AUTHOR ARCHIVES :

Focus on What Matters Most: How to Lead at Both the Macro and Micro Levels

Business leaders are constantly faced with the challenge of making decisions that will steer their organizations toward long-term success. This entails a delicate balance between focusing on the broad, strategic vision of the company (the macro level) and managing the day-to-day operations and details (the micro level). Mastering the art of navigating these two perspectives is crucial for any leader aiming to drive their business forward in today’s competitive environment.

Business leadership in macro and micro level

Strategic prioritization is the cornerstone of effective leadership. It involves identifying the key objectives that will have the most significant impact on the organization’s success and allocating resources accordingly. This requires a deep understanding of the business landscape, including market trends, competitor activities, and internal capabilities.…

Continue reading →

The Rise of Niche Communities: Targeting Your Ideal Customer Online

A decade ago, small businesses had to choose between casting a wide net or zeroing in on a niche. Today, online communities allow individuals to do both. These digital gathering spots may seem trivial to outsiders, but for members, they provide a sense of belonging, meaning, and friendship.

Niche communities

photo credit: Jessica Ticozzelli / Pexels

What does this mean for small business owners? Tapping into a niche community can attract an engaged and specialized customer base.

Explore the inner workings and customs of a group united by a shared passion. Offer products, services, and expertise that members already want. Respect insider language and culture.…

Continue reading →

Succession Planning Remains an Afterthought for Many Companies

Succession planning isn’t at the forefront of every business leader’s mind, but it should be. If you’re an executive leading a company, you will likely depart at some point.

In an ideal world, you would have that day all mapped out. However, too many CEOs, presidents, and founders left their positions without implementing a succession plan. The outcome often involves a combination of confusion and chaos, leading to attrition and negative publicity.

Succession planning

This doesn’t just happen to small businesses. Howard Schultz formerly served as the CEO of Starbucks — three times. Schultz’s multiple returns to Starbucks highlight the challenges of finding a suitable replacement for a top leader within an organization.…

Continue reading →

LinkedIn as a Tool for Industry Leadership: CEO Best Practices

Boasting no fewer than one billion users, LinkedIn has solidified its place as the premier professional social networking site. Yet having a profile on the platform only scratches the surface of how you can leverage LinkedIn in your position. To get the full power out of LinkedIn, you must proactively stay relevant within its unique ecosystem.

LinkedIn for CEOs

LinkedIn isn’t a set-it-and-scroll type of social media landscape, especially for leaders wanting to be noticed. Though you can certainly treat it that way, you won’t get much mileage from being silent or disengaged. Instead, you need to become a very noticeable participant throughout LinkedIn’s environment, which means you need to put strategies in place.…

Continue reading →

Building Community Resilience with Shop Local Initiatives

Retailers and e-commerce companies dominate the market, so understanding the value of supporting small businesses and purchasing locally is critical. Beyond their immediate benefits, shopping locally significantly influences our lives.

Shop local

As globalization progresses, community resilience becomes crucial in enabling local communities to overcome economic, social, and environmental challenges. The “Shop Local” initiative/movement is the cornerstone of this resilience, ensuring patronage of local businesses.

Community Resilience and Shop Local Movements

To understand community resilience, it’s essential to recognize that communities are dynamic systems with interconnected parts. Collaborating and working together strengthens social networks and builds stronger communities. The “Support/Shop Local” movement, gaining popularity for a while, became more significant during the pandemic as it disrupted global supply chains and impacted the economy.…

Continue reading →

The Creator Economy: What It Could Mean for Small Businesses

The creator economy is reshaping how businesses engage with consumers, so much so that it’s disrupted many more traditional marketing practices. Not that the tried-and-true approaches no longer work. Email marketing still provides an impressive ROI, seeing an average return of $36 for every $1 spent. The same can be said for mailers, with an average ROI of 43% for a direct mail campaign.

Creator economy

However, content from the creator economy has become an extremely powerful marketing tool. It’s garnered the attention of millions and turned average, everyday people (i.e., creators) into influential figures, making brand-creator partnerships invaluable for businesses, large and small alike.…

Continue reading →

How to Use AI to Resolve Customer Complaints More Quickly and Efficiently

Understanding and compassion. These are two traits that most customers crave from the brands they prefer. According to a recent Wunderman study discussed in the Adobe Experience Cloud Blog, nearly eight out of ten buyers want companies to care about them. While making your buyers feel cared for throughout their shopping journey is important, it’s especially critical when they’re unhappy. This is where AI can greatly help you and your team members.

Using AI for handling customer complaints

AI products, such as CRM platforms or niche plug-in solutions, can make it easier for your brand agents to resolve customers’ concerns quickly without losing the personal touch. The reason is simple: AI can rapidly handle any processes that can be automated.…

Continue reading →

How to Build a High-Performing Remote Customer Service Team

Remote work is becoming increasingly popular, and this trend is also affecting customer service teams. A recent survey found that 70% of customer service organizations have remote employees.

Remote customer service

Building a high-performing remote customer service team can be challenging, but it is possible.  Here are some strategies that can help you succeed:

1. Define Roles and Responsibilities

Effective management hinges on clear communication. Start by defining each team member’s roles and responsibilities within your customer service team. This clarity aligns employees with your company’s culture and goals. Determine the skills and qualities required for success in customer service positions and seek candidates who possess them.…

Continue reading →

Crafting a Win-Win Lease Agreement: How to Negotiate with Landlords

Negotiating with landlords is key to effectively managing your business lease and rent obligations. You’ll want to strategize thoughtfully to secure favorable terms and ensure optimal rental costs, laying a strong foundation for your thriving business.

Business property leasing agreement

This article explores practical strategies you can employ to engage landlords, secure advantageous lease agreements, and foster a harmonious landlord-tenant relationship, all contributing to your business’s ultimate success.

Here are some tips for negotiating your lease or rent obligations to get the best deal for you:

  1. When getting ready to negotiate, assess your business needs and how they may affect the lease. For example, if you need to renovate the property, negotiate the cost of those into your lease agreement.
…Continue reading →

How to Budget for Employee Recognition Programs

The days of employees being content with being a small part of a larger machine are long gone. Work-life balance and individuality are valued in today’s business world, and employees want to feel appreciated. Thus, small business owners must rethink employee recognition programs to address employee interests and expectations. Failure to do so could cause losing younger generations of employees, who won’t hesitate to walk away if they feel unappreciated.

Employee recognition

Your eyes might swim at the thought of what this individual attention will cost. It is worth investing in retaining your current workforce when the cost of onboarding someone new is so much higher.…

Continue reading →