Traditional media took a big hit last week with the announcement that Time Warner’s magnificent technology magazine, “Business 2.0″, will be shut down after its October issue.
It’s a real pity, because “Business 2.0″ featured superb writing, analysis, and trend spotting. Today I’m a little less broken up about it, because here’s what I found in […]

In a bear market, the typical response is for a company to hunker down and play it safe. But that is exactly the wrong thing to do. A bad economy could be your window of opportunity. Anybody can make money in a booming market–a rising tide lifts all ships. But when times are bad, the […]

Those who think humor and business don’t mix should check out Jeanne Dinnini’s recent post Show ‘Em Who’s Boss, which makes a disagreeable topic digestible by adding the spice of humor.
Her topic is rather personal. Jeanne casts the spotlight on no fewer than 30 character flaws of ineffective bosses. Here’s one of my “favorites”–
Be […]

Along with the new Web site, I’ve rolled out new services–About Action™ Sales Coaching and Advising.
I’m a big believer in one-to-one sales development … more on that later.
In the meantime, here’s a press release for background on Word Sell’s new sales coaching program and related news.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “New Services from Word Sell, Inc.”, url: “http://www.wordsellinc.com/blog/for-owners-leaders/new-services-from-word-sell-inc/” […]

For small companies, it seems as though there is a constant tug-of-war going on between strategy and flexibility.
Most business owners have a strategy or recognize with some distress that they need one. The problem isn’t formulating a strategy. The problem is sticking to it in the face of short-term business demands that seem to […]

Two of my favorite bloggers got me thinking about Moleskine. Moleskine, for the unitiated, is an Italian line of notebooks and planners,
“used by European artists and thinkers for the past two centuries, from Van Gogh to Picasso, from Ernest Hemingway to Bruce Chatwin.” (Product literature)
First, Kathy Sierra showed us how she turned […]

One of my clients recently found an opportunity to do good business and do good at the same time.
Dennis and Lenora Salazar, owners of Salazar Packaging, Inc., have a real passion for packaging. They’re also passionate about working to help others, whether it be close to home or far away.
When the non-profit organization Project […]

As follow-up to my recent post about the small business owner’s fear of strategic planning, I interviewed Gene Rosendale, a founding partner of the Alliance for Strategic Advantage.
Gene, a clear-thinking strategist and clear-speaking communicator, helps small and midsize companies (SMBs) implement strategic planning processes that get results. Gene’s background– which includes a […]

David Meerman Scott’s new book, The New Rules of Marketing & PR, is scheduled for release on June 4. For small and mid-size business (SMB) readers, the sooner you read it, the sooner you can start outmaneuvering the competition.
I just finished an advance proof copy (generously supplied by David), and to […]

Yesterday I wrote about why companies avoid strategic planning. Today, a few suggestions for overcoming the fear and getting started.
1. Don’t think of it as strategy. Think of it as an action plan. When we hear the word “strategy,” we often envision a group of executives sitting around a table endlessly […]