The Freestyle Entrepreneur

Does this sound familiar when you hire a new employee?  The person you get doesn’t resemble the person you thought you hired.  At the same time, the new employee is often just as puzzled — because this sure as heck doesn’t seem like the job you promised.  Everybody ends up wasting a great deal of time, effort and money.  Most [...]

One of the people I admire most in this world is Winston Churchill.  He was tough, abrasive, brilliant and, it seems to me, single-handedly  threw up the sea wall that stopped the advance of Hitler in World War II.   He was pure determination.  And for that reason, he was perhaps the deciding factor in [...]

It’s a puzzle to me when I observe sales people who do not treat their existing customers like pure gold. Surveys prove over and over that it is much easier to get the next sale from someone who has already purchased your product or service than from a prospect who has yet to do so. My wife and [...]

Creating a marketing plan is a pain,  reminiscent of an annoying school assignment.  That’s why most business owners will do just about anything to avoid the task of putting one together.  However, those who do are  glad they did.  Your marketing plan is your treasure map, with X marketing the spot where customers, sales and [...]

It’s not about luck.  It is about work, focus, goals … and downright determination.  Just as important, success is not about never failing, getting an easy ride, or even being born with a silver spoon in your mouth.  If you never give up, you will succeed — maybe not today, maybe not next week, maybe [...]

The visiting consultants had the room arranged as seminar attendees walked into the training session. I heard a nervous buzz as the students observed video taping equipment plugged in and ready to go. You could hear a collective sigh of relief when one of the two trainers said, “Oh, don’t worry about the camera. That isn’t for you. I am [...]

When I was young(er), I saw business dealings as winner-take-all propositions.  I wanted the whole pie!  Then I learned that the best way to get what you want is to help others get what they want.  Rather than battling it out with competitors in a bunkhouse brawl in which everybody came out bloodied, I now [...]

It’s not nice to be envious but sometimes I just can’t help myself. Some people are ‘naturals’ at keeping their work space in order with a place for everything and everything in its place. Their filing systems, real and electronic, are impeccable. Seldom will you find a piece of paper out of place on their desks. I am NOT that person. [...]

 Do vacations terrify you?  Are you convinced that the second you walk out the door, the place will fall apart?  You’re not alone.  Many SBOs feel that way.  And the truth is that if you just take off for two weeks without any prior planning, it probably will.  So, here it is – winter in Wisconsin.  [...]

The best part about being in business is that there are no guarantees.  It’s not a pony ride at an amusement park; it’s an extreme adventure without a safety net.    I still get the biggest thrill in the world when I land a new contract…and just about die from despair when I lose an [...]