If you are a small business owner, you may relate to this lament. It is the number one complaint that I hear, followed by – “the statements show us making a profit but we don’t where it’s gone”. Even if you are familiar with accounting, the financial statements produced by your accountant aren’t always particularly useful. They have a standard …
One page business plan
No matter how much I recommend it, I get that for some, it feels like doing a business plan is just too much effort. If you fall into this category, the one-page business plan may be a stop-gap solution to consider. Vision and Values Whatever you do, don’t skim through your vision and values. These are the life force behind …
Breastfeeding and the working woman
I’m off my usual topics today, and am writing about breastfeeding and work. I’m past breastfeeding now. My kids are much older and I had forgotten how passionate I used to get when the topic came up in conversation. It came up today, in conversation with a client who commented about how pleased she was to be able to breastfeed …
When “can’t” actually means “won’t”
2 Sometimes I feel that the words “I can’t” should just be banned altogether. So often, the real meaning behind the words “I can’t” is “I won’t” or “I don’t really want to” and is a crutch that is used to by the speaker to justify their position. It’s also a habit, and a bad one, I might add. …
“At least I tried…”
Even if I fail, at least I tried. Do you think this statement is ok, or even a positive one? I have grave issues with it. I really don’t like it because to me, it’s a sign of someone who is already preparing for failure. Do not try, just do. The result is either as expected, less than expected, or …
What is the price of authenticity in marketing?
Quite a few marketing messages have been crossing my desk lately and they have been making me quite uncomfortable. Most have been like the following in some shape or form: Double your practice in 90 days! From $xx to 6 figures in 90 days! Very catchy. Very persuasive. Elicits an emotional response. I get how powerful these messages are. After …
Why are you making it so hard for me to comment?
Dear Blogger I think you would agree that getting comments on your blog posts, especially genuine, insightful ones, is sometimes quite challenging. As a fellow blogger, I try where possible to actively support my peers by commenting where I can. There’s such a vast amount of wonderful information available that it’s never difficult to find something to read, but finding …
It’s not Work-Life Balance, it’s Work-Life “Compromise”!
The ultimate juggler – that’s what I was at my peak achievement of “work-life balance”! Now that I have the opportunity and space to reflect on what life was like when I was CEO with two young children, I realise that what many saw as an amazing achievement was in fact a delicate balance and compromise. I thought I had …
Network marketing – a refreshing look
I admit I’m not a great fan of network marketing. It’s one of those things that usually leaves a bitter taste in my mouth because it has tainted many of my friendships. However, I recently had a refreshing experience that I thought worthy of sharing. I met a woman passionate about the product she was promoting. Burdened by a long …
What the…. SWOT?
I thought most people had come across this term and understood that it was a natural part of a business planning process. Apparently not. I remember a jaw-dropping incident when a fellow CEO dismissed the necessity for a SWOT in his business plan. I was completely taken aback that a business plan could actually be done without one! It’s much like …