on work of … Continue reading →

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Selling Your Business in a Buyer’s Market

Posted on June 7, 2015 by John F. Dini

For almost ten years I’ve been writing and speaking about the issues facing Baby Boomer business owners as they begin a flood of small business sales. This recent article was syndicated in 16 trade and professional magazines. I reprint it … Continue reading →

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Thoughts and Opinions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

3 Responses to Selling Your Business in a Buyer’s Market

  1. cathy locke says:
    June 7, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    Great blog of course! I am a Baby Boomer and fortunately and unfortunately I started my business 5 years ago, taught myself and like some of us “I have a unique chocolate business” that I am finding out non too soon that 1) I am my own worst enemy because I designed my company to fit only me 2) like John said, I cannot find someone interested in buying my company because they don’t want to work as hard, spend 24/7 building the business etc. I know I am not alone and for me this again is a real nightmare wake-up call. However, I still am very excited in steering the company in a different direction in the next 5 years hopefully and like a lot of business owners, I will be able to sell the company or the equipment to the highest(?) bidder. Thanks for the great blogs!!

    Reply
    • John F. Dini says:
      June 7, 2015 at 2:00 pm

      Cathy, remember the traits of an entrepreneur (conveniently described in my book, “Hunting in a Farmer’s World”). You already know how to be a tenacious problem solver, as evidenced by the fact that you made it for five years- typically the litmus test for a viable business. You have lots of SEO exposure on Google, although I’m not sure that Etsy is your best sales outlet option. Focus on adding sales opportunities that don’t require your personal involvement. Your product is obviously well received, now its just a matter of making the top of the funnel wider.

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  2. Ted J. Leverette, The Original Business Buyer Advocate says:
    December 21, 2018 at 9:14 am

    Your article is one of the most realistic on the topic. Hopefully buyers and sellers (and their advisors) are paying attention.

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