3 Key Business Lessons From DIY Projects
The Home DIY Project
At our last house I built a big cedar pergola on our wooden (untreated spruce) 2×4 deck we inherited. I made the pergola only using screws and bolts (no nails) in case I ever needed to repair it. Just prior I had stained the deck with 5 year deck stain. I figured it would last at least 3 years.
I was wrong.
It started […]
Change Your Focus to Client Value
Maybe you just lost a big client or didn’t win a big proposal. Maybe you are just getting going in your business.
What is the first reaction when you have a cash flow shortage in your business?
If you are like 99% of people your first reaction is “I need more money, fast. How do I quickly get more money?”
You’ve now shifted the focus to you.
Not your client.
I recently caught myself thinking something like this. “How do I make another $10,000 dollars per month?”
If you go to try and sell something in this frame of mind, it will probably not go well. […]
Brilliant Leadership and the Tragic Song of a Sinking Ship
I happen to play fiddle and sing in a couple of Celtic bands. There is a strong maritime tradition in many of the songs and a lot of them seem to be about ships reaching a tragic end.
But ships didn’t just head out for fun back in those days. They were generally there for the purpose of commerce (or navy).
Leadership requirements are at their peak when the ship is in peril. This is no different for your business. 
So imagine back in […]
Managing Business Risk in the Dark Ages of Social Media
Back in the dark ages, villagers and townspeople would often react to a rumor and then take action swiftly to bring justice upon the presumed guilty party without waiting for the authorities to resolve it. The more emotionally attached people were to the crime, the less real or confirmed information they needed to follow the crowd and exact revenge.
Unfortunately two things were often true:
- There was a […]
The 80/20 Go-Giver
In this guest post by Certified Go-Giver Coach, Doug Wagner, the very wise and successful entrepreneur takes inspiration from a book by Perry Marshall. Here, he looks at the famous “Pareto Principle” (a/k/a, “the 80/20 rule”), applying it to The Go-Giver and one’s overall business success.
Enjoy Doug’s wisdom! – Bob Burg
I recently read 80/20 Sales and Marketing by Perry Marshall and decided to apply some of […]
Your Core Values: What Matters Here
Our company is in the process of further defining its core values. At times we have been the shoe makers children and put all our effort into our clients and not enough into ourselves; going barefoot.
This is a big mistake so we are making working on the business part of our business.
A lot of things may be important to you and your organization but certain things define you, say what you stand for, and what you won't tolerate.
Sometimes you […]
Business: It’s an Art, No It’s a Science
Most people identify strongly with one camp or the other.
I always trust my instincts or intuition first and foremost.
Or I measure and test everything and always go on logic.
The artist has an idea and implements it and uses emotion and subjective feedback to validate that they are right based on their belief system.
The scientist has a hunch and then will devise experiments to prove their theory through measurable evidence.
The scientist appears to be less […]
Your Habits Determine Your Level of Success
Your habits determine your potential for success and also your tendency towards failure.
Driving happens to be a great example of how habits determine your future success and even safety. Do you cheat on corners when no one is around or watching? Drive in the middle of the road? Roll through stop signs when turning right like it is a merge lane?
You are probably pretty safe when you are fully engaged and present.
What happens when you are distracted […]
The Reluctant Entrepreneur (Pushed From Safety)
I feel a strong compulsion to step into my potential and see where it goes. It is like the Universe is pushing and shoving me in a certain direction. There is a mix of excitement and fear in my mind.
Sometimes I resist. Maybe I can stay with things they way they are.
Yet the push comes again. Sometimes urgent, sometimes gently caressing my mind.
Who is the Universe to tell ME what to do? I have free will don't I?
What […]
14 Things You Can “Do” To Receive Openly
My latest guest post on The Go-Giver Way…
In this post by Certified Go-Giver Coach, successful entrepreneur, and creator of the Manifast Business Success System™, Doug Wagner, he closes out the “Law of Receptivity” theme for March with 14 (plus one) powerful ways to be effectively…receptive!
Enjoy Doug’s wisdom. – Bob Burg
You can find it here, 14 Things You Can "Do" to Receive Openly.