The Tortoise and The Hare – A Fable for Our Times
Most of us are familiar with the fable of the tortoise and the hare - the tale of the hare being so much faster than the tortoise and still losing the race. In the current business environment, the tale can prove cautionary or motivating; it can be revisited or...
The Tax Man Cometh: A Major Milestone to Becoming Profitable
Becoming a profitable business is an objective that most companies seek, both as a stated goal and as a day-to-day objective. Businesses of all sizes and types, industries, and stages all look forward to profitability. However, as the old saying goes, the two...
The Third Arm of Networking
Recently I attended a networking event. At the event, as everyone was juggling their beverages, food, handshakes, and business cards, someone commented that he wished he had a third arm when networking. Immediately I was inspired by that comment. While he quite...
The Sustainable Business, Defined
What is a sustainable business? The traditional business thought process has centered on the value creation for the shareholder and company as the primary “product” of the business. This mentality has emphasized metrics that are externally focused and investor driven,...
The Light, the Tunnel…OH NO! The Train! The Train!
Not to make light of the situation (no pun intended), but just when many entrepreneurs think they are seeing a light at the end of the startup tunnel, they suddenly realize it is the “reality train,” Speeding toward them like a runaway steam locomotive out of the Old...
The Long and Winding Road to Success
Sometimes it takes a different perspective in order to see things that are already mapped out in front of you. It can be a new employee coming into the company. It can be the loss of a major customer that you thought of as one that would “always” be there no matter...
The Heart of Innovation: Leadership
Where does innovation take place? What drives innovation? Can an environment be created that fosters innovation? If so, can the opposite also be true? Do organizations hinder innovation by how they are structured and how they are managed? Where can the heart of...
The Grant Proposal Budget: Seven Things to Remember
The grant proposal budget is an often-overlooked opportunity to improve the proposal’s chances of winning. The budget is a communication tool to the reviewers, just like any other element of the proposal. What the budget does or doesn’t do is let the reviewers know...
The Façade
A façade can be an appearance—the surface image of care, interest, integrity—either projected by a person, group, or organization or attributed to them by others through observation or perception. Whether intentional or not, we all have a façade, an outer image that...
The Complexity of Business Compliance
For small businesses, and perhaps businesses of any size, compliance with the rules and regulations of being in business is becoming more and more complex. It’s getting to the point, it seems, that it is almost impossible to be 100% in compliance, mainly because you...