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As a business owner, you know what it’s like to lie awake at 2 a.m. Maybe it has happened when you are excited and full of new ideas for your business. More often, it’s because you are worried about issues you will face the next day. Sometimes, it’s because you just woke up with the solution to a problem. I’ve experienced all those emotions about my businesses over the years. Awake at 2 o’clock? is where I share them with you, and hopefully help with answers that will let you sleep.
John F. Dini, CExP, CEPA
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Small business owners are the Hunters of the 21st century. We are 3% of the US population, and yet we create over half of all American jobs. As Hunters, we may not be inclined to manage by the numbers or stick to systems. Are you a Hunter or a Farmer?
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How prepared are you to exit your company?
The Assessment breaks down the four major categories of exit readiness; Finance, Planning, Operations and Revenue/Profit.
Tag Archives: employee performance
The Extinction of the Summer Job
I’ve read several articles of late discussing the decline in the number of older high school and college students that take jobs for the summer. Each of these reflected on how summer employment taught millions of Americans their first work habits. Around … Continue reading
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Culture Counts!
Small businesses can’t compete with large corporations on salary and benefits. I’m not being unduly cynical, it’s just a fact. The top 1/10 of 1% in US household incomes start at $1.9 million annually. Of all those in that rarefied … Continue reading
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When Supervisors Become Managers
Any promotion means more responsibility. Few steps require as big a leap as the transition from supervisor to manager. Each step up the ladder involves a change in tasks, but an employee’s first managerial position necessitates a change in thinking; one which isn’t … Continue reading
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Technology and Bunker Hill Tactics
In a small business, underused technology could be considered a “Bunker Hill” error in using your competitive capabilities. Last Wednesday, June 17th, marked the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. Ranked as the 6th most costly battle of the Revolution in terms … Continue reading
2 Responses to Technology and Bunker Hill Tactics
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Thanks, I love reading history and getting the story behind the story.
Usually a new hire will bring to our attention features and options we were not aware we had. I have encouged out of office one day tech class, and they have always paid off.
One of the best ideas we set up a few years ago was a “sales” email address, with all emails received in that email address forwarded to a sales2 email address. The sales2 address is viewed by the managers and myself. We can view customer communication, but the responsibility is still with order entry.
Allows management to review, be aware, and get involved when needed.
We only view sales2 and delete. Deleting from sales 2 does not delete from the orginal sales email address.
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I love the analogy thank you! It made me think of the civil war as well. A major contributor to the north winning the civil war was communication. The Telegraph was key to passing critical information from the battlefield. Coupled with the strategic development of railways it enabled the North to immediately request supplies and troops and report enemy positions, and then had the means to deploy resources quickly and accurately.
Business lessons can be learned from this history. The use of the Militia’s smooth bore muskets support the need to adapt to new demands, the telegraph reinforces the effectiveness of communication directly from the front line and down from leaders. The railway development teaches us to deploy both strategically and tactically.
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You Can Go This Far, but No Further
When someone starts their first company (especially a technician as defined in my book Hunting in a Farmer’s World) he or she is usually the sole key employee. She (I’ll use one pronoun for readability) does the hands-on work of … Continue reading
Hi John,
Whoa, this describes the situation exactly (except I don’t know of any “middle class” folks that can afford summers in Europe)! As Chief Moderator at BizSugar, I feel your article hits home to small business owners the fact that most young people — not millennials, but generation Z, those who are about ages 15 through about 18–will be entering the job market with far, far less practical experience than even the millennials, let alone Gen X or the boomers, and this message may really deter them from giving these young folks a chance. As minimum wage jobs go up to provide underemployed adults with a means of providing for their families, perhaps it’s a good idea for small business owners to re-create those summer jobs of the past, by hiring a kid to scan some documents, run errands, do a little of this and of that and above all, get used to talking to customers and dealing with people. As a parent, I’d like to see this, but from the SMB’s perspective, they might not have the extra cash lying around after they pay the grownups.
Hmm….food for thought.
Your point is well made, Heather. A new generation is coming into the workplace with less work experience than any before. It will be interesting, to say the least. Thanks for your input.