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Dream-Diagram-Develop

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Dream-Diagram-Develop

Dream-Diagram-Develop

The term design-build has been circling around in the construction industry for quite some time.

It refers to a company that will both design and build your dream home.

For purposes of this article, I will use the idea of design-build in a parallel way to refer to your business or organization.  Whether you are building a home or a business, it all starts with a dream.

Dream

Have you ever looked through a high-end luxury home magazine?  The pictures are beautiful.  Everything is ...

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4
MAR
0

Categories: Blog, Business Consulting, Business Development, Business Growth, Business Process, Innovate, Leadership, Management

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Lonely At The Top

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Lonely At The Top

Lonely At The Top

I have been blessed with a long and storied career in business.  I have found business to be very challenging.  And, thank God, I have also found it to be very rewarding.

But, I have also found it to be very lonely at the top.  Here’s why: When you are the leader of the organization, sometimes it’s hard to find the right person to talk to.

Is This You?

Let’s say you are a Controller or CFO.  An Executive Director.  ...

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17
FEB
0

Categories: Blog, Business Consulting, Business Development, Business Growth, Business Startups, Innovate, Leadership, Management, Marketing

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Change Is Multi-Dimensional

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Change Is Multi-Dimensional

Change is Multi-Dimensional

When it comes to making decisions, it’s important to realize that change is multi-dimensional.

In life and in business, we often come to a crossroad or a decision point.  We try to weigh the pros and cons – and then, make the best decision possible.  And it is here where we pause for caution, as not every decision has its desired consequence or outcome.  Or, rather, the decision itself introduces some other unintended consequences.  Change is multi-dimensional.

The ability to ...

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17
JAN
0

Categories: Blog, Business Consulting, Business Development, Business Process Consulting, Innovate, Leadership, Management

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Sweet Tea and Economics

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Sweet Tea and Economics

Sweet Tea and Economics

This article could have also been titled A False Sense of Security.  But hopefully you’ll understand the title selection in a bit.

Sweet Tea

When I was a kid, I would enjoy an annual pilgrimage to my parent’s home state – Arkansas.  I would enjoy my grandmother’s freshly-boiled sweet corn, french fries, fried okra, and all other types of Southern comfort food.  But what I didn’t enjoy so much were grandpa’s fresh shot, squirrel and dumplings.  I didn’t like ...

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10
JAN
0

Categories: Blog, Business Consulting, Business Development, Business Startups, Innovate, Leadership, Management, Management Action Items

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The Business Cycle

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The Business Cycle

The Business Cycle

In the cycle of life, a plateau is called maturity.  The cycle of life is this: birth, growth, maturity, decline, and then ….

The business cycle follows this same natural cycle.  Start-up, growth, maturity (e.g., a plateau), decline.  Left unto itself, your business or organization is likely going to follow that natural progression.

Ask your typical entrepreneur.  Start-up is fun.  Growth is pretty cool.  Plateaus and declines – not so much.

The Dreaded Plateau

You and your organization are somewhere in the ...

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19
DEC
0

Categories: Blog, Business Cycle, Business Growth, Business Process, Business Startups, Innovate, Leadership, Management, Problem solving, Startups

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The Great Illusion (Symptoms and Causes)

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The Great Illusion (Symptoms and Causes)

The Great Illusion

In life and in business, we often notice the symptoms before the causes.  Symptoms are by-products.  They are not causes.  And though symptoms will make you miserable, they are not causational.

Fever is a sign of infection.  Where is the infection?  Smoke is a sign of fire.  What is on fire?  Those are the real questions.

In business, a lack of sales is a sign that something is amiss.  The lack of sales is a symptom.  The inability of an ...

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19
DEC
0

Categories: Blog, Innovate, Leadership, Management, Management Action Items, Problem solving

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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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Stand Out in the Crowd

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Stand Out in the Crowd

Stand Out in the Crowd

Do you want to stand out in the crowd?

You are in the market to sell your goods or services.  There are a lot of people in your space, so to speak.  So, of course you want to stand out in the crowd!

How to Stand Out in the Crowd

There are many ways businesses try to do this, mostly via advertising:

  • SEO companies are selling you on getting you to page one on Google.
  • Facebook advertisers are wanting to boost ...
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10
DEC
1

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

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