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Know Your Number

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Know Your Number

Know Your Number

Only God knows.  You never know when someone might offer you an unexpected sum to buy your business or organization.

Would you sell it?  Would you keep it?

Many moons ago, I learned of someone who was offered an untold amount to buy his business.  It was a large sum.

The offer would be passed up.  And many years later, the M & A (mergers & acquisitions) market would not be friendly to the industry.

Should the person have sold when he ...

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7
DEC
0

Categories: Blog, Business Consulting, Business Development, Business Growth, Leadership, Management, Selling a business

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Thoughts on Thanksgiving

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Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

What are your earliest recollections of Thanksgiving?

Many of us may recall the stories of The Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, Pilgrims, and Squanto.  That first celebration was in 1621.

Our first president, George Washington, issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789.  In 1817, New York became the first state to declare and celebrate Thanksgiving as an official holiday.

But, the United States of America didn’t recognize Thanksgiving as a national holiday until the first celebration in 1863.  I have included President Abraham ...

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21
NOV
0

Categories: Blog, Business Growth, Business Startups, Startups

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One Word Says It All

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One Word Says It All

One Word Says It All

For the past several decades, academicians and business pros have been piling up business terms like crazy.

Here are just some of them: branding, marketing, advertising, promoting, generating leads, nurturing, dealing, prospecting, offering, selling, closing, business development, etc.

So Many Questions

And, along with those terms, there are a lot of questions:

  • What is the difference between branding and marketing?
  • What is the difference between marketing and advertising?
  • How is promoting different than marketing or advertising?
  • Is prospecting different than promoting?
  • Is lead generation ...
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17
NOV
0

Categories: Blog, Business Growth, Marketing

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Tools

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Tools

Tools

The typical business consultant sells business tools.  Like a hardware store sells hammers, business consultants sell business tools.

The challenge is that all too often, the consultant’s hammer is often heralded as the “cure all” for all business ailments.

Most people have the common sense to know that a hammer will not saw wood, drill holes, or router a decorative edge on a piece of wood.  It is used for driving nails.

But when it comes to business, neither the business malady nor ...

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19
AUG
0

Categories: Blog, Business Consulting, Business Development, Business Growth, Business Process, Business Startups, Management, Problem solving

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Hard Work At Work

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Hard Work At Work

Hard Work At Work

At Blue Elevator™, our collective history has put us in touch with hundreds – even thousands of individuals – and the businesses they represent.

Some might ask, “What’s the secret to success?”

And here’s the secret: there is no secret.  It’s hard work.  Working smart, yes – but also working hard.

Hard Work At Work – Illustration

So, this is why we thought we would share with you what hard work looks like.

To illustrate this point, I have the distinct honor ...

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10
JUL
0

Categories: Accelerate, Business Development, Business Growth, Startups

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Hard Work

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Hard Work

Hard Work

In one of our Membership articles, we provided our Member clients one of Blue Elevator™’s secret formulas for success in business.  Whereas we won’t spill those beans here, we do want to provide you with another secret.

It is the secret of hard work.  And that being: hard work is a limiting reagent.

I learned the concept of a limiting reagent from my high school chemistry teacher (i.e., thank you, Mrs. Connie Grosse).  I will summarize it here.  A limiting reagent ...

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18
JUN
0

Categories: Blog, Business Consulting, Business Growth, Business Startups, Leadership, Management Action Items, Startups

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Baseball and Business

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Baseball and Business

Baseball and Business

If I hit the rewind button, I am back in Little League (actually, Pony League).  And no, not my Little League years, but my son’s.  My son loved baseball.  Everything about it.  And in baseball, you get to bat.  And when you bat, you get to hit home runs – if you’re lucky.

Or is it? Luck, that is.

Hitting home runs isn’t so much about strength as it is about technique.  That is, proper hitting mechanics will trump brute ...

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25
JAN
0

Categories: Blog, Business Development, Business Growth

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The Journey of Business

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The Journey of Business

The Journey of Business

Starting and growing a business is a lot like taking a long journey on foot.  There are many parallels:

  • Every journey is different (e.g., destination).
  • And, every person who undertakes a journey is different.
  • As a result, every trek is different: the terrain, the seasons, the weather, etc.
  • Things are always changing.
  • You will encounter many challenges and obstacles along the way.
  • You can’t stay in one place too long.
  • It is impossible to carry everything you will need on your back.

On Destinations …

A ...

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9
JAN
0

Categories: Accelerate, Blog, Business Consulting, Business Development, Business Growth, Business Startups, Innovate, Replicate, Startups

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The Problem with Self Reflection

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The Problem with Self Reflection

Dedication

This article is dedicated to all present and future clients of Blue Elevator™.  Business is a tough sport.  And sparingly, there are few courageous enough to embark on the ongoing process of rigorous business advisory.  You have taken the road less traveled by.  This article is dedicated to you.

The Problem With Self Reflection

There is a problem with self reflection.  The very exercise itself is almost guaranteed to reveal an opportunity to improve.

Why the Trouble?

Reflecting back on the past several years, ...

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1
JAN
0

Categories: Accelerate, Blog, Business Consulting, Business Growth, Innovate, Leadership, Management, Management Action Items, Problem solving

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Talking About Your Competition!

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Talking About Your Competition!

Talking About Your Competition!

When you mention your competition, you advertise for them.  The more you message your competition, the more “top of mind” they become.

So, pardon the direct advisory, but stop talking about your competition!

Why Do You Do It?

It kind of makes sense when you think about it.  Business owners, organizations, etc. tend to talk about their competition in an attempt to differentiate themselves.  At face value, this makes sense.  The trouble is, they don’t do it from a position ...

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1
JAN
0

Categories: Blog, Business Consulting, Business Development, Business Growth, Innovate, Marketing

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