The Business Owner » The Business Owner Blog

Heads Must Roll

Stephanie — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:15:14 +0000

The Chief Executive of British Petroleum (BP) will be fired within the week. This was reported yesterday by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and corroborated by various sources. And so, once again, we see large and successful organizations – when things go wrong – make a change. Send a message. Roll some heads. Can we learn from them as owners of small and mid-size companies?

Stay the Course Despite Stock Market Drop

Stephanie — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:28:30 +0000

What can we read into the stock market dive of late? It’s just a sign things are getting back to normal. According to the Richard Cripps, Chief Investment Officer at Stifel Nicolaus. “There have been ninety-two corrections of ten percent or more since 1928, or one every eleven months.” In April he said a 10% correct as likely to soon occur, based on historical precedence. "We are due," Cripps said. And it did.

Perkins Volunteers his Time with SCORE Counselors

Stephanie — Fri, 14 May 2010 20:33:55 +0000

“Things Every Business Seller Should Know” was the title of a presentation given Tuesday by David Perkins, Managing Editor of The Business Owner Journal. He accepted the invitation extended to him by Dennis Currington to speak to the volunteer counselors of Tulsa SCORE. Tulsa SCORE is an affiliate of the Service Corps of Retire Executives (SCORE) headquartered in Herndon, Virginia and Washington, DC. The organization’s mission is “educating entrepreneurs and helping small business start, grow and succeed nationwide.” Among the topics covered were:

No Place for the Real You to Hide

Stephanie — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:35:12 +0000

With the advent of websites, blogs, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, the real you is rapidly and widely disseminated. What people really think about your company today tends to have as much—if not more—to do with how you and your employees conduct themselves as it does with the image you work hard to portray.

It’s Official. You Survived One Nasty Recession.

Stephanie — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:03:22 +0000

It’s over.

Word may not have reached your desk yet but the bleeding has stopped. The fever has receded. The prognosis is for a full recovery.

Dr. Jeffrey Dietrich -- senior analyst for the Institute for Trend Research – presented the latest economic data today. Dr. Dietrich said:

Good things are happening in the economy

All indicators are positive

The turn-around is under way

Growth will occur through the remainder of 2010 and through 2011 and 2012

No “double-dip” recession to occur

He didn’t even hedge his bets. He seemed to be unequivocal about his beliefs about the immediate economic future. He says the data is clear and convincing.

Sure, people everywhere are pessimistic. Doubting that the sun is in fact rising again in the East. Dietrich says, “Of course they are. It’s human nature. But now’s the time to pick up some key talent and begin selling again. Wait until unemployment starts to fall and it’ll be too late.”

Revenue Follows Your Brand Value

Stephanie — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:34:45 +0000

People want to do business with organizations that are credible and trustworthy. They want to patronize organizations that are good corporate citizens. Ultimately, people want to be inspired, have hope and feel good about themselves and others.

An Easy Way to Become More Successful

Stephanie — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:12:35 +0000

If your not already a subscriber to The Business Owner Journal, click here and subscribe right now, for only $79. It’s a must-have resource for anyone that’s trying to manage and grow a private company.

Why Business Owners Should Watch the Super Bowl

Stephanie — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:00:26 +0000

“Want to compare yourself to someone, make it someone great,” my father used to say. Okay, maybe I should compare myself to a winning football coach, such as Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints. After all, a professional sports team is a business.

Free Fraud Prevention Webinar for Business Owners

Stephanie — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 16:01:46 +0000

A leading cause of business failure in the U.S. is employee theft.1 Organizations lose 5% of their revenue to fraud.2 Small businesses suffer disproportionately2 and the perpetrator is typically a “most trusted” employee. One in twenty-five employees are sociopaths and looking for opportunities to swindle you.

Let Them Be Distracted

Stephanie — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:58:02 +0000

The great news for you is, odds are, your competitors are not hitting on all cylinders. It’s just not the real world. The really well functioning teams are the extreme exception, not the norm. You remember. You worked for a variety of companies before you became owner. Were they well functioning or did they survive, somehow, despite themselves?