There are many compelling reasons for incorporating a volunteer element in your company culture. For one thing, marshaling the power of your workforce for the good of the community is always a positive measure to take. Also, being an active participant in local...

The Chocolate Wars is a fascinating story about the history of the chocolate industry; written by Deborah Cadbury. Of course, Mrs. Cadbury's family business was featured in the story; Nestle, Hershey, Mars, and many other companies were are also detailed. This history...

I recently came across a thought-provoking essay by Jennifer Brandel and Mara Zepeda, titled “Zebras Fix What Unicorns Break.” In it, Brandel and Zepeda take a deep look at what our society has come to value in a business venture — values that are strongly shaped by...

Several friends have sent me a picture of an EBITDAC coffee mug this week. As it states, EBITDAC stands for Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortisation, and Coronavirus. Will this be the new measure of cash flow for valuing your business? A bleak joke,...

In today's experience economy, businesses need to think of new ways to connect with customers and secure their loyalty. Customers expect not just products and services anymore; they expect elevated, high-quality experiences. They are willing to pay more for better...

The coronavirus epidemic has altered (perhaps permanently) many facets of life around the world. The business landscape, for one, is considerably different than what we remember from even one year ago. And within this category, changes to customer behaviour are...

CEOs and business owners often have a pretty good grasp of what it takes to market their business. On the other hand, marketing conditions and opportunities are forever changing, and it never hurts to acquire some additional knowledge. Here’s a brief look at 10...

The Alternative Board was founded on the notion that business owners can’t go it alone. No one likes asking for help, but when it comes to running a business, it’s impossible to succeed without enlisting the wisdom of others. Sure, you got this far, because you have a...

Working with a remote workforce requires different management and leadership. During the current Coronavirus pandemic, many members of your team will be experiencing mixed emotions from anxiety to worry. Some will be highly distracted with their thoughts and concerns,...

What do you normally do when contemplating a major purchase? Like most people, you probably make an effort to see and hear what others have to say about the company you plan to buy from, as well as the quality and benefits of the products or services sold. In other...

It's hard to believe that 2020 is shortly coming to an end. For most of us, that may come as a relief, but the road to recovery is just beginning. Amidst the many different social and economic challenges 2020 brought, this year has truly been one of the toughest in...

Whether your business has been positively or negatively affected by the impact of the pandemic, it has been impacted, and your business is not the same as it was in early March. Hopefully, during the last six months, you’ve taken some time to create a contingency plan...

Businesses with expert sales teams sometimes find themselves on a mystifying string of bad luck. Their sales professionals identify and qualify promising leads, even have a series of discussions with these prospects—only to end up with nothing to show for it. One...

If there’s one constant in running a business, it’s negotiation. Whether it’s negotiating a contract, salary, or executive decision, your ability to persuade can (and will!) determine your effectiveness as a leader. While there are countless ways to approach a...

If you have any doubts about the importance of customer service, just think back to a personal purchase you made recently. If things went well, you came away satisfied with the transactional experience and open to the idea of doing business with that company in the...

In spite of all the changes rocking the business landscape, experts agree that email marketing remains a consistently effective way of reaching customers. In part, this is because companies can incorporate wording that speaks to improving the lives of the target...

In the past 30 plus years I’ve spoken to many business owners who have encountered cash flow issues over the course of running their businesses. The proper management of your cash flow can help you prepare for seasonal business lulls, plan for future financing, and...

The challenge facing business owners and CEO today isn’t a lack of data to help with key decision-making processes. Instead, it seems virtually impossible to sort through mountains of information in order to find the threads that pertain to business operations,...

Forming and leading teams of employees can significantly boost productivity in the workplace. The key to making this work is accountability. Every member of the team must be held accountable for their role and engage fully in the project or initiative underway. When...

Regular team meetings with employees are needed to ensure that everyone is on the same page and to involve them with setting company goals. Here is a suggested agenda to go through during the meeting to help employees see the big picture and feel empowered to achieve...

The business landscape has changed significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. More changes are undoubtedly coming, with one in particular certain to affect retail businesses in a big way. Social distancing—defined by the Centers for Disease Control and...

As business owners, we’ve been waiting to receive the much anticipated “green light” to go back to work. As this day inches closer, you’ll need to devise a plan that addresses how your business will function post-pandemic. Many of you made changes due to COVID-19,...

All businesses strive to acquire as many new customers as possible, but is enough effort being made to retain customers already on board? Remember, there’s a significant distinction in costs between finding new customers, as opposed to holding onto the ones you...

Over the last year, I have interviewed over 100 salespeople on behalf of our clients.  I asked every one of them at the onset to describe their sales approach or methodology. In over 85% of cases, the candidate replied with some form of “I am...

Every business has a target audience—a specific grouping of individuals who will respond most enthusiastically to its marketing message. This grouping encompasses both existing and prospective customers who share certain fundamental traits and behaviours. In the...

One of the main reasons why many businesses fail is due to a lack of scaling. It's not enough to just have a good idea and an excellent marketing strategy. To remain competitive, you need to find new and innovative ways to capture a bigger slice of your market and to...

In this digital world, it is perhaps more relevant today that business owners provide a prompt and “unemotionally charged” response to negative customer feedback. Customer feedback is important. It can help bring attention to areas of your business that you may not...