Business Strategy & Advice

For storing passwords: 1Password Once you forget a password, you have to go through a few pesky steps to reset it. What if you didn’t have to do that? What if you had one place that will store all your passwords and log you in to all your accounts with one simple click? The 1Password […]

When I finished grad school, I walked off the podium with a boatload of confidence, an MBA degree inscribed with fancy Latin words, and sheer obliviousness about what it actually means to lead a team of people. I was hired as an assistant manager of a Target store and given the keys to a multimillion-dollar […]

It’s risky. It’s an insane amount of work. It could the best decision you ever make. If you’ve always hungered to start a business of your own but weren’t sure where to begin, start here. Good luck. And when it’s time to start accepting credit cards, give us a call. Contents 1. Conduct market research […]

One of the biggest challenges managers face is dealing with performance issues when they arise. As a manager, your job is to help each one of your employees do their best work, but if someone is struggling, you might have to take more direct action. Ignoring performance issues not only impairs your team’s ability to […]

One-third of employees report feeling levels of stress that are unsustainable. Forty-two percent of people have left a job simply because it was too stressful. The effects of stress lead to trillions of dollars in lost productivity every year. These are just some of the distressing stats author and leadership coach Tracey Grove shared with […]

Whether you like it or not, as a small-business owner you will have to work with attorneys at some point. Given the inevitability of this interaction, it is wise to set the best possible foundation for these relationships.  Even with limited resources like funds, office space, or employees, there are a number of common pitfalls […]

If you’ve recently moved into a management role, it is crucial for you to develop the skill of delegation. Delegation is not merely a tactic to minimize your personal workload; it is one of the most effective ways to develop your employees and give them stretch assignments to grow and improve. Although it’s natural to […]

You’ve probably been on the receiving end of 1-on-1s for a while. If you recently transitioned into a management role, you’ll likely be tempted to run your 1-on-1 meetings the same way your boss ran them, which may or may not be an effective way to do it. The Importance of 1-on-1s Meeting personally with […]

If you recently made the transition from team member to manager, you understand that managing former peers can be challenging. You want to maintain personal relationships but aren’t sure whether doing so will give the perception of favoritism. Some of your closest friends may be on the team, which can make performance conversations even more […]

A lot of brick and mortar stores have launched their own loyalty programs and for good reason. A study by the Harvard Business Review found that acquiring a new customer is 5 to 25 times more expensive, than retaining the ones you already have. In addition, Marketing Metrics found that new customers are only 5 […]

Receiving critical feedback is one of the most difficult things about working with others. But why is it so dang hard? And how can we get better at both receiving feedback and learning from it? One thing to keep in mind is that half the battle comes before a tough message is ever shared. Those […]

Many companies proudly display their core values, but in practice those values are often just marketing. To determine whether your core values are honest or just rhetoric, ask yourself this one simple question: Would you adhere to your values even if they created a competitive disadvantage? If a company is not willing to sacrifice for […]