Archives: November 2005

Invest Time Wisely

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 30

Spend time on what you do best, whether it's serving clients, generating sales or setting long-term strategies. Allocate 60 to 70 percent of your time to tasks that have the...

Manage Incoming Mail & E-mail Contacts

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 29

Set aside a specific time of day to sort your inbox. Throw away junk mail, forward mail to the appropriate people when necessary, open and separate the rest of the...

Keep Your Member of Congress Informed

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 24

Washington may seem far away, but you can have an impact. If gas prices are affecting your business, write to your member of Congress. Health care costs high? Your member...

Outsource Your IT

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 23

Small-business owners tend to spend a lot of time and money researching and purchasing hardware and software. They feel the need to control their IT capabilities in-house and will often...

Give Yourself a Break

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 22

Have you started looking older ever since you started that new business? If so, you're not alone. It all has to do with your telomeres -- the DNA strands that...

Develop a Pipeline of Qualified Candidates Using Advanced Search Technologies

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 21

Developing a pipeline of qualified candidates within an organization is critical to any company, even small businesses. Time lost while looking for a replacement can result in decreased productivity and...

Balance Passion Against Vision and Practicality

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 18

Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone. The work is hard, the financial rewards elusive, and the pressures immense. To be even remotely successful, you need to have some basic business skills, be...

Know Your Business, and Know Who's Really an Expert in It

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 17

When Howard Schultz met the folks at Starbucks -- then sellers of coffee machines and beans -- and spun his vision of the coffeehouses that we now know as Starbucks,...

Don't Believe the Hype About Patents

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 16

There's a widely held myth -- probably perpetrated by attorneys -- that every business idea should be patented. While it's true that many businesses have struck it rich by patenting...

Put Your Skin in the Game

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 16

Make sure you have a large amount of "skin in the game." Venture capitalists hesitate to invest in companies in which the founders have not sunk a lot of their...

Family Business Mistakes

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 15

Most parents think that if you're in a family business you need to learn everything there is to know about that business, you need to learn to work every job...

Question the Numbers

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 14

You can't believe the financial results that come out of your software system. Those numbers need to be reviewed and questioned. My favorite managers are the ones who look at...

Understand Your Customers

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 11

Focus relentlessly on customer experience. In my business that means the hotel-guest experience. I've taken what I've learned from guest feedback and codified it in design principles that govern everything...

Don't Forget Your Moral Obligation to the Team

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 10

As an entrepreneur and employer, you have certain basic obligations to your employees, such as paying their salary, withholding taxes, maintaining a safe work environment, and providing the resources needed...

Don't Prejudge Organizational Structure

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 09

Saying that a job needs to be done by a multi-national corporation or an independent entrepreneur is prejudging a solution. The first step is to find something that works, once...

Don't Let Your Prospects Forget You

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 08

Prospects are more likely to buy after the fifth or sixth contact, and some take even longer depending on what you're selling. Use your marketing system to stay in touch...

Do Homework Before Bringing the Biz to the U.S.

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 04

My advice to anyone considering bringing a business to the U.S. is to really learn the ins and outs of the laws on franchising first. Don't just leave it to...

Finding New Business Opportunities

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 03

"We tried a little pilot course early last year on design for autistic children. We got some students in that course who had an autistic brother, as well as parents...

Unleash the Hidden Potential in Your Business

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 02

One of the greatest challenges facing today's entrepreneur is finding and growing innovation. Here are some key ways to unleash the hidden potential in your business: 1) Think two generations...

Plan for Transitions in the Family Business

Posted by: Rod Kurtz on November 01

Psychologists have observed that normal life transitions (i.e. birth of a baby, divorce, serious illness, loss of a loved one, etc.) often create personal and/or relationship crises. People who work...