About Us
Business Coaching, Consulting and Ideation Agency. Management and Strategy Consulting to SMB's. Community Alignment Consultant guiding principles of economic gardening and growing local businesses.
The products and services we offer
Recommendations Received (29)
"Outstanding! It's not a scam, no sales pitch. Steve is committed to helping small businesses. He..."
Read more
"Outstanding! It's not a scam, no sales pitch. Steve is committed to helping small businesses. He provided lots of insightful information for free on our phone call. Steve "builds successful people"; that is what I need after encountering countless failures. Working with Steve, I look forward to seeing my growth!"
"Steve is a brilliant mind with real-world business experience to share and contribute to the..."
Read more
"Steve is a brilliant mind with real-world business experience to share and contribute to the success of others. That he is a down-to-earth and an all-round great guy makes it even easier to learn and grow with him. "
Products & Services
Contact me to find out how I can find any business more than $50k in revenue without spending money on additional advertising!
You can visit my ...
Understand your strengths and how you can grow through professionally administered 360 feedback and assessments. Adelphoi can help you gather hones...
Making real and lasting change in your life depends on setting and pursuing meaningful goals. But you don't have to do it alone. Adelphoi helps cli...
Recommendations Given (25)
"I had the great pleasure of a lengthy conversation this morning with this amazing lady. She is an..."
Read more
"I had the great pleasure of a lengthy conversation this morning with this amazing lady. She is an overcomer and is on the path to greatness! There are some real shining stars out there for us all to meet, and Roberta is certainly one of them! Keep your eye on this one, in fact, ask for an autographed book now before everyone wants one!!! Roberta you are an angel sent to serve others!!! Keep it up!"
"WOW! Earlier today, I had the most amazing conversation with this young lady! She exudes joy and..."
Read more
"WOW! Earlier today, I had the most amazing conversation with this young lady! She exudes joy and may be the most friendly, sweet and positive person I have ever met! Blessings to her and her effort to serve others! Thank you, Rikki, for the time you spent with me today!!! "
Recent Activity
Of course. Might even prefer it…you can’t buy experience and wisdom, but you can hire it!
(more)
Of course. Might even prefer it…you can’t buy experience and wisdom, but you can hire it!
Value over price, yep. Supply chain woes, yep. Pride, yep. Labor, yep. All good excuses, but horrible reasons.
There are lots of great reasons to be cautious about discounting. The #1 reason is pure math.
If your margin is 30% (not markup) and you discount 10%, then you have to sell 50%...
(more)
Value over price, yep. Supply chain woes, yep. Pride, yep. Labor, yep. All good excuses, but horrible reasons.
There are lots of great reasons to be cautious about discounting. The #1 reason is pure math.
If your margin is 30% (not markup) and you discount 10%, then you have to sell 50% more to achieve the same margin. BTW...your margin is your profit!
This is a math problem above all. If you are having to discount in order to sell, then a different conversation should be had. Also, if you are using mark-up, then there is a high likelihood you don't know what your margin actually is.
I see many business owners, especially the early stage enterprises that believe in discounting "just to get our name out there".
What happens in 100% of the cases is that you run out of money faster and cannot recover.
Another example:
If you "just want to get your name out there" then you may only have a 20% margin goal. Then you discount 10% and guess what, now you have to sell 100% more to stay at a 20% margin.
Do the math. It just might keep you out of the poorhouse!
2 Replies
As a business advisor, I often get involved in exit and succession planning. I have discovered that business brokers are similar to realtors and other industries. Some are excellent and some are horrible. No offense to anyone.
My clients want the highest possible return for their years of...
(more)
As a business advisor, I often get involved in exit and succession planning. I have discovered that business brokers are similar to realtors and other industries. Some are excellent and some are horrible. No offense to anyone.
My clients want the highest possible return for their years of time, resources and capital investment. Unfortunately, too often, they do not have the books to accurately demonstrate the value, the customers do business with the owner/manager and the assets have been unmanaged and have less value in a sale than they do to an ongoing concern.
All businesses should operate as though they are trying to sell, even when they aren't (yet). Most do not and have a hard time with the comps and values provided by a CPA, Broker or Shadetree facilitator.
Valuation depends on the industry, the market and the present condition of the company. Ratio's, comps and other measurements always apply to some extent but in the end, the business must be prepared, polished up and ready to put on the market.
Develop a strategy!
I work alongside business owners, chambers of commerce, community EDC's and others who are all having to determine what's next for their business, their members, customers and so on.
It is clear that many of them get caught up in the "doom and gloom" based on this new...
(more)
Develop a strategy!
I work alongside business owners, chambers of commerce, community EDC's and others who are all having to determine what's next for their business, their members, customers and so on.
It is clear that many of them get caught up in the "doom and gloom" based on this new environment and the constant negativity promoted by the media, social and other "news" sources. The truth is, people are still buying, still need services and are still looking for value.
The pandemic, the election, the lockdowns, the season, the media, loss of revenue and everything else we are all going through can easily send a business owner into a mindset of panic and "shiny object survival syndrome".
On the other hand, I see business owners who have learned how to change their mindset, focus on the basics and overcome much of what has impacted their businesses so negatively.
It may be time to pivot or discover new ways to provide value. The one thing I know for sure is that it is absolutely time to learn from this and not panic. It is very difficult to be a critical thinker if one is in a panicked state of mind.
When a business owner is faced with a loss of revenue, layoffs, inability to cover expenses...it is almost natural to panic and begin searching for that "magic bullet" that will make all the difference. Often, a business owner may begin experimenting or spending more time online searching for solutions during a time when they should be focused on the basics of strategy and not just tactics.
Most business owners focus on marketing tactics alone to increase lead generation. I.e. Social Media ads, posting incessantly, discounting, postcards, flyers and so on. These tactics can work but only when there is a proven, effective strategy behind them.
Don't give up...change your mindset...take a breath and be an overcomer!
I am always available for some free training!
Understand the difference between marketing/sales tactics and having a marketing/sales strategy. Less than 1% of buyers are considered now buyers. PPL require between 12 and 100+ touches before making a buying decision so it is vital that the business have a strategy that interrupts, educates,...
(more)
Understand the difference between marketing/sales tactics and having a marketing/sales strategy. Less than 1% of buyers are considered now buyers. PPL require between 12 and 100+ touches before making a buying decision so it is vital that the business have a strategy that interrupts, educates, engages and subsequently offers.
Postcards, FB ads, Google Ads, Flyers, etc. are all tactics. They can all work really well. Just make sure that your message answers the question in your prospects mind and is not all about trying to get your "brand" out there. PPL are looking for answers/solutions so get in their heads and make sure your ads serve them and not you.
As a business strategist, I frequently run across start-ups and multi year businesses who neglected the process of developing a business plan for themselves. Most folks consider business plans only when a lender or investor requires one. Many of the comments submitted in this thread provide...
(more)
As a business strategist, I frequently run across start-ups and multi year businesses who neglected the process of developing a business plan for themselves. Most folks consider business plans only when a lender or investor requires one. Many of the comments submitted in this thread provide excellent advice. As I read through them, I see that the majority of the comments would be addressed during the business planning process.
A business plan includes thinking through your marketing strategy, not just the tactics. A good plan can help develop a solid foundation for the operational strategy and would include developing a mission statement, your pledge to the stakeholders (clients, vendors, staff, investors, etc.). You must define your legal structure, your marketing strategy and tactics to be used. This is where all the math is done as well. A quality, thorough, scenario driven sales and cash flow forecast will inform the business owner of the effects of when, how and where to spend.
In my early days of starting businesses, I despised the requirement of business plan, forecasts, etc because I thought my business idea was enough. NOT TRUE. Sales, Marketing, Accounting, Management, Vendor Management, HR, Leases, Taxes, Taxes, Taxes, and so much more is required to operate a business successfully.
The process of planning can make the difference between success vs. constant struggle.
research the business. Asking a scam artist if they are legit would be asking for trouble.
(more)
research the business. Asking a scam artist if they are legit would be asking for trouble.
Find a business who you would recommend and send the business their way. Even better, ask for a small commission or referral fee. You obviously had a good reputation and a younger version of you would appreciate the help. Do a good thing and possibly make a little side income as well.
(more)
Find a business who you would recommend and send the business their way. Even better, ask for a small commission or referral fee. You obviously had a good reputation and a younger version of you would appreciate the help. Do a good thing and possibly make a little side income as well.
1 Reply
