2012 | It's Worth Noting

Leadership

Signs are overrated

February 27, 2012

Late one evening as I drove back into Austin some field lights shinning brightly off the road caught my attention. The location was peculiar. I did not think there was a baseball or soccer field located there and was curious about what it could be. The next time I passed by I decided to veer off and take a look. I discovered to my delight that the lights were used to illuminate a driving range. Being a golfer and lacking a nearby range, this was a welcomed find. The first time I patroned the place, the owner handed me a bucket of balls and suggested I pay on the way out since he was “using his internet connection to browse the web and couldn’t run my credit card until he was done.” I proceeded to hit my bucket of balls and returned to the office when I was done. I…

5 ways to improve your business today

June 18, 2012

Looking to give your business a spark this week? Work through the five ideas below with your team. Come up with solutions, implement and then rinse and repeat for a few weeks in a row. Become narrow minded: Instead of trying to sell to everyone, sell to someone. Identify a narrow segment of the population you can go after with full gusto. Resist the temptation to spread yourself thin to reach a large group of people. Make regulars not feel regular: Commit to learning their names, offering perks or simply a heartfelt thank you for their patronage. Make a point to make them feel special and appreciated. Clean out your closet: Get rid of something. Whether a burdensome policy, a low margin product or an unnecessary menu item, something can go. Buy from yourself: Be a customer, step out from behind the desk or counter and walk through a transaction…

Misaligned: Fixing the problem with poorly chosen vendors and suppliers

September 25, 2012

Your organization cannot run without them. Vendors and suppliers, whether couriers, banks, professional services or suppliers of raw materials, make up a complex network that helps you get the job done. These are people and organizations you pay and rely on, but far too often I hear people describe the relationship with disdain. Whether the feeling is that they cost too much, are unreliable or are apathetic, the all too unfortunate consensus is that they’re a necessary evil. The best that can be done is to endure, yell when you have to and always be on the lookout for a better option. If this is where you are, whether with one or many of your vendors or suppliers, the real problem is not them. I suggest it’s you. More precisely, it’s your selection criteria and process for the partners you chose. Consider your hiring process for a moment. What if…