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  • Finance 0

    2 Future-Proofing Components to Protect Your Growth

    Ever wish you had a crystal ball to see the future and plan accordingly? More effective than a crystal ball, future proofing is the process of anticipating what the future might bring, in order to minimize the potential downside of future events. And it is one important way to protect your growth. Many companies already employ scenario analysis and predictive analytics to help with anticipating what the future might bring. Organizations are becoming adept at using simple exponential or double exponential smoothing models which take past performance into account to predict future performance. We’re avid proponents of both, but they aren’t ...
    On September 24, 2021 / By
  • Finance 0

    3 Key Challenges Every Remote Service Team Faces

    The calendar is flipping fast and before we know it, we’ll be welcoming 2022. By now, you’re well aware of the perks of remote work, such as no commute and more time on your hands, cost savings on fuel and office overheads, ability to hire from a wider talent pool, and so on. But with those pros come some cons. Especially for your customer service team, who’s used to working in a fast-paced, dynamic office environment. While there are plenty of challenges any remote team faces, here we’ll dive deep into the three key ones that every remote customer service team faces, plus tips and tools to overcome them. Challenge #1: Tackling increa...
    On September 23, 2021 / By
  • Finance 0

    Why It’s Important for Internal Service Providers to Understand Client Needs

    One of my clients runs an in-house operation that provides goods and services to other areas of the company. If she can’t satisfy her internal customers’ needs, they can decide take their business elsewhere, which may not be good for her group’s results or the larger company’s bottom line. It can also create negative feelings between colleagues, which is bad for interdepartmental relations and general morale. But there are often situations when internal clients need more than an internal provider can easily deliver, or when clients need new or conflicting things at the same time. How can you make the best of this situation without sat...
    On September 23, 2021 / By
  • Finance 0

    Estimates Are Useful, Just Ditch the Numbers

    TL; DR: Estimates Are Useful, Just Ditch the Numbers Many people dislike estimating work items as estimates supposedly open the path to the misuse of velocity by the managers, reintroducing Taylorism, micro-management, and excessive reporting through the backdoor. To them, for example, the proponents of #noestimates, estimates conflict with basic ideas of agile product development such as self-management, becoming outcome-focused, or leaving the feature factory for good. I like to suggest a different, less ideological approach: estimates are useful at the team level, just ditch the numbers. How so? Estimation of work items is a fast way for a...
    On September 22, 2021 / By
  • Finance 0

    I Am Still Worried About Discovery

    Canva.com Before the outbreak of COVID, I was concerned that too few brands had a clear strategy to drive discovery and trial in brick and mortar retail. Distribution gains would come, but the actions that get the product off the shelf were expensive and inefficient. Further, a lot of money was spent online to drive eCommerce sales. Young natural product brands must have the means to build their tribe. They can’t hope that they will simply be found on the shelf. Online is not the panacea. The unit economics of eCommerce often means that the consumer has to take a “risk” to try a new product or the brand has to subsidize that first purch...
    On September 22, 2021 / By
  • Finance 0

    Crowdfunding As a Funding Source For a Startup

    GeniusMaker / Pixabay The founder of a company not only needs to study the market well, come up with an excellent business idea and understand how to generate income with its help but also find money to launch a project. There are various options for raising funds, each of which is associated with certain consequences. In the late 2000s, a new alternative for people looking to start a business became available: crowdfunding. Since then it is still gaining momentum. Crowdfunding is a method of raising funds when large groups of individuals combine tiny individual investments to generate the cash required to get a business or project off the gr...
    On September 21, 2021 / By
  • Finance 0

    Connecting With the Transactional Alpha Exec

    You dread your meetings with Joe. Joe’s 100% transactional. All business, all the time. You feel rushed when you speak with Joe. And you don’t know how to stop the alpha-train. Worse yet, you’re a person who values relationships. You know that everything in business works better when you have built a rich relationship with a colleague. A reciprocal business relationship energizes you. Nothing about Joe indicates that a relationship matters to him. With you, or with anyone else. He just wants to “get it done.” Ouch. I found myself thinking of this challenge last week when I was delivering a Master Class on Influencing Skills. Buildin...
    On September 21, 2021 / By
  • Finance 0

    Get the Benefits from Disagreeing at Work

    People vector created by pch.vector – www.freepik.com One of the most important competencies expected of leaders today is the ability to navigate and engage in disagreement. Yet, many leaders struggle. They either handle it poorly or don’t handle it at all. A few do it well and lead their teams through productive conflict. Unfortunately, this isn’t the norm. The good news is that disagreement at work leads to a wealth of benefits. Amy Gallo describes in Harvard Business Review that it produces better work outcomes, opportunities to learn and grow, improved relationships, higher job satisfaction, and a more inclusive environment. To get ...
    On September 21, 2021 / By
  • Finance 0

    The Truth About Why Draws and Distributions Are Non-Taxable

    When it comes to pass-through entities such as LLCs and S-Corps, draws and distributions to owners/investors are not subject to income taxes. Here is why. Draws and distributions are recorded on a company’s balance sheet. However, a company’s profit and loss (P&L) statement is used to report its profits. Since draws and distributions are recorded on the balance sheet and not on the company’s P&L taking a draw or distribution has no tax consequence. Most small business founders choose one of the many entity types known as pass-through entities. By definition, a pass-through entity is not subject to income taxes at the entity or b...
    On September 20, 2021 / By
  • Finance 0

    How to Create a MarTech Stack That Supports Your Growth Goals (+ Best Tools)

    Whether you’re a creative, entrepreneur, or into any type of industry where you get to share your gifts with other people, you’re likely aware that the only way to accomplish any level of success is with good marketing. Effective marketing. Smart marketing. But even knowing that on a fundamental level can leave you with a lot of questions. How can you market yourself in this age of instant gratification? There’s social media, inbound marketing, and public relations. There are several people working together in each campaign. What can you do to bring it all together in a seamless way? Here’s where marketing technology can come to the r...
    On September 20, 2021 / By