An All Star team isn’t necessarily the OPTIMAL team. Team chemistry matters and optimally allocating your resources to germinate good leaders and managers within your company is paramount for success. There is some logic (though often short-sighted) in plucking single players out of another environment and putting them with other “All Star” individuals of excellent talent on to your team. You can even convince yourself that you’ve put together the ‘best team’ possible. However, what is best for … [Read more...]
TheUC 022: Building Market Share Effectively
Building market share and engaging in your marketplace is pivotal for long term success in your business. One of the most effective and valuable ways to build market share is attending conferences and trade shows where your market share is captive and IN PERSON. Don’t think you can hide behind your electronics just be active in your social media to establish relationships to build meaningful market share. You need to get your brand and yourself out there in the real world to be competitive and … [Read more...]
TheUC 015: New Leadership and Paying for the Sins of Previous Management
As a new leader, you might be tempted to come into your new position and make a big splash to establish your mark and prove your worth to everyone by making some sweeping new measure. However, that’s a lot like going into another country and demanding everything be done the way of your native land. You aren’t being bold. You are just revealing how insecure you are in your leadership. It is important to practice patience in your leadership and management, even if you don’t think you have the … [Read more...]
TheUC 009: Spending Marketing and Sales Dollars Wisely
Marketing and sales dollars are expensive, and need to be spent wisely and judiciously. There is a lot of literature out there and well intentioned advisers goading entrepreneurs to just get their product out there in a "fire, fire, fire" approach and forget about "aiming" or being "ready." But well intentioned or not, marketing and sales dollars are expensive and throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks is too costly and can be detrimental. Depending on your product going "viral" … [Read more...]
TheUC 004: Why Do I Need A Business Plan?
Does having a Business Plan really matter? The truth is that you can still get lucky without one, and many are teaching and advising entrepreneurs to just get out there. But it is dangerous and costly to throw a whole bunch of stuff at the wall just to see what sticks if anything sticks at all. It might get you into a market place faster, but it may very well be the wrong one, and all you’ve done is to pave the way for someone else to step over your carcass and garner the value of your … [Read more...]
TheUC 002: Is Your Idea An Opportunity?
I get asked all the time whether or not I think an idea is ‘good,’ and my answer is always the same: "I don’t know & frankly, I don’t care." An idea just doesn’t matter all that much to the financial success of a venture. All things being equal, I’d rather invest in an idea that is ‘good,’ but that is for the market to determine not any one person. A lot of businesses start out with an ‘idea.’ But ideas don’t make money. What matters is an opportunity to potentially earn significant long … [Read more...]