Follow these four strategies for a successful business resurgence
Many experienced leaders have failed to avert their business contractions, and critics believe that applying the wrong strategies is the primary reason for their recovery failures.
Can stuttered business rejuvenation excursions be dissected to reveal why the faltered resurrection strategies had stumbled? Can their lessons be synthesized into a set of distinct attributes that successful revival strategies must align to?
Here are four attributes of successful business resurgences:
People are making a positive difference in the city of Akron
Good things are happening in the city of Akron and I’ve had the good fortune recently to talk to some of the people playing a key role in these positive developments. I’ll start at the top with Akron’s new Mayor, Dan Horrigan. The Akron native and graduate of both St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and […]
Having familiarity with every aspect of your business is a powerful tool
When my business partner and I first started our business, we participated in almost every aspect of it, learning the intricacies firsthand. We were so excited to learn, to create and build a business. We simply “touched” everything. Not because we thought this was a particularly valid business strategy, but necessity forced us in this […]
Does your customer base recognize your brand?
Everyone knows that an apple with a bite out of it is the No. 1 tech company in the world. The company paid a ton of cash to etch that brand in your mind. But let’s talk about the small to midsized business that has limited resources to create and maintain its brand. How does […]
Study your processes, you might be surprised by what you find
As you may know, I currently work part time with an early-stage software company that provides a cloud-based solution for tracking regulated waste. We work with the entire supply chain from generators such as manufacturers to brokers and haulers and finally the facilities that dispose of the waste. In this supply chain, the tail (facilities) […]
The key to success is the ability to get everyone involved
One aspect of how the San Francisco Giants do business that Larry Baer is most proud of is the pride that employees take in their work, no matter what role they play in the organization. “You don’t have to be me like me and have grown up a Giants fan,” says Baer, the team’s president […]
Why taking a break might be the best solution
I recently heard a speaker talk about the fact that many big solutions and big ideas don’t come while you are hard at work looking for them. They come during Eureka moments — just before falling asleep, during meditation, gardening or even in the shower. The concept of Eureka comes from a story about Archimedes. […]
Scott Cook looks back at the deal that wasn’t
On Feb. 28, 1995, I interviewed Scott Cook, the founder of Intuit. Intuit was originally known for products like QuickBooks, Quicken and TurboTax. Intuit was in the process of being acquired by Microsoft in what was a very hostile takeover. Although no one would go on record, the takeover was based on the proposition that […]
Trust and authenticity must be part of the equation
I’ve worked closely with hundreds of business leaders and I strongly believe that leadership matters — a lot! So, you might imagine my surprise when I saw the latest book from Jeffrey Pfeffer, a highly respected leadership author and Stanford professor, was titled “Leadership BS.” Pfeffer researched a wide range of leadership programs that offered […]
How a baseball team led a renaissance in downtown San Francisco
The San Francisco Giants were in trouble when Larry Baer and his group bought the team back in 1993. More than 20 years later, as the Giants embark on what they hope will be a fourth World Series title in seven years, a remarkable transformation has taken place.