Why the best time to prepare the next leader is usually years before you plan to leave Most business owners imagine succession planning as something that belongs near the end of the story. The company is built, retirement is visible on the horizon,...
A practical framework for balancing fair owner compensation, healthy cash flow, taxes, and long-term business value For many small business owners, deciding how much to pay themselves is one of the most uncomfortable financial questions they face....
Why your strongest people leave, what managers often miss, and how to build a workplace they want to stay in The resignation that surprises a business owner usually did not begin the day the employee handed in notice. It began months earlier, often...
There is a moment in many businesses when an owner realizes that the customer creating the most noise may not be the customer creating the most value. The account may look impressive on a sales report. It may have been with the company for years....
Revenue shows you who buys the most. Cost to serve shows you who is worth keeping. Some customers announce themselves the moment their names appear on a sales report. They place large orders, they account for a meaningful share of annual revenue,...
How to tell a solvable disagreement from a structural one The conversation usually starts somewhere ordinary. A piece of equipment, a hiring plan, whether to pursue a contract large enough to require a second location. One partner sees an obvious...