Business Development

Piercing the Small Business Ceiling: Part II

2023-01-28T11:47:25-06:00February 22nd, 2023|Tags: , , |

In this series, we’re discussing a common problem in a growing small business. Many business leaders struggle with how to grow their business to the next level.  There are at least three hindrances that can prevent an entrepreneur from reaching the next level. The first one we’ll address is having a destructive mindset.  As we approach previously unattained levels of ...

Piercing the Small Business Ceiling: Part I

2023-01-28T11:20:55-06:00February 21st, 2023|Tags: , , |

Jeff is an entrepreneur who called me to discuss his business. Over the last five years, Jeff has grown his startup business to ten employees.   But now, Jeff feels lonely, depressed, and unsure of his ability to grow the business beyond where it is now. Jeff’s issue is not uncommon.   There are stages in growing a business when it ...

Narcissistic Behavior

2023-04-02T16:20:13-05:00January 14th, 2023|Tags: , , |

My wife, Kathy, loves the study of people. One condition Kathy often discusses with me is narcissistic personality disorder.    The Mayo Clinic describes this disorder as, “a mental condition in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others.”  Research shows, ...

Passing the Baton: Lesson I

2022-12-26T12:13:56-06:00January 9th, 2023|Tags: , , |

When I ran track in high school, I learned that relay races are won or lost during the handoff of the baton. In November, Disney terminated their CEO, Bob Chapek, and brought back Bob Iger, their previous CEO.   Although there was a lot of focus on Chapek’s failures, in my opinion the biggest failure was Iger’s mistakes. Iger was the ...

A Gospel Mission

2022-12-02T10:35:19-06:00December 16th, 2022|Tags: , , |

In this series, we’re looking at a framework as an answer to the question “How do I involve God in my business?” Previously, we’ve described the foundation, and what we call a first and second level business.   A level three business is focused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Level 1 and 2 businesses can be just as godly, but ...

Zero Sum Thinking

2022-10-21T15:05:25-05:00November 9th, 2022|Tags: , , |

Some leaders conduct business with zero sum thinking. They believe that one person’s gain is another person’s loss. A win/win solution is hard to comprehend.  Zero sum thinking permeates many competitive situations. If your competitor convinces one of your customers to switch to their service, you might assume that you lost and they won.   But what if losing that customer ...

The Ten Commandments for Business: Commandment Five

2022-11-21T15:43:28-06:00October 21st, 2022|Tags: , , |

Early in the ministry I recruited our oldest daughter, Megan, to help with our bookkeeping. She did a remarkable job, but I knew eventually she was destined for a medical profession, not this ministry.  Many small business owners engage their children in helping with the family business. When these children are groomed for future leadership positions, it can sometimes ...

Develop Your Product First

2023-04-08T14:15:39-05:00October 16th, 2022|Tags: , , , |

A young budding entrepreneur contacted me recently about a new business she is working to start. Her first step towards entrepreneurship, however, was somewhat surprising to me.   Rather than researching her potential customer’s needs and why they would pick her product over the ones they currently use, she formed a corporation. She could have waited years before incorporating.   In ...

New Competitors

2023-02-10T21:55:27-06:00July 21st, 2022|Tags: , , |

When I was in banking, we occasionally complained about competing with credit unions and savings and loans. At least they were local, however, and we could compete using a more convenient location.  In today’s world, banks, and most other industries, are now competing with online alternatives. Leaders who refuse to seek counsel beyond their traditional industry consultants run the ...

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