Sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) is a marketing term that is also commonly referred to as unique selling proposition (USP).  Once determined, the SCA is used as a filter for allocating time and money to the strategic issues that will best position your company in the market place.  Determining the SCA for your company requires a good understanding of … Read more

I recently had the privilege of hearing Jim Collins speak.  He is the author of the best-selling business book, Good to Great.  His advice for business leaders to find the “hedgehog” in their business has always resonated with me. So where did the Hedgehog Concept come from and why is it so important?  For those of … Read more

Chris Mason is one of Australia’s leading management consultants.  He formed Mindshop International in 1995 to provide a high value environment for successful business advisors to receive access to a wealth of resources and training support.  Mindshop has grown from a handful of business advisors in Melbourne, Australia to a global organization of over 500 … Read more

Like many of the best things in life, trust really is free.  Doing without trust in your organization, however, will cost your business dearly.  Capitalizing on your team’s energy and motivation so that they are productive, requires that they collaborate freely, and for that, people need to trust each other.  One of the fundamental pillars … Read more

A management buy-out (MBO) is a transaction by which the managers of a business acquire a substantial stake in, and often, effective control of, the business they have been managing.  This is often achieved through financial arrangements tailored to enable individuals of relatively modest means to acquire a business. Management buy-outs play a major role … Read more

Consumer buying behavior has changed.  Businesses waiting for the return of normal consumer demand would be wise to view this 2009 presentation by John Gerzema.  It still has relevance today.  http:////www.ted.com/talks/john_gerzema_the_post_crisis_consumer.html richlyreasonable.com

The pressures and demands of succession and continuation of the family business have always been very real.  With the Baby Boomers getting set to retire, these pressures and demands have taken on a new sense of urgency.  Unfortunately, too many aging business owners have not comprehended the complexity of the situation nor understood the impact … Read more

I recently read an excellent book by Dr. Wayne Dyer, Excuses Begone!  How to Change Lifelong Self-Defeating Thinking Habits.  One of the themes in Dyer’s book relates to how your old habits become impediments in your life, and these impediments have become the excuses for your so-called limitations.  For example, if you are averse to … Read more

The results of a business survey published in the October issue of CFO Magazine do not paint a bullish forecast for the economy and especially for employment.  In fact, these findings show CEO optimism declining to levels nearly on par with those seen at the depth of the recession.  Hiring plans for survey respondents indicated … Read more

There are many barriers that can get in the way of achieving your vision.  These barriers are built by you, your customers, your family and friends, your work or even your environment.  What barriers have stopped your vision?  Barriers are your opportunity to grow.  These obstacles teach you to learn about what needs to change.  … Read more