Recognition Is A Journey

Winning Workplaces Chairman Ken Lehman explains that although organizations' goal is to reach some level of excellence, the path toward excellence often reveals the most value and rewards.

The Value of Core Values in Strategic Thinking and Business Planning

A often overlooked component of self written business plans is a statement of core values. We explore not only the importance of communicating your core values but committing to them without compromise.

Finding Vision And Courage - One Man's Dilemma Shows What You Need

One man's dilemma shows what you need

Business Growth - Looking At Darwin And The Demon

As commercial processes commoditize in a developed economy, they are outsourced or transferred offshore or both, leaving onshore companies with unrelenting pressure to come up with the next wave of innovation. Failure to innovate equals failure to differentiate equals failure to garner the profits and revenues needed to attract capital investment. It behooves us all to use our brains to get out in front of this Darwinian process.

Opening A Dollar Store - Inventory Turns are Important

When opening a dollar store there are many indicators of success. They range from bottom line profit to undesired employee turnover. However one of the most important is inventory turns.

Opening A Dollar Store - Tip on Steps to Take Before You Open!

One of the most challenging events that occur prior to opening a dollar store is the preparation. It is all about making sure that everything is done and that everything is done properly. If all of the pre-work is completed correctly, the grand opening is sure to come much more successfully.

Can Your Business Be Attractive to Investors? Thoughts From A Business Coach

If your company is at a point in its history and experiencing solid growth where you are considering looking for outside investors for your capital needs, then you want to know if your business will be or can be attractive to investors. If you plan to search for equity investors, you should know that they will expect a significant return on their investment (20% to 50% is not uncommon) and many times within 5 years. These investors will look carefully at the candidate company to characteristics that include, but are not limited to: a solid and proven management team; potential company growth; solid business plan; and evidence of strategic thinking and planning in a strategic plan with vision, mission core values and short term & long term goals.

Business Growth - Examining Five Killer Strategies For Trouncing the Competition

Winners in business play rough and don't apologize for it. Toyota has steadily attacked the Big Three where their will to defend was weakest, moving up the line from compact cars to mid- and full-size vehicles and on to Detroit's last remaining profit centers, light trucks and SUVs. All the while, Toyota has dared its rivals to duplicate a production system that gives the company unmatchable productivity and quality.

Your Strategic Thinking Coach's List of Ten Key Components of Effective Strategic Alliances

Let me start by defining strategic alliance. A strategic alliance is a partnership, a collaborative agreement and/or a relationship between two or more companies or organizations formed to pursue a set of agreed upon goals while remaining independent companies or organizations. Strategic alliances exist in a variety of shapes and sizes and include a wide range of scopes of cooperation levels. Strategic alliances usually are most effective when the entities involved have complementary strengths. What makes a strategic alliance effective? What are the key components of effective strategic alliances? Here is my list of ten (10) key components of an effective strategic alliance.

More On Strategic Thinking

On February 20th, I returned from St. Augustine, Florida, where I attended the 7th Annual Meeting of The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) and was a featured speaker on Strategic Thinking and Planning. It became clear from the reception and comments I received after my power point presentation, that I had accomplished my goal of sensitizing the attendees to the benefits of strategic thinking and planning and getting many of them to commit to starting the strategic planning process soon after they returned home.

Major Benefits of Using An Outside Professional Facilitator

Are you and your team, task force, committee, or any other working group struggling with issues and divergent viewpoints? Do you attend meetings that take up hours of your time but do not produce actionable plans at the conclusion of the meetings? I believe a majority of you answered YES to both questions.

Everything You Need To Know About Trade Show Displays

When it comes to fixing up a trade show, there are various points as well as factors that need to be considered. Since it is a trade show, however, the displays are deemed highly important for the success of the show since it will be the selling point of the whole show...

Ideal Schedule - Advance Planning Promotes Goal Achievement

A proactive approach to scheduling yields a positive affect on both customer care and business growth. The ideal schedule is one based upon how you work rather than forcing you to conform to standards created by others. The following steps are designed to help you develop and implement a customized strategy to create your ideal schedule, ensure quality, increase quantity, and achieve goals.