Most investments made to improve a business fall into one of three categories: people, process, or technology improvements. But alone, each of these categories of investments can provide disappointing returns…

When we sell a POS (Point of Sale) system to a restaurant, we need to get a signed contract. In the past, our salesperson would drop off the contract for the business owner to review. Often the restaurant was preparing to open, so the place would be a madhouse. They might not have a fax available, and usually had little time to go through the documents carefully…

When I started my machine shop 20 years ago, learn to “sit on cash’ was advice I frequently received. This counsel proved to be invaluable when the recession hit in 2008, creating a favorable environment for purchasing used equipment…

We have team meetings on a regular basis to review company performance and issues. I had been leading the meetings, but I discovered that having a different team member chair each meeting increases the level of participation. Plus the meetings are more productive because people are taking ownership and feeling more empowered.

In our December Board meeting the topic of communicating with clients, customers and prospects came up. One member reminded us that saying “thank you” after meeting with someone is very important, and that people really do appreciate a handwritten note. Taking the time to say thanks in a very personal way – ideally within 24 hours of your meeting – will help them remember you when it’s time to purchase the product or service you offer.

Did you know that 70 percent of what we see and hear is retained? This statistic should impact everything we do in our businesses, and video can help. Online videos are an obvious choice for marketing, but you can also use video effectively during sales presentations. Video also works wonders for training, helping employees and customers understand and retain more. We all have a need to communicate more effectively, and when we do so with video, we accomplish more in a shorter period of time.

When setting a deadline to complete a task, never select the beginning of a month. Pick the last day of the prior month. This way, you avoid letting the task slip deep into the new month. A stronger approach is a definitive deadline that must be accomplished before the month ends.