In the Feb 2007 issue of Chief Learning Officer (CLO) magazine, these is a side-bar article entitled 'The Myth of the Born Leader' inserted into the middle of a feature article entitled 'Leadership: Nature vs. Nurture'.
I love CLO magazine, and true to form I found this side-bar piece right on with its message. Basically it says all the whooey about leaders being born not made is just that - whooey. One of the comments is "...why do so many star performers wind up puzzled, disappointed and derailed...?"
The answer, so they say, is actually pretty simple. It has more to do with one's personality than the DNA you were born with. In other words, it has to do with the way you interact with other people. Good leaders make people feel comfortable when they are around. It's called EQ, or Emotional Intelligence. The new buzz-theory for the this millenium. Daniel Goleman is the grand-daddy of this thinking sect and wrote the 1st edition of the EQ bible back in 1995. Since then lots of real smart people have been trying to figure out what he means and how to make money using it.
Wrong approach. EQ is one of those things that every successful person, leader or not, eventually masters whether they understand it or not. The books are only for those of us that don't get it, and for us, I STRONGLY recommend a thorough reading, and another, and another until you get it.
If you think you are a leader, then you better figure out if you have EQ or not. At least you can begin to prepare for the fall...
Monday, April 9, 2007
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Why is a Blog?!?
We are fascinated that you are looking at our Blog. Why? What are you looking for there? Tell us so we can give it to you!
Technology in Sacramento - coming or going?
Is Sacramento on the verge of becoming the technology town it has always dreamed of? For at least 15 years Sacramento has struggled with the coming and going of IT firms, and we still seem to be about where we started.
Blog me back and let me know what you think…
Blog me back and let me know what you think…
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Use Your Business Plan ... Please!
Business Plans are useless ... unles they are used on a regular basis. If you give a Business Plan to your banker or investor, you can bet they will look them over thoroughly and use them often if they engage with you. If you don't have a current business plan, or if you have one sitting on a shelf gathering dust, shame on you! Before you can reach your destination, you must map out the route. Without a map you are sure to get lost. If you need help writing your next Business Plan, check out the Sacramento Business Journal for my series on Business Plans or give us a call and we can help.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Building Business Plans
There have been a constant stream of requests for Business Plan writers on guru.com recently and I thought it might be of value to share some personal comments about the process of writing a business plan.
For a business plan to be of value, it must be written specifically for the audience it is intended to serve - one plan doesn't fit all. You need one for each group of people you will be giving it to. Each of these groups are looking for different information and style of writing. Each cares deeply about certain details and not at all about others. Sequence can be critical, especially when writing for a banker or investor.
Coming up in the next few months I will be writing about these issues in my column called Got Growth in the Sacramento Business Journal. The first installment will be on what makes a business plan good. The next three articles will be 'The Investors Business Plan', 'The Bankers Business Plan, and finally 'The Internal Business Plan.'
Post your thoughts, ideas, or any needs you may be facing and I will respond. Watch this blog for more tips on writing business plans.
For a business plan to be of value, it must be written specifically for the audience it is intended to serve - one plan doesn't fit all. You need one for each group of people you will be giving it to. Each of these groups are looking for different information and style of writing. Each cares deeply about certain details and not at all about others. Sequence can be critical, especially when writing for a banker or investor.
Coming up in the next few months I will be writing about these issues in my column called Got Growth in the Sacramento Business Journal. The first installment will be on what makes a business plan good. The next three articles will be 'The Investors Business Plan', 'The Bankers Business Plan, and finally 'The Internal Business Plan.'
Post your thoughts, ideas, or any needs you may be facing and I will respond. Watch this blog for more tips on writing business plans.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Double Your Revenue in One Year
Sounds absolutely crazy, right? 5 businesses in the last 2 years I have worked with have done it…so, why can’t you! If you want to know how they did it, read on for the 5 steps.
Assess:
Where are you getting the most bang for your buck?
Sounds easy, but this is probably the 2nd hardest step. This is where you have to detach yourself from the passion of your business. You must look objectively at your business. We often become attached to certain stories regarding our business that may not necessarily be true today. Economic factors, cyclic trends, and the past can tend to color our glasses.
Take Sharon for example; although she had grown her Medical Billing Business from 30K a year to 150K within a 2 year period, she wasn’t sure she could do it again. The numbers felt big and overwhelming. Doubling her business to 300K felt like it was too much. Sharon was not looking objectively at her business; she was letting fear get in the way of her success. She had already tripled her business volume and proved it could be done. When she took an objective look at her business, she realized she had all she needed to grow to 300K and keep going. She made it and has since sold her business-2 years earlier than she had planned.
Analyze:
Most of your business comes from one or two areas and you need to know what those areas are. Look at your top selling product or service. What is most profitable? You may be surprised that what you are selling most is not your most profitable product or service. Or most of the resources (time, people and money) are currently invested in areas that are not as profitable or in demand.
Leverage:
Now that you have identified what you really want to be selling. You must find a way to leverage it? Put the non-producing areas that take up your time on-hold for a while and place all (or most) of your focus and energy into leveraging what is working. How can you sell more of this product or service that is your most profitable asset? Exploit what is best and maximize the potential.
Plan:
You MUST have a plan. Too many people keep it in their heads, constantly thinking about the next move or what they should do. I am here to say that this practice rarely reaps success. If you are going to double your business, you must have a well-thought out plan on paper. It could be scribbled on a crumpled up piece of paper for all I care, just get it down in writing. What actions do you need to take to sell more of your most profitable product/service? I want you to think of two factors here: immediate return and long term investment. Look at each day and ask yourself, what action can I take that can produce immediate results, and what seeds must I plant that I will need to water and cultivate to bring great success? Plan to do both everyday.
Act:
Sounds easy, right? But, unfortunately, “stuff” can get in the way. Phone calls, e-mails, and personnel issues can put big hairy obstacles in the way of our most well planned intentions. This is where you must stay strong and don’t get distracted. Carve out time each day, prioritize, and maybe put in an extra hour a day to get it all done. If you want to double your revenue, let’s not pretend you can do this easily while playing golf. You are going to have to dedicate and commit yourself to stay on-track. This is where a credentialed coach, mentor or even friend that will hope for lots of presents when you are rolling in the money, can come in to help you. This is the hardest part. You need to create a new work habit of not becoming distracted, staying focused, and working your plan.
So, these are the 5 basic steps to doubling your revenue. Once you commit yourself to these habits, and work your plan, you will see results…maybe even better than you expect.
Assess:
Where are you getting the most bang for your buck?
Sounds easy, but this is probably the 2nd hardest step. This is where you have to detach yourself from the passion of your business. You must look objectively at your business. We often become attached to certain stories regarding our business that may not necessarily be true today. Economic factors, cyclic trends, and the past can tend to color our glasses.
Take Sharon for example; although she had grown her Medical Billing Business from 30K a year to 150K within a 2 year period, she wasn’t sure she could do it again. The numbers felt big and overwhelming. Doubling her business to 300K felt like it was too much. Sharon was not looking objectively at her business; she was letting fear get in the way of her success. She had already tripled her business volume and proved it could be done. When she took an objective look at her business, she realized she had all she needed to grow to 300K and keep going. She made it and has since sold her business-2 years earlier than she had planned.
Analyze:
Most of your business comes from one or two areas and you need to know what those areas are. Look at your top selling product or service. What is most profitable? You may be surprised that what you are selling most is not your most profitable product or service. Or most of the resources (time, people and money) are currently invested in areas that are not as profitable or in demand.
Leverage:
Now that you have identified what you really want to be selling. You must find a way to leverage it? Put the non-producing areas that take up your time on-hold for a while and place all (or most) of your focus and energy into leveraging what is working. How can you sell more of this product or service that is your most profitable asset? Exploit what is best and maximize the potential.
Plan:
You MUST have a plan. Too many people keep it in their heads, constantly thinking about the next move or what they should do. I am here to say that this practice rarely reaps success. If you are going to double your business, you must have a well-thought out plan on paper. It could be scribbled on a crumpled up piece of paper for all I care, just get it down in writing. What actions do you need to take to sell more of your most profitable product/service? I want you to think of two factors here: immediate return and long term investment. Look at each day and ask yourself, what action can I take that can produce immediate results, and what seeds must I plant that I will need to water and cultivate to bring great success? Plan to do both everyday.
Act:
Sounds easy, right? But, unfortunately, “stuff” can get in the way. Phone calls, e-mails, and personnel issues can put big hairy obstacles in the way of our most well planned intentions. This is where you must stay strong and don’t get distracted. Carve out time each day, prioritize, and maybe put in an extra hour a day to get it all done. If you want to double your revenue, let’s not pretend you can do this easily while playing golf. You are going to have to dedicate and commit yourself to stay on-track. This is where a credentialed coach, mentor or even friend that will hope for lots of presents when you are rolling in the money, can come in to help you. This is the hardest part. You need to create a new work habit of not becoming distracted, staying focused, and working your plan.
So, these are the 5 basic steps to doubling your revenue. Once you commit yourself to these habits, and work your plan, you will see results…maybe even better than you expect.
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