http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/rss/2017 Benchmark Business Group en-US Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:01:54 +0000 Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:01:54 +0000 Copyright 2026 Benchmark Business Group. All rights reserved. postmaster@globalreach.com (Benchmark Business Group) postmaster@globalreach.com (Benchmark Business Group) Global Reach News Aggregator v0.96 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/thank-you-2017 http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/thank-you-2017 Tue, 19 Dec 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p><span face="Times New Roman" size="3" style="font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-size:10pt"><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">As 2017 comes to an end, we want to send a note of gratitude to all small business owners. As you know, having an idea is just a&nbsp;</span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">day dream; but turning ideas into reality is what makes small business owners special</span><span style="color:#000000; font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">.&nbsp;</span></span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/what-message-do-you-want-to-send http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/what-message-do-you-want-to-send Tue, 12 Dec 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p>Last week, we discussed the &quot;<a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-busy-trap-within-your-business" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">Busy Trap</a>&quot; in which many small businesses get stuck. We discussed the pitfalls of being busy, and the impact it can have on your business. What we also know is that most small business owners that we work with have excellent customer care regardless of how busy they get.</p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-busy-trap-within-your-business http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-busy-trap-within-your-business Tue, 05 Dec 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <div style="color: #0067ac;"><span><span style="color:#000000">It seems like our society, now more than ever, uses phrases such as, &quot;I&#39;ve been busy&quot; or &quot;It&#39;s been busy&quot; as a badge of honor. It has quickly become the standard answer for, &quot;How are things going&quot; or &quot;How&#39;s your business been?&quot;</span></span><br /> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/making-the-switch http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/making-the-switch Tue, 28 Nov 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p>Intentional imbalance is always about your wins. It&#39;s about knowing what they are so when you reach them you can turn your attention to the next win. It sounds a bit odd, but the real reason you plan your schedule is so that you can react to the elements that are outside of your control and still be in control. Yes, sometimes you have to completely rearrange the schedule that you&#39;ve planned and in a moment&#39;s notice. This is where most people struggle.</p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/color-coding-your-wins--sales http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/color-coding-your-wins--sales Tue, 21 Nov 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">This month, we&#39;ve been discussing <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/creating-sales-wins--sales" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">creating sales &quot;wins&quot; through activity</a> and <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/intentional-imbalance" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">intentional imbalance</a>. For every sales person it&#39;s important to know what your wins are and understand the intentional imbalance your schedule needs to have to meet those wins. Yet, we know that for many sales people scheduling their time to create true wins is difficult.&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/intentional-imbalance http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/intentional-imbalance Tue, 14 Nov 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <div style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <div><span><span style="color:#0067ac"><strong>Putting Intentional Imbalance into Action</strong></span></span> </div> <div><span>Previously, we discussed that <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/creating-sales-wins--sales" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">a successful salesperson knows what a win looks like each and every day</a>. They know what activities they need to have throughout a month, a week, and every single day in order to hit their personal goals. They don&#39;t leave closings up to chance. And they know that not every day will be the same.</span><span>&nbsp;</span> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/creating-sales-wins--sales http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/creating-sales-wins--sales Tue, 07 Nov 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <div style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <div style="color: #0067ac;"><span face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:11pt"><strong>What is a win for you?</strong></span></span> </div> <div><span face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:11pt">When you&#39;re in sales, especially sales with a longer cycle, it&#39;s easy to get discouraged. There are days where you might think you&#39;ve accomplished nothing, because you didn&#39;t get the &quot;win&quot; of closing on a deal. It&#39;s understandable. Closing a deal gets you paid; and, if you&#39;re like most salespeople there&#39;s a rush&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:11pt">of excitement that comes with the closing.</span></span> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/its-time http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/its-time Tue, 31 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p>Not having time to focus on change is a reality for most small business owners, but it&#39;s also something you can move past. All we have is time. It&#39;s how we choose to use our time that matters. Granted, this is easier typed than implemented, but if you truly want different results in your business then you have to change the way you spend your time. &nbsp;</p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/built-to-sell-is-built-to-own http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/built-to-sell-is-built-to-own Tue, 24 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <div><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif; font-size:11pt">If you&#39;ve followed along this month you know that we&#39;ve focused on knowing how to <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-stark-truth-about-business" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">increase the value of your business while you own it</a> and <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/when-is-double-vision-good-for-you" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">when you&#39;re ready to sell</a>.&nbsp; We often encounter business owners that are uneasy talking about their eventual exit plan.&nbsp; Some owners think it&#39;s too far away and they don&#39;t need to worry about it now.&nbsp; Others want, but seldom have, a clear plan to transition the business to their children or employees.&nbsp; And some plan to work up until the end (this one is just scary).</span> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/are-you-ready http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/are-you-ready Tue, 17 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <div style="color: #0067ac; font-size: 12pt;"> <div><span><span style="color:#000000; font-size:12pt">One of the most common remarks we hear from business owners here at Benchmark Business Group is, &quot;I wish I would have done this sooner.&quot; The reality is, there is no perfect time to start redesigning your business. In fact, achieving &quot;Value Realized&quot; isn&#39;t a one-time occurrence. Rather, it is a way of doing business that once you start will pay dividends, today AND when you&#39;re ready to exit your business. The best time to start is now.&nbsp;</span></span> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/when-is-double-vision-good-for-you http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/when-is-double-vision-good-for-you Tue, 10 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: #000000;"> <div style="color: #0067ac; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color:#000000">Last week we challenged you to think about the <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-stark-truth-about-business" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">design of your business and answer the question</a>: Have you intentionally designed your business to achieve &quot;Value Realized?&quot; This week we&#39;re challenging you to think about double vision. Running a business isn&#39;t easy. You already have a lot on your plate and we&#39;re asking you to find a way to redesign your business. This requires you to have double vision.&nbsp;</span> </div> <div style="color: #0067ac; font-size: 12pt;"><br /> <br /> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-stark-truth-about-business http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-stark-truth-about-business Tue, 03 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <div><span>The sole purpose of owning a business is to realize value. What value means to you could be different, but for the most part, business owners consistently want three things daily: more time, more profit and more freedom. And of course, when the time comes to transition out of your business realizing value is: more options, more offers and more profit.</span><br /> <br /> <br /> &nbsp; </div> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/e-myth-where-it-started--business-strategy http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/e-myth-where-it-started--business-strategy Tue, 26 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: #000000;">This month we&#39;ve focused on business books that we believe every business owner should read including <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/can-your-business-thrive-without-you" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">Built to Sell</a> and <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/where-does-accountability-start" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">QBQ</a>. We want to end the month with one of our favorites by Michael Gerber. The<em> E-Myth Revisited</em> has a special place in our company story, our hearts, and in shaping the way we do business every day at Benchmark Business Group. BBG started out as an <a href="/about-us/our-story" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">E-myth coaching center</a> and was designed by Susan and Bob Clements in collaboration with Michael Gerber. We&#39;ll be the first to admit that we&#39;re biased when it comes to the<em> E-Myth Revisited</em>.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/why-we-love-our-books http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/why-we-love-our-books Tue, 19 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: #000000;">This month we are acknowledging a few of our favorite books such as <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/can-your-business-thrive-without-you" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-style: italic; color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">Built to Sell</a> and <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/where-does-accountability-start" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-style: italic; color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">QBQ</a>. Each of the books identified this month has a different insight on business that can help a business improve.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/where-does-accountability-start http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/where-does-accountability-start Tue, 12 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: #000000;"> <div style="color: #0067ac;"> <div> </div> <div> </div> <span color="#000000" face="Times New Roman" size="3" style="color:#000000">Asking ourselves the right questions and making the right decisions is the focus of another favorite book of ours, QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, by John G. Miller. He challenges us to eliminate complaining, blame and procrastination, and begin asking solution-based questions. Instead of asking who is to blame for a situation, we should ask, &quot;What can I do to improve the situation?&quot; Only when we are able to ask this &quot;question behind the question&quot; can we take ownership of a problem and start focusing on a solution. </span><br /> <br /> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/can-your-business-thrive-without-you http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/can-your-business-thrive-without-you Tue, 05 Sep 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;"> <div style="color: #0067ac;"><span style="color:#000000">There are several reasons a person owns a business. B<span style="font-size:12pt">uilding equity, earning a comfortable living, filling a need in the community, building a job around a hobby or passion, or being able to &quot;do it my way&quot; are all motivations for owning a business. No matter how you define what it means to realize value through your business, there comes a time when every owner will exit their business. It will be by choice, or it will not be by choice. Only time will tell if you exit your business because your exit strategy is being implemented, or due to something outside your control, such as a health issue, unforeseen family dynamic, economic downturn, or numerous other uncontrollable life events. Whenever it happens, tomorrow or in 20 years, </span><strong style="font-size:12pt">will you as the business owner get the most value out of your business?</strong></span><br /> <br /> <br /> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/action-steps-that-work http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/action-steps-that-work Tue, 29 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;"> <div>This month we&#39;ve discussed how to design the structures needed to make project management successful in small business. We&#39;ve looked at <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-project-manager-mindset" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">defining the mindset</a>, having a <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-dreaded-project-plan" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">project plan</a>, knowing <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/where-do-i-start" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">where to start</a>, and <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/adjusting-your-sails" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">dealing with change</a>. We want to end this month&#39;s spotlight with a focus on action. It&#39;s one thing to have a plan, but no plan is successful without action. </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/adjusting-your-sails http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/adjusting-your-sails Tue, 22 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;"> <div style="color: #0067ac;"><br /> &nbsp; </div> <div><span style="color:#0067ac"><strong>Our Thoughts:</strong></span> The ability to adapt to change within a project is vital to success. Regardless of how great your project plan is there will always be some factors that you cannot control. The good news is that you can always control your reaction to those factors. The <a href="http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/media/documents/Sample_Manager_Point_of_View_60315FDEA1E30.pdf" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">sample mindset document</a> we provided earlier addressed the need for a project manager to adapt a flexible point of view, but to truly be ready for change, you must also think about the structure of change. </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/where-do-i-start http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/where-do-i-start Tue, 15 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;">This week we continue our spotlight on <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-project-manager-mindset" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">project management in small business</a> with the age old question, <div style="color: #0067ac;"><strong>&quot;Where do I start?&quot;</strong><br /> &nbsp; </div> <div>In planning a project, there&#39;s no one &quot;place&quot; to start as this is not a linear process. Instead, the project management process is a constant flow of information through the project plan. However, in most cases there are two important sections of the project plan that need to be completed early: the business requirements and milestones. If you haven&#39;t already, we recommend downloading our <a href="http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/media/documents/Sample_Project_Plan_385DEB2D58447.pdf" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">sample project plan</a> and using it to follow along this week.<br /> <br /> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-dreaded-project-plan http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-dreaded-project-plan Tue, 08 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;"><span style="font-family:Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt">Previously, we discussed the need for </span><a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-project-manager-mindset" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-weight: bold; color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">project management skills in small businesses</a><span style="font-family:Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt">. We challenged you to define the point of view that a project manager needs to successfully manage projects in your business. This week we want to focus on the main structure that will help you, and your employees, plan out and execute the details of a project. This all-important document is the project plan, and a tool that is severely lacking in many businesses. </span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-project-manager-mindset http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/the-project-manager-mindset Tue, 01 Aug 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;">In a small business, there is never a lack of projects to be completed. In fact, many of the projects that are meant to take your business to the next level often stall due to the lack of available resources and talent to keep projects moving forward. In order for a project to succeed there needs to be one person that is accountable for driving the project forward. One person that ensures that all the obstacles small businesses run into: not enough time, not enough resources, etc., are obstacles to move beyond and not dead ends. The catch is that the accountable person doesn&#39;t, and in fact shouldn&#39;t, always have to be the business owner. Your business needs to have a structure for project management and a team of people who are trained to use the structure to lead and manage projects successfully.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/interviewing-for-sales-people http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/interviewing-for-sales-people Tue, 25 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;">This month we are giving you some <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/selecting-sales-associates" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">ideas and techniques</a> on how to find and initially evaluate candidates for a sales associate position. We focused on qualities and traits you want in a sales associate, <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/hiring-for-sales" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">where to find them, and how to use resumes and applications</a> to help you identify who you want to interview. Next we are focusing on the personal interactions of hiring.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/selecting-sales-associates http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/selecting-sales-associates Tue, 18 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;">As we continue the month on <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/hiring-for-sales" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">hiring sales associates</a>, it&#39;s important to reiterate the need to have a well-planned strategy. Part of that strategy involves resume evaluation. This week we&#39;ll focus on using the resume and application to determine who to invite to the interview.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/hiring-for-sales http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/hiring-for-sales Tue, 11 Jul 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;">For any business that wants to grow, there comes a time when your sales team will need to grow by adding sales associates. When your business makes the decision to grow its sales team, it needs a plan. A plan that starts with: <ul> <li>Who would make a great sales associate and where to find them</li> <li>How to determine which applicants you should interview</li> <li>How to conduct an interview for the sales associate position</li> </ul> This month we will focus on creating certain parts of your hiring plan for sales associates. With a first look this week on who would make a great sales associate and where you can find possible candidates to build your pipeline.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/managing-work-relationships http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/managing-work-relationships Tue, 27 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color:#000000; display:table; width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;"> <div>If you&#39;ve been following us this month you&#39;ve: <ul> <li><a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/how-should-a-manager-think" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">Thought about what it means to be a manager in your business</a>&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;</li> <li><a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/managers-point-of-view--management" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">Created a written point of view for your managers to adopt</a><br /> &nbsp;</li> <li><a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-structures-to-develop-managers" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" track="on">Considered the structures your business needs to put in place to make a manager successful</a></li> </ul> The next step is to make sure your managers are eq<span style="font-size:12pt">uipped to create the best working relationships that they can with u</span><span style="font-size:12pt">pper management (who they report to) and t</span><span style="font-size:12pt">heir team.</span></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-structures-to-develop-managers http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-structures-to-develop-managers Tue, 20 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><strong>Our Thoughts:</strong>&nbsp;Last week we covered the&nbsp;<a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/managers-point-of-view--management" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/managers-point-of-view--management" linktype="1" shape="rect" target="_blank" track="on">importance of shaping the mindset of your management team</a>. It&#39;s an important step to ensure that your business is able to create managers that fit into your culture. The next step is to ensure that your business is ready to allow your employees and managers to make great decisions. The structure of your business will allow them the freedom to act without worrying if they are on the right path.</p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/managers-point-of-view--management http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/managers-point-of-view--management Tue, 13 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p>Last week we spoke about the importance of documenting <a href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/how-should-a-manager-think" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important; text-decoration: underline !important;" target="_blank" track="on">what it means to be a manager within your business</a>. The following is a template of what a company could put in front of their managers.</p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/how-should-a-manager-think http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/how-should-a-manager-think Tue, 06 Jun 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <table border="0" cellpadding="15" cellspacing="0" class="ArticleBG1 BlockMargin" id="textEdit" style="color: #000000; display: table;" width="100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;"> <div>For every company the answer to this question is different, yet, we often make the assumption that people know what it means to be a manager. The truth is, most people don&#39;t. Unless you specifically discuss what a manager is and how they think in your business, your managers will always be on a different page than your vision. When you and your managers have a different understanding of what it means to be a manager then your business won&#39;t get the results that it needs.</div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/graduation-implementation http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/graduation-implementation Tue, 30 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="color: rgb(76, 76, 76); font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This month we are promoting how to graduate your business to the next level. We explored&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-graduation" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-graduation" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">refreshing your vision</a><span style="color: rgb(76, 76, 76); font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, proactive change, embracing new ideas,&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/taking-your-business-to-the-next-level" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/taking-your-business-to-the-next-level" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">change through people</a><span style="color: rgb(76, 76, 76); font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;and the&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/internal-graduation" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/internal-graduation" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">opportunities for changing your technology, customer service and products</a><span style="color: rgb(76, 76, 76); font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. This week&#39;s focus is on graduating your business&#39;s &quot;to do&quot; list. These are the ideas you wrote on a cocktail napkin, the hand written notes on a notepad next to your bed when you wake up at 3 am, or items on your computer in the &quot;someday&quot; folder. So how do you take these &quot;to dos&quot; and ideas to the next level?&nbsp;</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/graduation-question http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/graduation-question Tue, 23 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span _mce_style="color: #0067ac;" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(0, 103, 172);"><strong>Quote:&nbsp;</strong></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&quot;You&#39;re off to great places, today is your day, your mountain is waiting, so get on your way.&quot; -Dr. Seuss</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/internal-graduation http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/internal-graduation Tue, 16 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This month we&#39;ve been focused on graduating your business to the next level. We already mentioned ways to graduate your business with an </span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-graduation" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-graduation" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">updated vision, new ideas</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> and </span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/taking-your-business-to-the-next-level" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/taking-your-business-to-the-next-level" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">with people</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. This week our focus is on: areas of technology, customer service, and products in your business. Do any of these areas in your business need to go back to school? Do they need to be improved and innovated?</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/taking-your-business-to-the-next-level http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/taking-your-business-to-the-next-level Tue, 09 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Last week we introduced the idea of&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-graduation" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-graduation" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(114, 175, 182) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">graduating your business to the next level</a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. We encouraged you to review your company vision, engage in proactive change, and embrace new ideas. This week our topic is taking your business to the next level through people. What people? Those who come to your business to purchase products and services - Your Customers. Those who support the products and services in business - Your Employees. And, those directly involved in the decision making, planning, and strategy of a business - you the owner and your leadership team.</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-graduation http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-graduation Tue, 02 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">May is the month for graduations. For students of all ages it is the time to move forward and look to the next experience and opportunity. For those students culminating an educational goal, they can move forward with a degree in hand, ready to take their education to the next level, start a new career, or just begin &quot;adulting.&quot;&nbsp;</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/technology-and-spring-cleaning http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/technology-and-spring-cleaning Tue, 25 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This month we&#39;ve discussed Spring Cleaning in your business including&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-and-spring-cleaning--business-strategy" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-and-spring-cleaning--business-strategy" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(114, 175, 182) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">why spring cleaning matters</a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, a&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/spring-cleaning-checklist-for-your-business" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/spring-cleaning-checklist-for-your-business" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(114, 175, 182) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">spring cleaning checklist</a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, and the&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/letting-go-of-unfinished-work" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/letting-go-of-unfinished-work" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(114, 175, 182) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">ability to let go of projects</a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. This week we want to focus on sprucing up the organization of your technology with a sample checklist. Again, this checklist is meant to be customized. We encourage you to make it your own.</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/letting-go-of-unfinished-work http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/letting-go-of-unfinished-work Tue, 18 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span _mce_style="color: #0067ac; font-size: 14pt;" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 103, 172); font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Our thoughts:</strong></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;We see business owners hold on to work and stock pile projects, because putting a project to rest feels like a disappointment or even a failure. This leads to clutter, overwhelm, and can lead you to wasting time on projects/tasks that are not your true priorities. As an entrepreneur, you will always see ways to improve and innovate your business. There will always be a need to strategize solutions to maximize time and capacity. It&#39;s okay to stop a project and to clean it off your to do list without considering it a failure. We challenge you to take a look at your to do list and clean it up. Are those tasks/projects really a priority? Are you hanging on to something, because you don&#39;t want to call it quits? Free up your time and your mind for what will truly move your business forward.</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/spring-cleaning-checklist-for-your-business http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/spring-cleaning-checklist-for-your-business Tue, 11 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Last week we discussed the&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-and-spring-cleaning--business-strategy" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="font-weight: bold; color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-and-spring-cleaning--business-strategy" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">impact that Spring Cleaning can have on your business</a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;and this week we&#39;re jumping right into the heart of that matter with a sample Spring Cleaning Checklist. We encourage you to make this list your own. Add to it, tailor it, and adjust it to make sure that your business has what it needs to be organized, focused, and you have what you need to build a business of value.</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-and-spring-cleaning--business-strategy http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-business-and-spring-cleaning--business-strategy Tue, 04 Apr 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="background-color:#ffffff; font-family:Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:16px">When&nbsp;</span><span _mce_style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-family:Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt">people discuss Spring Cleaning, they typically do so in regards to cleaning their garage or sometimes even their office. It&#39;s typically about cleaning a physical space; reducing clutter, creating order, and making your physical space look better. Guess what - there is oppo</span><span _mce_style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-family:Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt">rtunity in the clutter that inspires spring cleaning! Think about it...those piles exist because most small businesses get weighed down in the day-to-day of the business. They get so busy working in it, that they don&#39;t have time to work on the business. Now you might be thinking, &quot;How in the world is Spring Cleaning going to help me work on my business?&quot;</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/driving-value-realized http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/driving-value-realized Tue, 28 Mar 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This month we&#39;ve been focusing on how to build a business of value. A business that gives you more time, more money and more freedom in day-to-day operations is a business that will sell for a premium when the time comes. Last week we looked at the first four drivers that will help you increase the value of your business:&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/4-drivers-that-influence-value-realized" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/4-drivers-that-influence-value-realized" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">Financial Growth, Growth Potential, Recurring Revenue and the Switzerland Structure</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. This week we&#39;ll take a look at the remaining four drivers which are:&nbsp;</span><strong style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Monopoly Control, Customer Satisfaction, Valuation Teeter-Totter, and Hub &amp; Spoke.</strong></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/4-drivers-that-influence-value-realized http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/4-drivers-that-influence-value-realized Tue, 21 Mar 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This month we&#39;ve discussed the importance of&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/is-your-business-designed-for-value" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/is-your-business-designed-for-value" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">defining the value you want to realize from your business</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;and how to&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/value-realized-how-do-you-get-there" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/value-realized-how-do-you-get-there" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">generate a baseline of your business today</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. In the next two weeks we&#39;re going to continue to look at building a business of value from two perspectives: if you&#39;re looking to sell your business soon (within two years) and if you&#39;re looking to build a business of value to sell or transition later in your life.</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/value-realized-how-do-you-get-there http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/value-realized-how-do-you-get-there Tue, 14 Mar 2017 05:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">If you accepted our&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/is-your-business-designed-for-value" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/is-your-business-designed-for-value" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(114, 175, 182) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">challenge last week</a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, you should have a clear idea of what&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/about-us" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="font-weight: bold; color: #c4a006; text-decoration: underline;" href="/about-us" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(196, 160, 6) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">Value Realized</a><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;means to you. While making a list may not seem like you&#39;ve achieved much, having a clear understanding of what you want your business to do for you is the first step in designing a business of value.&nbsp;</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/is-your-business-designed-for-value http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/is-your-business-designed-for-value Tue, 07 Mar 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <div _mce_style="color: #0067ac;" style="color: rgb(0, 103, 172);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span _mce_style="font-size: 18pt;" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><blockqoute>What is the sole purpose of owning a business?</blockqoute></strong></span></span></div> <div><br /> <span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We&#39;ve often quoted Michael Gerber&#39;s famous words that the only reason to own a business is to sell it! Of course it isn&#39;t as simple as opening a business one day and selling it for huge profits the next day. Owning a small business is a journey towards that destination, a journey of being the problem solver day in and day out, of being the worrier, and being the one ultimately responsible for all outcomes.&nbsp;</span></div> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/design-your-culture http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/design-your-culture Tue, 28 Feb 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">From reading our articles the last few weeks you have a better understanding of&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-dynamics-of-workplace-culture--management--leadership" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-dynamics-of-workplace-culture--management--leadership" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(114, 175, 182) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">why workplace culture matters</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;and that it exists in every business (</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/culture-whats-yours-like--management" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/culture-whats-yours-like--management" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(114, 175, 182) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">intentionally or by default</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">). This week we want to outline the next steps to designing (or re-designing) your workplace culture. Just like most items that happen in a business, it should be designed by you, the business owner. Whether you just opened your doors or just celebrated your 25th business anniversary, you have the opportunity to design (or re-design) your workplace culture to match the values of your business, to set the expectations of leaders, and attract the talent needed.</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/workplace-culture-question http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/workplace-culture-question Tue, 21 Feb 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This month we are looking into the workplace culture of a business. The previous weeks we worked to&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-dynamics-of-workplace-culture--management--leadership" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-dynamics-of-workplace-culture--management--leadership" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: blue !important;" target="_blank" track="on">describe workplace culture</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-dynamics-of-workplace-culture--management--leadership" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-dynamics-of-workplace-culture--management--leadership" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: blue !important;" target="_blank" track="on">some ways it can be influenced</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. The most important aspect of workplace culture is the leadership of the business. How leadership demonstrates culture is how it is modeled through the managers, employees and then replicated through the treatment of customers.</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-dynamics-of-workplace-culture--management--leadership http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/5-dynamics-of-workplace-culture--management--leadership Tue, 14 Feb 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <div style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span _mce_style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;">La<span _mce_style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;">st week we opened the concept of workplace culture. We also challenged you to&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/culture-whats-yours-like--management" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="font-weight: bold; color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/culture-whats-yours-like--management" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(114, 175, 182) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">connect to the current workplace culture in your business</a><span _mce_style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt;">. Did you like what you discovered? Were you surprised or enlightened in some areas?&nbsp;</span></span></div> <p><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">This week we will look at the five dynamics of workplace culture, and examine what influences workplace culture the most:&nbsp;</span></p> <div _mce_style="margin-left: 30px;" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-left: 30px;">1. Values and Beliefs</div> <div _mce_style="margin-left: 30px;" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-left: 30px;">2. Leadership</div> <div _mce_style="margin-left: 30px;" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-left: 30px;">3. Business Systems</div> <div _mce_style="margin-left: 30px;" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-left: 30px;">4. Employees</div> <div _mce_style="margin-left: 30px;" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin-left: 30px;">5. Business Environment</div> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/love-your-customers-today-and-every-day http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/love-your-customers-today-and-every-day Tue, 14 Feb 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p><em>&ldquo;There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.&rdquo;</em><br /> -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/samwalton146810.html">Sam Walton</a></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/culture-whats-yours-like--management http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/culture-whats-yours-like--management Tue, 07 Feb 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Every business has a workplace culture. Workplace culture is difficult to point out or describe. It may be easier to describe the air we breathe. We know air exists and we understand our bodies respond to it differently depending on its qualities. Consciously or unconsciously we respond differently if air is clean and refreshing, or when it is polluted with toxins, allergens, or smoke. We may smell a bad odor that is harmless and just unpleasant for a while. We may walk into a smoke filled room and decide to leave. Or, we may not even know about the toxic air we are breathing until we get sick. It may take a few minutes or even several years of experiencing poor air quality before we realize the symptoms. Yet, most of the time we never think about it. However, if it is cut off, if we are underwater, or just have a cold, then we are aware of how important air and breathing is and at times may even be desperate to get it.</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/when-conflict-is-good http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/when-conflict-is-good Tue, 31 Jan 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p><span _mce_style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The last four weeks we talked about&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/conflict-resolution-in-your-business--management" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="font-weight: bold; color: #0067ac; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/conflict-resolution-in-your-business--management" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 103, 172) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">resolving conflicts</a><span _mce_style="font-size: 12pt;" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. However, the lack of conflict within your business isn&#39;t always something to be excited about. In fact, it might be a warning sign. Conflict helps your business innovate. It helps you test and challenge assumptions you make before implementing new ideas or even products. No conflict could mean that your business culture isn&#39;t embracing conflict and you could be missing out on opportunities.&nbsp;</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/conflict-within-your-team--management http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/conflict-within-your-team--management Tue, 24 Jan 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This month, we&#39;ve talked about how you can collaborate with others when there is a conflict. As we&#39;ve repeated many times this month, conflict resolution&nbsp;</span><strong style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">STARTS</strong><span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;with you, but it&#39;s not just about you or just about how your business operates. There are other parties involved. This week we want to focus on how your business can be prepared to work with your team when there is a conflict.&nbsp;</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/is-your-business-ready-to-handle-conflict http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/is-your-business-ready-to-handle-conflict Tue, 17 Jan 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <div _mce_style="text-align: left;" align="left" style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> <p>This month we&#39;ve discussed the idea that conflict can be handled peacefully and how your mindset will influence the outcome of a conflict. This week, we want to focus on a few tips that will help you approach any conflict and will help influence collaboration. Before we jump into the tips, there&#39;s a few reminders to remember:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-response-to-conflict http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/your-response-to-conflict Tue, 10 Jan 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <p><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Last week we left you with a&nbsp;</span><a _mce_href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/conflict-resolution-in-your-business--management" _mce_shape="rect" _mce_style="color: #72afb6; text-decoration: underline;" href="/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/conflict-resolution-in-your-business--management" linktype="1" shape="rect" style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(114, 175, 182) !important;" target="_blank" track="on">challenge to look at how conflict is approached in your business</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. We asked if you approach conflict expecting a confrontation or a conversation. This week we want to explore that mindset a bit deeper.</span></p> http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/conflict-resolution-in-your-business--management http://www.benchmarkbusinessgroup.com/business-coaching-and-consulting/business-owner-newsletter/conflict-resolution-in-your-business--management Tue, 03 Jan 2017 06:00:00 +0000 <div style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span _mce_style="font-size: 14pt; color: #0067ac;" style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(0, 103, 172);"><strong>Our Thoughts:</strong></span>&nbsp;As we start the New Year we&#39;re taking the month of January to focus on how conflict is handled in business. What we know is that conflict is often handled poorly. In some companies it is buried and ignored allowing it to grow roots and become bigger than what it truly is. In other cases, it can be explosive creating an unproductive and hostile work environment.&nbsp;</div> <div style="font-size: 16px; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Conflict is to be expected, but it doesn&#39;t have to be disruptive to your business.&nbsp;</div>