Rick's Blog - Common Sense Experience for Small Businesses
How Do I Maintain Growth?
This is one of what I call a magical question; everyone in business ask the question where is your growth, and everyone has their own answer. One of my law professors summed it up best, “You say.” I would agree that there can be many answers and in most cases the answer for growth can be very long and sometimes complicated. I choose to try and keep it simple as I do with all my…
Read MoreGrow Your Business From Day 1
At first glance, the topic of this blog may seem a bit self-evident. Every business starts to grow in one way or another the first day it opens for business. My point in this article is we all want to grow, but how do you want to grow? Are you seeking a path to grow that goes more or less straight up or do you want to be a bit more conservative and grow say…
Read MoreHow Do I Know I Am Right?
The simple answer to the question of “How Do I Know I Am Right” when hiring someone that you don’t know. Even if you have the best well-thought out and executed hiring process in the world you still cannot know with 100% certainty that you have chosen to hire the right person. The question is what should be my expectation, my reasonable expectation of success when hiring? Study upon study and experience should tell you…
Read MoreHiring to Grow
Almost every owner of a business wants to grow their business. Growing a business requires numerous tools, but the most important tool is a good, quality workforce. The first step in building that workforce is to hire the best individuals you can find. This means finding not only the best individuals but the best people that will help grow your business. The first step in the process for hiring the right people is to develop…
Read MoreFirst Question When Hiring – Where Do I Find the Right People?
At some point in our lives, we are all seekers and hunters for food, clothing and housing. I would suggest that you use the basic skills that you have developed in looking for life’s basic needs as a starting point to find the right employees for your business. All of us are equipped to some extent to find the basics we need to survive and these same tools and experiences can help you find the…
Read MoreOh No, I Have to Hire!
The process of hiring employees should not send you as the business owner into a cold sweat. If you will take the time to build a process and properly use, then you can win the challenge by hiring the best people available. The first step is to locate the resources you need to build your own hiring process. You can find a variety of hiring processes by looking on the internet, buying a book, attend…
Read MoreWhat’s Under the Hood of Your Business Technology?
Yes, your business has a hood just like your car or truck does. Therefore, from time to time you or your mechanic (technician) needs to check under the hood to make sure the engine that drives your technology is running smooth. Also, every 6 – 12 months you need to make sure your “engine” is up to the tasks at hand so that your technology keeps your business operating and competitive. Your growth plans should…
Read MoreFinding The Right Technical Advice
In recent blogs, I have addressed the importance of building and maintaining a quality communication system both inside and outside your business. Technology plus communications is the glue if you will that not only holds your business together but allows it to grow and prosper. When it comes to communications in today’s business, technology is the key. Technology, its selection, implementation and maintenance is a determining factor in your company’s ability to compete and expand.…
Read MoreCommunications – A Key to Your Business Success
Listen to Rick’s Tip of the Week You, as a business owner, and your company’s ability to communicate will probably have more to do with your success (or failure) in business than any other single factor. For that reason and no other, I encourage you to turn your communication system into a strength of your business. Verbal communication is where it all starts and many times it is the weakest part of a company’s…
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