Outside Consultant

Three traits that can help determine whether someone will be a good leader

While an important element in considering the assessment of a leader, traits are not sufficient to assess effectiveness.

How to ensure a healthy workplace for your new business

The health of your employees is key to creating an engaged and productive workforce.

Expanding a business requires a keen strategic vision

There is rarely only one way to expand a business, so your strategic values and motivations ought to help determine direction.

Building business relationships that work

Bringing your whole self to work and everything you do is important for entrepreneurs.

How business owners can help workers transition into retirement

With recent changes in work, health and life span, concepts of retirement are evolving again.

How young companies can build an effective adviser network

Evolving beyond random acts often comes when the CEO realizes the value and needs to settle on a few in a slightly more formalized relationship.

Will your idea make a good business? Here are 3 things to consider

The success of a fantastic business idea does not simply come from its creative genius, but also how the idea is put into action.

Seeking global partners can lift your game

Cultural intelligence is becoming an area of greater importance as the world changes at a faster pace and generates more risks.

Are your customers satisfied? Here are some ways to find out

You need two things: an accurate understanding of what makes customers satisfied, and a baseline measure of where you stand on those metrics.

Embracing stakeholders requires companies to communicate more broadly

Today's corporate communicators have a bold new challenge: how to communicate doing well by doing good.

Key issues to consider before starting a business in retirement

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, those over 65 are the age group most likely to run their own business.

Looking to start a business in your 40s or 50s? Here are some tips

Think entrepreneurship is only for the young? Think again.

When launching business in your 20s and 30s, preparation is essential

Immediate targets include your personal finances, your personal life and building your skill sets.

Why starting a business as a college student isn't as risky as it sounds

While your risk of failure is high, your cost of failure is low.

Here's how high school students are starting businesses

It requires time, hard work and a passion for the problem you are solving with your business.

Should you follow what employees say on social media?

Employers are generally not allowed policies that restrict employees' ability to engage in activities considered "protected concerted activity."

How your business can become more charitable

Profits are the result of a successful and ethical business, not the purpose

Upholding ethics builds respect and trust with fellow community members.

A company night out — or office design — all are forms of workplace communication

How consultants can nurture their business partnerships

The consultant and the client organization develop an explicit contract containing the scope of the work, expectations and deliverables.

How often should you pitch a prospect? It depends

How businesses can find and exploit new growth opportunities

Customers' needs and tastes change, which can create growth and increased profitability.

The role of the person in effective leadership

The leader's role is both an authority role and a service role, and the interpretation is often skewed by followers' biases.

How to keep top employees

To crack the speaker circuit, you need a plan

A first step: Clearly define how your unique background represents valuable expertise.

Keys to becoming a better consultant

While not all consultants work in the field of organization development and change, there is much that can be learned from the experts in the field.

Making sure your company is environmentally responsible

3 keys to building an ethical business culture

Principled leaders articulate their values, make decisions guided by their values and consistently model their values.

Why your company needs to embrace artificial intelligence

Think of AI as working in the here and now while setting a direction for its future.

How to pick a health plan that works for employees and your business

Why business leaders need to be creative

Innovation requires businesses to test ideas quickly

Workplace wellness efforts are no sure thing

While more than 60% of U.S. businesses offer such programs, research on their effectiveness is mixed.

Make sure you are communicating with the right social media influencers

If there are a small number of key voices, establish relationships with them all. Otherwise, look to concentrate on the half dozen that have the most sway with your most lucrative customer segments.

How best to manage conflicts in the workplace

When the boss is bad for business, what can you do?

Direct confrontations or accusations toward those in positions of power often don't end well for those with less power.

Rapidly changing retailers reflect changes in the economy

Where 2018 was a difficult year for retail, 2019 is predicted to be a transitional year.

Why your website needs to play well on mobile devices

Why companies need to recognize differences between compliance and ethics

It's essential for businesses to keep pace with retail trends

Shaping a positive message when company is struggling

Perhaps the most important caveat is to avoid making excuses.

Here's what to expect from a professional coach

Oral business contracts can be OK, but it's best to get it in writing

Tax reform shows cuts aren't big job generators

Where bosses can find coaching and other leadership education

There are more options than you might expect for leaders looking to improve their game.

How much company profit should an owner pocket?

What stage of your business is it in, and what are your personal goals?

Managers have critical role in setting ethical standards

Managers can serve their employees as a positive guiding influence, or they can function as a source of disengagement and unethical behavior.

How to convert your business to nonprofit status

Owners should be certain they understand the consequences before making this major change.

Businesses need to aim for more than turning a profit

Consumers help businesses remain strong, and businesses help the community remain vibrant as well.

How to resolve disagreements with independent contractors

Making sure an independent contractor agreement works for all

Getting it right with freelancers

Don't wait for a crisis to develop a crisis plan for your business

Ensuring everyone knows what constitutes a crisis and when the plan needs to be put into action is key.

Know what you want before you shop for a business consultant

The outcome that counts is: Did the approach match the real need?

To land top talent, treat candidates as customers

Increase your recruiting effectiveness with these ideas.

How your company can embrace creativity

How to make your digital content more accessible

Thorough review and testing is worth the time and energy to assure a positive user experience.

Why your business needs a compliance program

Don't start a business just because you want to be your own boss

If you are looking to reduce your stress, a startup is probably not the right place.

How to use 3 approaches to evaluating worker performance

Performance feedback is one of the most powerful forms of motivation for employees.

How child support collection laws affect employers

Most orders further identify to whom these wages should be sent.

Companies shouldn't exploit their organizational citizens

They enter the workforce as pre-existing considerate, thoughtful, helpful employees.

Your company is on the rocks, here is a short term survival plan

How to change a troubled company culture

Any leader can develop ways to integrate new aspects of a culture, but this process of change will need lots of attention for a while.

Did your co-worker just get an award for your idea? Here's how to react

Working on any team requires a delicate balance of collaborative idea generation and work product while maintaining some individuality.

8 key things that need to click as your business changes

When these factors fall out of sync, things won't work as smoothly as they did.

The best outside advisers a business owner can have? Other owners

Business owners get the best, most-practical advice from someone who has walked a mile in their shoes.

Weighing whether your business needs independent contractor or employee

Businesses exercise different levels of control over contractors and employees.

Resist the temptation to ask employees to hype company online

The word "ask" in the question poses an interesting ethical conundrum.

In tough times and boom times, keep business focused on basics

The fact that today's business outlook is pretty strong doesn't negate the need to follow sound business practices.

Does your business face ethics issue? Cast a wide net when seeking advice

Does a summer Friday policy make sense for your business?

Before you institute such policies, you should think through several considerations.

For books about leadership, consider some literary options

Family businesses need structure to ease transitions

Developing an organizational structure for the business and a governance structure for ownership helps.

To start a business, SBA-backed loan is common money source

You also will need some of your own cash to get started — maybe a substantial amount.

Whether to add a new product line comes down to a cost equation

This is important to gauge at the outset to set the stage for moving forward with the next steps of any launch.

Let ethics guide your decisions

Childhood lessons can help you make the most ethical decisions as an adult.

For a business, not all media impressions are created equal

I contract with a marketing firm. They report success using media impressions. What is the value of media impressions?

Does early payment discount pay off for a business? Do the math

One needs to compare the cost of the bank loan vs. the cost of trade credit.

Price adjustments aren't a one-size-fits-all proposition

You need to establish the reasoning for the change and the continued value at the new price point.

Should a small company offer health coverage?

As a small-business owner who employs fewer than 50 employees, does it make sense for me to provide health insurance for my employees even if I am not required to by law?

How to effectively manage international colleagues

Straighten out differences that can cause issues.

To foster innovation, your business needs a promotional focus

Ready to turn your plan into a business? Some basics on first hires

A great team starts with the assessment of strengths and needs, so be honest.

Consider pros and cons before opting for a franchising model

Virtual reality and artificial intelligence can help improve our business leaders

While MBA programs have made progress, most students still lack opportunities to face complex and ambiguous challenges with no clear-cut solutions.

It pays for businesses to do a trademark search

If you don't search and later find that a confusingly similar mark is registered, you can be forced to rebrand.

Sense of purpose helps leaders create strong workplace

How do leaders find satisfaction in each workday and create an environment conducive to employee satisfaction?

Outside Consultant: Small firm seeks help on diversity

I am interested in learning more about how diversity and inclusion efforts can improve my business outcomes. Can you provide some local resources?

How to become a well-rounded business leader

Meaningful work is storied work.

How businesses can step it up on customer service

As employees improve their market skills, they develop capabilities that provide higher value to an organization.

Small businesses are big target for hackers

Everyone in your company must understand what their role is in managing cyberrisks.

Building a strong brand is a combination of art and science

A brand is more than a name, creating so many associations.

Mindfulness emerging as key business leadership trait

Leaders who concentrate their awareness on the situation at hand demonstrate more steady, thoughtful, flexible and creative influence.

Should you invest in a company launching a new product in regulated industry?

I am considering a partnership that requires entering a regulated industry with a new product. Should I invest before or after regulatory approval?

Small businesses should take some basic steps to prepare for tax changes

Morally engaged workplace key to addressing sexual harassment

How do you address sexual harassment culturally within an organization?

Mystery shoppers can give retailers better insight into service

The key to success stems from knowing the right elements for the shopper to assess.

Which new products are right for your business? Ask your customers

Get beyond the friendly feedback and always be willing to learn.

Learning the family key for outside executives in family business

Unlike public corporations, owners of family businesses seek a variety of outcomes in addition to business profits.

How to make sure performance reviews will help workers improve

Our employees have said that our current employee review process does not provide enough direction on ways to improve. What are some effective ways to uncover and communicate specific improvement areas?

To attract workforce of the future, make your company a cause

Forward-thinking executives are strategically helping new hires deepen and connect their sense of purpose.

Juggling millennials, Gen Z in the workplace

The newest generation to enter the workforce is very different from millennials.

Do benefits of being a benefit corporation outweigh costs?

Can you explain the pros/cons for entrepreneurs wondering if a benefit corporation classification is right for them?

For successful hiring, look at wage data outside your company

I am looking at hiring a couple of new employees. How should I set wage levels? What else should I offer in terms of compensation?

To maximize profit, businesses sometimes need to fire a client

Can you manage a team if you don't like managing people?

When it comes to taxes, 'startup cost' is a narrow category

Outside Consultant: Taking an American-themed product to international markets

Our product has a distinctive American theme; however, we are getting some attention and requests from the United Kingdom and Australia. Can you please share some marketing dos and don'ts for international audiences?

Keys to making sure a merger works

The history of business integration has taught us that this process takes a good deal of thought and effort.

To build out client base, focus on what you can offer

Scouting inventory system options for small businesses with a tight budget

Small firms that expand face culture, communication challenges

As a business that is scaling up from a three-person staff, what are some unexpected challenges that we will face? What can we do to prepare for these challenges?

How to generate leads without having to buy them

The key question to launch your search is, "What is the problem I'm trying to solve?"

How much debt is too much for your company?

Flexible work arrangements aren't going away

Is the recent news of IBM calling remote workers back to the office a trend or an anomaly in the future of how and where people work?

How small businesses can keep big-time workers

When is it time to drop the day job and go all out in your business

When starting a business and working at the same time, when do we know it is time to give the business all our attention and stop working a day job?

Get your company's story together to land growth investment

Outside Consultant: How to target a slice of the over-55 market

What is the most effective way to reach people over 55 and retirees who may be downsizing? Also, how can we appeal to the children of seniors who are helping their parents transition into retirement communities?

How to move your business beyond a solo act

As I look to build my business beyond sole proprietorship and bring on other team members, how should I lay out expectations if some tasks might go beyond the usual job descriptions?

Ask an expert: Budget basics for new nonprofits

How entrepreneurs shape ideas into products

In addressing internet security issues, make sure to provide solutions

The need to be genuine incorporating your social mission with your corporate brand

As a social venture start-up, what is the most effective way to incorporate our social mission in our branding strategy and client presentations?

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to spending on marketing

Launching new brand requires thinking about sales, distribution channels

My company is close to launching our own skin care brand. Do you think we should focus on online sales? And would offline sales help support online sales?

Key questions to ask prospective fulfillment partners

When thinking about selecting a fulfillment partner, you should start by setting measurable objectives and standards.

Brands that pick targets wisely can connect on social media

Side project is close to something your employer is doing. Now what?

Due diligence key to avoiding late-paying clients

What are your options when a client doesn't pay on time? And if the relationship worsens, what is the best way to fire a client?

New firms should use advisory board to build brand trust

When does an office make sense for a start-up?

Using social media to increase sales of a niche publication

How to market a professional services business

What is the best marketing strategy for a business that requires a high level of trust between client and provider before working together?

Your business clicks with boomers, so how to target the younger consumer?

We currently appeal to baby boomers because they typically have discretionary money, more flexible time and grown children. How can we attract younger clients?

To boost your productivity, weed out those negative routines

Documentary maker wants to build audience in a new market

I'm the filmmaker of an award-winning documentary, "Church of Felons," which exposes the severe drug and alcohol addiction epidemic of Polk County, Wis. How could we better reach over the border into Minnesota to gain support, book screening events and direct attention of influencers toward our project?

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