I deserve a pay raise. As a business owner, I’ve scrimped and cut corners through lean times. I’ve given employees raises and spent money to upgrade equipment. It seems like there’s never enough. My family is pressuring me to...
Ask Andi: Our people lack confidence or need better decision-making skills. We get bottlenecks and then it all sits on my shoulders. I want them to make decisions but worry they will make mistakes or leave things undone. How...
Ask Andi: We struggle to stick to the business plan. It feels unnatural to prioritize working on a plan when day-to-day pressures crop up. It’s easy to get sidetracked. Thoughts of the Day: Stick to the business plan or change...
Ask Andi: We need to start planning. We react to day-to-day issues, instead of looking ahead. We create problems by not fixing them. Can you help us stick to top priorities? Thoughts of the Day: Stop reacting, start planning. Identify...
Ask Andi: We are thinking about joining forces with another firm. Cultural differences could be the biggest problem. What can we do to make this work? Thoughts of the Day: Due diligence is a process of detailed investigation. Mergers are...
Ask Andi: Should sell my business? Someone has offered to buy it. I'm not really ready to get out. But I'm hearing about tax rate changes that reduce what I will get if I wait to sell until next year...
Ask Andi: Being optimistic in business is my Achilles heel. Unfortunately, sometimes I get the company in over its head. I'm taking on too much stress. My staff thinks I'm pushing too hard. I'm having sleepless nights figuring things out....
We've been struggling with cash flow all spring. We dug ourselves into a hole we didn't need to be in. We bought a lot of equipment right at year end, because we had the cash to do it, and we...
We're reviewing 2010, and moving on to plans for 2011. I want to be sure we're clear about what we need to do to have a good year, this year. What suggestions do you have for goal setting? Setting performance...