Invest in Being Real Are you more concerned with your image, or your identity? An image can be fake - it can simply be a mask. There are many brands that talk-the-talk, but don’t walk-the-walk. I’m sure some of your competition fall into the category. Work on your identity – the real you beneath all the branding and hype. I’m talking about your corporate belief system, your organization’s culture – what you really stand for and believe in. Customers are becoming increasingly

Running your business is more than a full time job – that’s a given, but for many small business owners their lives become unbalanced. They reach a place where work takes over everything. In “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” Stephen Covey comments on this very condition and refers to it as, “… the urgent takes over the important.” If you find yourself stressed out, burned out, or worn out, take a moment to assess your total health picture – the physical, spiritual, s

One of the biggest changes in customer satisfaction in the last 10 years, is the expectation of customers to be included in conversations with the companies they buy from. The advent of social media has catapulted this expectation to the point where many consumers are no longer willing to just spend their money, they expect to be an active part of what your business does, and how it does it. Linda Ireland, global strategy & operational change expert (Aveus LLC) says, “Custome

When starting out a new business we immediately think of the obvious. We focus on issues such as where we source our product, the cost of acquisition, do we need to rent premises, if we need staff how will we cover payroll and so forth. Well down on the list, if at all, some thought might be given as to how we can protect ourselves from unforeseen circumstances. Considering all the things that could harm your ability to manage the business effectively, is referred to as Risk