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Customers – Separate the Wheat and Chaff

I was reading an article written by Jim Clinton, CEO at Gallup. The title of the article was: "America is Losing Jobs by Ignoring Its Best Trading Partners."   The article discussed how the we spend so much time focused on Russia, China and the Middle East, all of which are very small players in the GDP here in the United States. The article went on to say that Mexico and South America are much better friends to us and represent a much larger piece of our GDP and therefore, our economic situation. "So what?" you might ask. "What does that have to [...]

By |2016-12-27T21:16:05-05:00February 19th, 2013|Customer Relationships, Strategy|
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8 Ways to Focus on Success in the New Year

'Designing Strategies' Newsletter January - February, 2013                       Volume 10 - Issue 51   Many small business owners continue pushing their rock uphill as the economy continues to be a very sluggish. In some regions, things are improving, in others they continue to drag. Lots of blips are on the radar screen as economic indicators are up one month and down another. It appears that the only one spending money is the government. Consumers continue to  hunker down and hold on to their money. Even the recent holiday shopping season was [...]

By |2017-01-08T01:47:39-05:00January 16th, 2013|Growth, Newsletter, Strategic Planning, Strategy|
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Pricing Strategies for Service Businesses

'Designing Strategies' Newsletter November - December, 2012                                         Volume 9 - Issue 50 Negotiation to get the perfect pricing strategies for products and services can be challenging. This has never been more true than over the past several years. Potential customers try harder to squeeze the last drop of blood from the rocks we call our businesses. We want to be fair, but we also want our value recognized.  And, of course,  we all want to be fairly compensated for our efforts. [...]

By |2017-01-11T12:35:14-05:00November 16th, 2012|Newsletter, Pricing Strategy, Strategy|
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Interview With an Industry Expert: Jeff Baldasarri – The Taylor Companie

'Designing Strategies' Newsletter September – October 2012                     Volume 9 -- Issue 49   Benjamin Fitch began making split bottom chairs at his cabin in the Ohio Western Reserve in 1816. As his early efforts paid off, his company grew and employees were added One of his workers, William O Taylor married Fitch’s daughter in the 1840s and too management. What resulted over seven generations became The Taylor Chair Company, The Taylor Desk Company, and ultimately The Taylor Companies. In March, 2012, Taylor celebrated 196 years in business. Three months later, [...]

By |2017-01-11T12:37:00-05:00September 15th, 2012|Leadership, Newsletter, Strategy|
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Know What Business You Are In – Then Tell Your Customers

Some time ago, I read a posting in the Successful and Outstanding Blog(gers)  blog that really impressed me.  It impressed me enough to bookmark it in my laptop to review from time to time.   The post was written by Liz Strauss, a well-known business strategist.  Liz related the story of a businessman who owned businesses in the fields of newspapers, magazines and books.  She was hired to develop strategy to turn the book business around and refocus it on success. Several months into her assignment, one of those great 'Ah-ha!' moments occurred.  She reminded the owner that while his three businesses are similar, they are clearly not exactly [...]

By |2016-12-28T00:01:35-05:00May 23rd, 2012|Strategic Management, Strategic Planning|
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Succession and Exit Strategy at Startup

As strange as it might sound to someone starting a new business, the beginning is when you need to plan for the end.  OK, you might be thinking: 'What is this dim-wit talking about?  I want to know what to do today, tomorrow, next week and next month to get my new business off the ground.  I'll worry about the end part later - much later.'   There is no time like the present to get to work on your ideas for succession and exit strategy -- before you need them.   Waiting to develop key management concepts in the midst of a leadership [...]

By |2020-09-23T02:12:04-04:00April 2nd, 2012|Strategic Management, Strategic Planning|
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Strategic Management: Surfing Is Not a Business Model

I was channel surfing (no pun intended) last weekend and ran across an old movie about a women's surfing competition.  I watched for a while.  Time and time again, young competitors would paddle their surfboards out into the ocean, sit straddled over the boards, and wait.  They looked out over the ocean for what they hoped would be a good wave.  Not just a good wave to ride, mind you, but a big, great wave to ride into shore. The better the wave, the more opportunity to score higher points for their surfing prowess.   Sit - Wait - Hope; over and over.  From [...]

By |2016-12-28T00:51:16-05:00March 13th, 2012|Strategic Management, Strategy|
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The Business You Deserve – Have You Achieved it Yet?

"At age 50, everyone has the face he deserves." ~ George Orwell, Novelist   As a small business owner, you have visions and dreams of launching and building a successful business.  What Success means to you personally can vary.  But, can you honestly tell yourself that you have achieved the business that you deserve? I'm not entirely sure where Mr. Orwell got his perspective on faces being deserved. I doubt that in his heyday people were inundated with advertisements for facial creams and cosmetic surgery to improve their looks.  Back then, people believed a few wrinkles and age spots were signs [...]

By |2020-11-11T19:06:04-05:00February 29th, 2012|Business Planning, Strategic Planning|
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Focused Strategy or Bright, Shiny Objects?

In today’s world, business owners and leaders are inundated with information from all sides:  newspapers, magazines, Internet sites, social media, blogs, white papers, news reports, e-mail marketing.  It all seems endless – distracting and terribly confusing.  Someone is constantly touting their next bright shiny object idea, in most cases guaranteed to distract you from a focused strategy that will take you and your firm where you want to be. These distractions can take many forms.  The bright, shiny object might be a new software application, promises of doubling  traffic to your website, a new marketing miracle, an expensive seminar or [...]

By |2016-12-28T01:12:46-05:00January 25th, 2012|Strategic Management, Strategic Planning|
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Plan for Bad Times – Look For Opportunities

                   'Designing Strategies' Newsletter      January - February, 2012                                                Volume 9 - Issue 45   Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda...   “Coulda, shoulda, woulda...” That’s the usual response we get from my husband whenever someone in the family looks in retrospect.   Normally, that means something didn’t turn out quite the way we hoped it would. If we had studied harder, we could have received a better grade. If we had waited just a little longer, that suit, television, snow blower, or computer would have gone on sale and saved us money. If we had handled [...]

By |2017-01-03T03:36:12-05:00January 18th, 2012|Newsletter, Strategic Management, Strategic Planning, Strategy|
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