• Biz Planning

Business Planning – Help a Brother (or Niece or Cousin) Out!

This is my happy place! Ocean City, New Jersey. My family has been vacationing in South Jersey, well, since my mom was 4 years old...and Yai Yai is now 87. Yai, and I, and about 40 siblings, cousins and assorted family members just spent two weeks at the shore. It was great to hang [...]

Business Planning – Help a Brother (or Niece or Cousin) Out!2018-09-18T20:27:23+00:00

Team Rohr at the AHR Show!

If you were to throw your mother a birthday party, you would put a little plan together.  Set a date, book a venue, create a guest list, etc.  Yet, so often, we show up for work, in a business of our own, and wing it.  Without some kind of plan, the party, and the business, just [...]

Team Rohr at the AHR Show!2017-01-11T14:32:37+00:00
  • Ellen Work Together

You Don’t Have to Work Together

"Oh, if he would only do what I want him to do!" Sigh.  Been there and said that. After years of prodding, suggesting, nagging and reasoning, I never succeeding in getting my husband to do anything he didn't want to do. After years of therapy and self help books and meditation and [...]

You Don’t Have to Work Together2016-12-01T14:55:07+00:00
  • UN-Do Your Business

You Can UN-Do Your Business…and Do Something Else

Years ago, when I first started with Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, John Nicholson asked if he could become a franchisee. I said, "No!  You only do new construction work.  This is a conversion service franchise.  That means, you need to do service work with at least two truck to be eligible." Two months later he called me, "Ellen, [...]

You Can UN-Do Your Business…and Do Something Else2016-12-01T14:55:09+00:00

The UN-Constipated Business

A friend and client of mine reminded me about this video.  I recorded it a few (many?) years ago and my friend, Jack, told me he watches this video several times a week.  A WEEK?  Wow.  I'm honored to have made that kind of impression on him.  It's called "How To Make Running Your Business [...]

The UN-Constipated Business2016-12-01T14:55:09+00:00
  • Raise my standards...

How to UN-fail Your Business

"Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. When people ask me what really changed my life eight years ago, I tell them that absolutely the most important thing was changing what I demanded of myself. I wrote down all the things I [...]

How to UN-fail Your Business2016-12-01T14:55:09+00:00

Time to Update Your Business Plan?

I am blogging on behalf of Visa Business and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Visit http://facebook.com/visasmallbiz to take a look at the reinvented Facebook Page: Well Sourced by Visa Business. The Page serves as a space [...]

Time to Update Your Business Plan?2016-12-01T14:55:13+00:00

3 Business Lessons Served on CNBC’s Crowd Rules

I love watching TV! I steer clear of bad TV. However, there is solid programming out there. And there is great free advice if you are building a business.  I love Restaurant Impossible and Tabatha's Salon Takeover.  (BTW, I am at the ready to host an Extreme Makeover - Service Business Edition show!) I love it [...]

3 Business Lessons Served on CNBC’s Crowd Rules2017-01-23T21:31:14+00:00