Terry Heller: Why you bring your game face every day if you expect employees to do the same
Employees typically connect with your customers more often than ownership or upper management. But the reality is that ownership and upper management needs to have a close relationship with every employee at the company so that everyone shares the same vision, enthusiasm and passion for your product. When everybody is excited about the company they […]
Jay Colker: Take the time to learn what makes people tick and increase your odds of making a good hire
Substantial literature has been presented on the importance of alignment around leadership, strategy, structure, processes, systems, values, culture, people and skills. What leaders may often miss are the nuances involved with alignment, especially around people practices. Individuals come to work with a set of core beliefs and values about self and others. Organizations have expectations, […]
Steve J. Bernas: Why it's critical to vet anyone you pay to provide a service to your business
With the spring season finally here and quickly moving into summer, businesses just like homeowners are beginning to focus on improvements both inside and outside their facilities. And businesses are every bit as susceptible to building contractor scams as homeowners. While being the victim of a scam is damaging to anyone, it is especially true […]
Mark Scott: Why the role of a coach could be a great way to give your team a boost
In the last two issues of Smart Business Chicago, we’ve featured two CEOs who pursued the dream of being a professional athlete. Chris Clawson, the president of Life Fitness, wanted to be a professional baseball player. He spent three years playing for farm teams of the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros before injuries forced him […]
The Toasted Oat closer to going national, thanks to $25,000 Ohio Chamber prize
Erika Boll, founder and president of The Toasted Oat and winner of the 2014 Ohio Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award, was in disbelief when she was told in April that she had won the honor. “I was like, ‘No way!’” says Boll. “I couldn’t believe it. I think I said, ‘Really? I can’t […]
Customer-centric / ‘Hoby’ Hanna looks for core values when Howard Hanna Real Estate Services pursues M&A's
When Howard Hanna Real Estate Services acquired Realty One in 2008 it was a deal that made Howard Hanna the fourth largest real estate company in the nation — and it also presented some daunting tasks.
Dennis Seeds: University Circle has survived the test of time – and it’s been no accident
If it weren’t for a Euclid Avenue streetcar turnaround at East 107th Street that was known as University Circle, the medical-educational-arts neighborhood in Cleveland with that name might have been known as something more mundane. It was, by all accounts, a beautiful area, and much of it was the former estate of Western Union magnate […]
Eric Lofquist: What’s good for your customer should be good for you, too
By Eric Lofquist If you consult Merriam-Webster online for the definition of “perfect,” you’ll see “obsolete” mentioned three times. By this they mean mature, certain or contented. But if you look up “obsolete,” you get “no longer useful.” The dictionary is on to something. It’s time to recognize perfection for what it really is — […]
Katie Spotz: Rowing solo across the Atlantic provided a valuable lesson on the strength of the human spirit
By Katie Spotz It was Day 36 of my 3,000-mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean, and I found myself filled with doubt. I was at the halfway mark, which just happened to be one of the most remote places on Earth. What should have been a celebratory moment was instead filled with great uncertainty. I […]
Jerry Frantz: Relationships may often be the difference between winning or missing great results
By Jerry Frantz Relationships are everything. You’re only as good as your network. It’s not what you know — it’s who you know. What do these sayings have in common? They all describe the networking-focused nature of the business world, where your connections and contacts are stepping stones that can link you to success. For […]