Business Tips by Chris Reich
Tips from growing a business to dealing with disputesWhy NOT Re-invent the Wheel?
I hate it when someone says "we don't have to re-invent the wheel." They are really saying, "let's not do any thinking different or make any improvements. Status quo." Lazy.Status quo, the usual way, the way it's always been done is not good enough.Look....
Can Your Business Thrive with the People You Have?
A business is only as good as its people.I could end this post right there.Having worked with a lot of businesses and government entities, I know an organization can only do as well as the people working there will let it. Yes. Management sets the vision and the tone....
Sync, Rhythm and… Blues?
Oscillation. To oscillate. To swing backward and forward like a pendulum.In business, you can say we're all swingers, right? Actually, we all have a tone and rhythm.Tone is sort of like mood. It's akin to tenor. You could throw style in the mix. So then, let's say...
CEO Politicians
California proclaimed its primary a great victory for women. Actually, it's the primary of the CEO.Nothing new about that in California. The state has had many successful CEOs run for office--mostly unsuccessfully.But before falling for the line about knowing how to...
Something BP CAN Do About Their Spill Now
BP made a boo boo in the Gulf of Mexico. The boo boo is going to possibly do irreversible damage to the oceans. We know the oil is mixing with the sea water in concentrations we can measure but not see. We know the oil has reached land and is mixing into the mud of...
Don’t Waste Your Time With Surveys
I read a blog post this morning by a marketer I respect. The basic premise is that surveys are of value. Michael then gives tips on conducting surveys.I have to say that I disagree on this one.Surveys, especially voluntary surveys are of little value.First the...
Remember on Memorial Day
Beer, BBQ and BodiesWhy did I have to bring that up and ruin a perfectly good, 3-day weekend of eating, drinking and fun in the sun.Because we have only 2 remaining sacred holidays in the U.S. Memorial Day is one of them. Veterans Day is the other.The death toll...
Why I’m NOT a Team Builder Rant #’s 1&2
Rant #1 Team Building Does Not WorkI think we need to teach "teams" to get out of the way of talented individuals. Numerous examples. Take the BP spill. They don't need a team or a village, they need people with talent to solve the problem, then they need people with...
Question for Discussion
Question.It costs money to operate a fishing boat. You've got fuel, wages, maintenance, bait, etc., to pay for every time a boat goes out.You've got a fleet of 100 fishing boats. Big operation.The fish aren't biting. The other guy's boats aren't bringing in much. Your...
Greatest Technology Available for Making Sales!
I recently saw this at a trade show for sales professionals. Very few businesses are utilizing this amazing technology that is 100% guaranteed to increase sales.During the demo, most of the attendees were too busy playing with their I-Phones and Blackberries to catch...
Creativity Second to Integrity Means…
About 60% of CEOs polled cited creativity as the most important leadership quality, compared with 52% for integrity and 35% for global thinking. Creative leaders are also more prepared to break with the status quo of industry, enterprise and revenue models, and they...
Cut or Think?
I have said for a long time that this "recovery" is establishing a new normal. The good ole days are gone. Clients don't love you even if they once did. Today it's about price. There is a lot of pressure on price. The price pressure is not going away, ever. Extreme...
Thoughts for the Week
A week in the Bay Area...China and India are in a race of very rapid development.Europe is ripping at the seams trying to hold their EU together---the focus will be on survival of the EU. Greece, Spain....then?Which brings me to the U.S. and my week in the San...
Improving a Hotel
Improving a Hotel? Easy.You want to fill up during the week? You want business clients who won't wreck the place? Stay for days? You want business clients who are quiet and pay well?Easy. So easy I don't understand why the best (Marriott) only gets this about 70%...
Improve a Restaurant
A restaurant is one of the most difficult businesses to run. The hours are killer. The waste huge. The costs insane. The regulations stringent. It's hard to find good employees. Harder to keep good employees.It's common to see restaurants fold up. Too common.What can...
Forecasting
Yes, we need planning. But if you waste a lot time and resource forecasting...well, you're wasteful.From Fed Chairman Bernanke: WASHINGTON, April 30 (Reuters) - As a Federal Reserve governor in 2004, Ben Bernanke, now the U.S. central bank's chairman, showed humility...
More Meetings Are Necessary
If your business or organization is experiencing the stress of too much too do and too few to do everything, it's time for more meetings.It's not time to hire a lot more people. The recovery is still fragile and you might not be seeing pre-collapse success as yet....
Why Some People Subvert Success
Why do some people go out of their way to prevent success? This is a destructive pattern I see at many businesses and organizations. Fix something, improve something, build something and someone wants to take it apart. Why?There really is only one answer to this:...