Overwhelmed business woman

Have you fallen into The Mile Wide Trap?

by Sonya Shelton

If your company’s revenue has stalled after a period of rapid growth, you may have fallen into The Mile Wide Trap. Consider the case of Kim (not her real name) who runs a public relations firm. Kim studied marketing at school and went on to …

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fire truck business

Why Fire Trucks Always Back In

by Sonya Shelton

Have you ever noticed that fire trucks always back into the fire hall? Why don’t they just pull into their parking spot snout-forward like the rest of us? Backing in at the end of a shift saves them time when they have to get to …

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blood pressure test

Take a Blood Pressure Test for Your Business

by Sonya Shelton

When was the last time you had your blood pressure tested? Taking your blood pressure is one of the first things most doctors do before treating you for just about anything. How much pressure your blood is under as it courses through your veins is …

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business value growth

Why Bother Doing It the Hard Way?

by Sonya Shelton

Whether you want to sell your business next year or a decade from now, you will have two basic options for an external sale: the financial or the strategic buyer. The Financial Buyer The financial buyer is buying the rights to your future profit stream, …

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empower others

The Best Leaders Empower Others

by Sonya Shelton

We become more powerful when we empower others. Great leaders unleash the leader within each person, liberating them to use their own power. Everyone wants to feel like they are contributing to the vision. You can empower others by acknowledging their strengths and potential contributions. First, identify their strengths. Ask people …

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Delegation owner manual

Thinking Vs. Doing: The Owner’s Dilemma

by Sonya Shelton

There’s a steady breeze from the northwest, which cools the warm Caribbean afternoon. Framed between a palm tree and the turquoise water, you notice a man reading. He appears to be working, which seems strange given his appearance: shaggy blonde hair, linen shirt, surf shorts …

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Evaluate

The Power of Consistent Evaluation

by Sonya Shelton

Evaluate every aspect of your organization on a regular basis. To ensure focus, productivity, efficiency, and successful results, everything from your people to your processes to your systems to your priorities to your projects needs to be consistently evaluated. Think of it like giving your organization a regular check-up to make …

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make money on vacation

Six Ways to Profit From Your Vacation

by Sonya Shelton

Summer is almost over, and many of us are getting in those last weeks of vacation before Fall. Although it may seem strange, now may be the perfect time to increase the value of your company. The most valuable businesses are the ones that can …

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Startup Value

How Three Moves Quadrupled the Value of this Business

by Sonya Shelton

Are you stuck trying to figure out how to create some recurring revenue for your business? You know those automatic sales will make your business more valuable and predictable, but the secret to transforming your company is to think less about what’s in it for …

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Problem solving

3 Steps to Solve Problems More Effectively

by Sonya Shelton

  You can tell the effectiveness of a leader by the size of the problems they tackle. More responsibility brings greater problems and bigger decisions. If the problem was easy to solve, someone else would have already solved it. As a leader, you already understand the value of solving problems. …

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Continuous improvement

Build a Culture of Continuous Improvement

by Sonya Shelton

Organizations can always improve something. Nothing is ever flawless, no matter how much we wish it could be. If you accept this reality, you can help your team create an environment of continuous improvement. When we accept that flaws exist, we provide the freedom to focus on improvement. When someone makes …

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