Monthly Archives: February 2011

Small Business Financial Models – Key to Success

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I've had the opportunity recently to do some small business consulting. Like many small businesses, this small biz was looking for more effective ways to market itself. We began with the obvious online channels - a website and blog. We began a search engine marketing campaign using Google Adwords to get a feel for what keywords his ideal customer was typing into Google to find him. As we began looking at the metrics ( the number of clicks or visitors driven to his website, the conversion rate of his website, his closing ratio etc), I realized there were deeper issues. "How much does it cost you to service this customer", I asked? He didn't know. Our conversation then migrated into a discussion Read more [...]
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Are You A “2 in 1″ Leader?

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In a recent HBR blog post the author introduced the concept of "2 in 1" leadership. " brilliant leaders who have one foot in tomorrow and the other firmly on top of today's issues. " This got me thinking both about my business as well as the companies we work with. It can be really easy to get bogged down in the day to day operation of your business, especially in the current economic environment. Many businesses are just trying to "survive". I would submit that all businesses must have "2 in 1" leadership. What does the future look like for your company? I'm not suggesting you become a fortune teller, but that you begin the regular discipline of looking at the future and performing focused thinking Read more [...]
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The Latest Small Business Challenge – Social Media

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It’s becoming increasingly difficult to own and operate a small business these days. The first punishing blow to small business has been the erosion of their custom base ushered in by the internet. If you’re a small business owner, your potential customers and your current customers have access to information about the products and services you provide. This access to knowledge has caused a seismic shift over the past decade. While it’s been great for the consumer, the small business owner has seen the traditional methods of customer acquisition and retention affected. As a small business owner you must to deal with this reality and adjust accordingly. Every small business needs Read more [...]
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Why a Software Engineer Should Join Astonish Results

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After reading a recent article in TechCrunch, I thought I’d write my own post about why a software engineer would want to join the Astonish Results’ team. I know in the current economic environment, the best employees tend to stay put and not move. They think the, “devil I know is better than the devil I don’t know”. But we have something special at Astonish and I thought I would talk about it here: Opportunity to make a huge impact At Astonish you have the opportunity to make a huge impact on the product and in return, on our customer base. If you’re passionate about creating great products and putting your stamp on something, you can do it at Astonish Results. Be Read more [...]
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Every Small Business Must Have a Facebook Strategy

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The latest Comscore study made it very clear – Facebook is a dominant player grabbing both unique visits and time spent by users. Marketing is all about getting your message in front of your target audience. This is why Google is so powerful, unlike a billboard, with online channels like Google, you can present your message or product at just the right time, when people are searching for it. Facebook is using a similar advertising model, by placing ads in Facebook, advertisers are getting access to this captive audience. If you felt that you should have a solid Google (organic and paid search) strategy, you should feel the same about Facebook. Having a solid strategy is critical if you’re Read more [...]
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In Life, “The Excuse Department is Closed”

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“The excuse department is closed” – I got this quote from a recent blog post on TechCrunch by 2X entrepreneur and VC Mark Suster.  I’ve really enjoyed Mark’s blog posts and insights. Is this post, Mark talks about TEDIC and how it relates to sales. I wholeheartedly agree with his comments.

As this applies to life, there are so many things that we can use to excuse us from doing what we KNOW we should do. The successful people are the ones that can say no to what they want to do and yes to what they should do.

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Bringing Efficiency to Your Company

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A recent HBR blog caught my eye. The author conveyed the fact that many organizations have low hanging fruit that can be harvested fairly easily, only if someone was looking. Here’s a quote from the blog that really spoke to me: “Think of all the business processes you interact with as a consumer, citizen, and worker. What percent of them amaze you with their efficiency? What percent amaze you with their inefficiency? See what I mean when I say that there's a lot of low-hanging fruit left? “ As the owner one of the fastest growing companies in the US, I am forced to look for these opportunities to bring efficiency to our processes. As I consult with our customer base, what I Read more [...]
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