Business Tips by Chris Reich
Tips from growing a business to dealing with disputesSome Teams Cannot Be Fixed
Some personalities do not mix. Some people are difficult. Motivations sometimes run contrary to the stated goal. Translation: some teams cannot be fixed. Even expert team builders agree on that. If a dysfunctional team is pulling your business down,...
Chasing the Dream
A big error made by many young businesses is entering the chase for the big deals. Yes, we all like the big ones. But big sales, big projects come with big responsibility and big liability the young businesses are seldom prepared to handle.
The Biggest Mistake Businesses Make When Raising Cash
I get a lot of calls from business owners looking for help to raise cash. While that is something I can do, most of the time I recommend against raising cash. Why? Read on. There's an old expression about lending that goes "banks only lend money to people...
Getting Things Done: Crush Boulders
Face it, we all struggle with getting things done. There are some items we put on the "To Do" list that we simply resist doing. Right? People resort to putting things on the To Do list that are already done just to check them off and get the feeling of...
Your Business Should Be For Sale
I advise every business owner to put their business up for sale as soon as possible. Yes, you read that correctly. There are only a few exceptions. If you own a business, even a new 'struggling-to-make-it business', it should be for sale. In fact, as...
Small Business Problem That Is Easy To Fix
Funny. Speaking of chainsaws... I took my chainsaw in to the local shop to be sharpened. It was closing time and the owner was just locking up when I arrived. I didn't expect him to do the work while I waited. The plan was to just drop off the...
You Can Grow Your Business the Way Alan Mulally Grew Ford
American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company First, I want to recommend that you read this book. It's one of the best business books I've read in years. Now I want to encourage you to grow your business, no matter...
Why “Fun” at Work Should NOT Be a Goal
It is very important that people have fun at work. Fun improves morale and brings with it a host of real benefits to the business from improved productivity to reduced turnover. But fun should not be a goal of any business. I write often about the...
Do Ethics Matter?
Did you catch the story about the "Wet Seal" chain of clothing stores? They are folding up. That's not the story. When employees asked their managers why new inventory wasn't coming in, they were told the stores were going to be remodeled. Management knew the...
Want to Fix a Business Problem? Start Here
Last year I worked with a number of businesses experiencing problems. Some were huge problems. Recently, I tried to help the local community deal with a problem--- without much success. Even though we all know what to do to fix problems, we often forget...
Two Problems In Negotiation
When teaching presentation I always include a unit on Game Theory. At first, students have a hard time seeing how important some of the concepts are to achieving the desired outcome in a negotiated transaction. Once we explore the concepts in depth, it's...
When A Deep Hole is NOT a Deep Hole
I have a friend who likes to go exploring in caves. He goes off into the mountains on weekends looking for interesting formations of rock and caves to explore. He called me a couple of weeks ago and was all excited about a big discovery he had...
The Secret of SEO
A couple years ago, if you used your key words properly, your site would rank well. For example, if you sold hammers, and used the word “hammer” in your page title and multiple times throughout your page, you’d get a pretty good ranking. If you added a couple of pictures of hammers, you would have landed on the first page of search for the word hammer.
Do This If You Want to Have Fun at Work
This is a continuation of my series on the importance of fun at work. Fun is important and improves morale and productivity. Go about it in the wrong way, however, and you'll have a mess on your hands. Last night I read an article about how to bring fun to the...
Define Fun at Work!
I often talk about the importance of having fun at work and how important that is. People are interested in the topic (my posts on fun at work get thousands of reads) and it’s time I said more about it.
Why You Need to Understand the Monty Hall Problem
Why Your Business Does Not Need 6-Sigma or LEAN
I have seen 6 Sigma implementations attempted at a few businesses and must say it's not a magic pill, silver bullet or golden goose. GE made 6 Sigma famous as the latest and greatest "innovation" to take businesses to "world-class" standards. If you haven't heard of...
Could Your Business Be Doing Better?
There are businesses doing incredible things with solar energy. I saw very well-run businesses making a difference and a profit.