There is a Dark Side of Success that you don’t hear about much. You hear the rags to riches stories of people like Elon Musk or Mark Cuban. They will tell you that there was hard work all along the way. And yes, you need to put in the work to make your business a success just like they did.

But there are a lot of details they left out. Details that no one really talks about. Sometimes you need to be told those stories because they are the ones that can really help you when it might seem impossible.

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When we concentrate on our business, we can forget about what is happening outside and around us. We can raise our own self defense mechanisms to blot out potential danger that could be lurking outside of our door. And when that alligator snaps his jaws, it can give you a wake up call.

A number of years ago, I went to a conference at a golf resort just north of Tampa, FL. My wife came along so we could turn the trip into a short vacation for us. …

When you are growing your business, whether it’s from 2 to 5 people or to 10 or more than 20, and even going from 250 to 500 people, there is an ugly truth that you need to deal with to successfully scale your business.

Issue — When your company grows, especially when it grows quickly, problems within the company pop up. Problems that you might not expect.

Whether you have built the company yourself, took the company over from a family member or rose up through the ranks, trade schools never teach you how to be the leader, how to…

Strengths and Opportunities

Each individual company has unique strengths and has the ability to take advantage of opportunities in different ways.

Strengths are those qualities and abilities that make you who you are. Think of them as the bedrock on which to build. They are the things that no one else has and are the tools of leverage for your future.

Some strengths are:

• Patented products or technology
• Unique products or technology
• Manufacturing capabilities
• Company finances
• Company name or brand
• Company purpose and values
• Cost structures
• Your people
• Ability to leverage customers

Strengths are manageable by you. Consider them as assets. And realize…

I like your post. I have a couple of questions. 1) Are you putting the entirety of the blog post in the email? I see people like Mike Kim and Jeff Walker put a few sentences in the email and a link to the article or blog. And that is their only call to action. 2) What is your call to action that you put in your emails? is it like the one at the bottom of this article?

There is an adage that says “nothing can’t be solved if enough money is thrown at the problem”. When it comes to growing your business you need capital to keep it going. But money alone, without looking at your whole business, is not going to save it.

A good business owner, once they have been in business a while, usually can see from the sales figures how much they can expect in profits. They have been running things smoothly and they know their business is fairly predictable.

But in today’s business environment, that is not sustainable to maintain success. Any…

Whether you have 5 or 500 employees, a leader needs to balance a strong culture with performance for sustainable success of the organization.

After watching my home town team get obliterated recently, The Chicago Bears were defeated by the GreenBay Packers, again, the head coach’s comments struck a chord with me. Matt Nagy spoke about the quality of the culture in the locker room. That the players care for one another. That they know what to do on the field. But in the end, the overall performance of the Bears this year will most likely lead to not only a head coach opening but a general manager opening as well.

Small service companies, such as HVAC contractors, building and remodeling contractors. small distribution…

As you progress during the year, how are you doing toward your goals? How are your employees doing toward their goals?

How are you doing with your employees? Staying in touch with them? How are you helping to help them achieve their goals?

For you contractors out there, have you seen your employees this month? (Contractors have always been the definition of remote workers.)

The system of the annual review is far too infrequent to keep tabs on how your employees are doing. With so much going on, the economy, COVID, remote learning, ups and downs of your business, staying…