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As a business owner, you know what it’s like to lie awake at 2 a.m. Maybe it has happened when you are excited and full of new ideas for your business. More often, it’s because you are worried about issues you will face the next day. Sometimes, it’s because you just woke up with the solution to a problem. I’ve experienced all those emotions about my businesses over the years. Awake at 2 o’clock? is where I share them with you, and hopefully help with answers that will let you sleep.
John F. Dini, CExP, CEPA
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Small business owners are the Hunters of the 21st century. We are 3% of the US population, and yet we create over half of all American jobs. As Hunters, we may not be inclined to manage by the numbers or stick to systems. Are you a Hunter or a Farmer?
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How prepared are you to exit your company?
The Assessment breaks down the four major categories of exit readiness; Finance, Planning, Operations and Revenue/Profit.
Tag Archives: small business advice
“Tis an Ill Wind…
…that blows nobody good.” That old sailor’s proverb, first recorded in 1543 and further popularized by Shakespeare in “Henry VI” in 1623, is as plain today in its meaning as it was almost 500 years ago. Anything that is bad … Continue reading
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When Employee Incentives Don’t Work
My definition of an incentive is variable compensation designed to encourage specific behavior. The challenge is to make sure that behavior is really something you want to encourage. A home building company bonuses purchasing managers based on their ability to reduce … Continue reading
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Small Business Owners are the Same Everywhere
I’m returning to this space almost exactly a month from my last post. It’s the longest period that I’ve missed in the last 6 1/2 years, but I heartily recommend a refresh break to business owners, and it was worth … Continue reading
One Response to Small Business Owners are the Same Everywhere
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This sounds like a fantastic trip. Fun, food, and the ability to see how the rest of the world runs their small businesses. Lots of lessons learned and ready to share. And, a hardy welcome back.
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Wageflation and the Talent Wars
Why are so many employers complaining about the availability of talented workers and the cost of hiring them? Government statistics indicate that real, inflation-adjusted wages are now below 1986 levels. In 2012, the Federal Reserve tracked both an all time … Continue reading
2 Responses to Wageflation and the Talent Wars
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John,
One very important contributor to the high wage expectation is the enormous levels of student loan dept new entries to the workforce bring with them. My friend, an experienced engineer out of work for a year, was recently offered a job at $20 an hour. He requested $24, largely because at $20/hour and a relocation to suburban DC he couldn’t have made ends meet. His prospective employer passed, and cited the position as being done away with.What happens to our spending-driven national economy with graduates saddled with life-long levels of college loan debt? What happens to home sales?
More importantly, what happens to future generations in terms of saving for college for their children,l and what appears to be a self full-filling prophecy for generations to come?
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Reputations are Sticky
“We have a great reputation in our industry.” In thousands of hours of coaching and facilitating I’ve never heard a business owner say “We have a lousy reputation.” The myopia of working hard to deliver a product or service leads … Continue reading
One Response to Reputations are Sticky
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Great topic. This is a continuing problem with most businesses. They have blinders for their own reputations or they don’t really want to know the answer to the question from former customers or people who’ve never bought. Asking the really hard questions is never comfortable.
The worst example I can think of is Trump when the twin towers came down. He said, “Now, my building is the tallest.”