At Bare Bones Biz, we focus on business basics, the few things that will make all the difference to your success and profitability. Here’s a list of simple business tips gleaned from the smartest business people I know. I spend much of each day on the phone, talking business. On the seminar trail and onsite [...]
Once upon a time, the best marketing you could get was one customer chatting with a friend or a colleague over a cup of coffee. It’s called “word of mouth” marketing. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the origin of the term… George Silverman, a mathematician and statistician, pioneered word-of-mouth marketing when he created [...]
You know, you have to TRAIN your employees. Right? Training is a funny word. It gets used a lot, especially by frustrated business owners. But few people know what it means. Does it mean “motivating”? Does it mean “confidence building”? Does it mean hitting employees with a newspaper or dangling a carrot? One of Funk & [...]
Once upon a time, I was a professional a ski patroller. I was part of an avalanche “control” team. I use the word “control” loosely because when it comes to avalanches, I know a couple things. #1: you are never in control. #2: given #1, you are well served to learn as much as you [...]
You want to make more sales and more money. Good for you. And it’s good business. Here’s the problem. More sales at a losing selling price is like cliff diving into a lake. You might not hit bottom, but if you do it’s going to hurt because you don’t know what’s below. If you don’t [...]
Dear Ellen, We have a good compensation program at our company. The Salespeople get commission for their performance. Lately, it just seems to be a little bit stale. Like the team isn’t really motivated by the bonuses. What can I do to fire things up? Sincerely, “Lost the Spark” Dear “Sparky,” People love to play [...]
My husband Hot Rod and I were in business together a long time ago. Like many other contractors, we were seduced by the “BIG Job.” A “BIG Job” is one that… Has lots of dollars in the bid. Has lots of hours built in – to keep the team busy for a long time. Once [...]
Recently I received an email from “Nelly” about his soon-to-be-open business. He had already put together his Bare Bones Biz Plan but wondered about his next step… “How do I get customers?” Dear Ellen, I’ve got my business plan (Thanks for the help!) I’m getting ready to open for business on August 1st. How do [...]
Yikes! I got spanked in a teleseminar the other day. I shared some thoughts about how to have the “difficult conversation.” You know the one…about hygiene and grooming. Best to head the issue off at the pass, so I offered tips for updating the Operations Manual and creating a culture of good manners. That’s a [...]
When we were first married, Hot Rod and I lived in a little cabin outside Whitefish, Montana. It was 11 by 15 feet, perched on four fairly flat rocks which served as the foundation. It had a single pitch shed roof, with corrugated steel sheeting for the rain to dance on. We called it the [...]
