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  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • How We Work
    • Our Team
    • Success Stories
    • Speaking
  • Strategic Focus Program
    • Strategic Focus Program™
    • Strategic Focus Scorecard™
    • Strategic Focus Vision Session™
    • Success Stories
  • Book a Speaker
  • Free Resources
    • Tools to Manage Your Business
    • 2 Minute Tips
    • Strategic Focus Scorecard™
    • Book a Speaker
    • Blog
  • Blog
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Blog

What To Do When Your Mojo Is a No-Go!

Blog, Business GrowthMarch 2, 2023

I have been accused of being a bit of a Pollyanna, the one with great faith in possibility … but…

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Fresh tomato on the vine

Make Space for Things to Grow – Lessons Learned from Growing Tomatoes

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessJanuary 31, 2023

You may well ask yourself – What do tomato plants and your plans have in common? If you’ve ever gardened,…

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Questions to Guide Your Strategic Planning

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessDecember 13, 2022

This year has sped past. We blinked – and now we’re closing off 2022 and looking forward to 2023 and…

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Try Before You Buy – An age-old strategy for growth. 😊

Blog, Business Growth, Marketing & SalesAugust 25, 2022

Sampling as an effective marketing strategy has been around for a very long time. A local story – In 1913,…

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Moving Forward to Your Next Normal

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessJune 21, 2022

As the intensity of the pandemic lessens several business owners have commented to me about looking forward to “going back”…

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Proactive Money Management – What Is a Budget and Why Do You Need One?

Blog, Business Growth, Financial ManagementFebruary 10, 2022

What Is a Budget? A budget is a projection of your future income (Revenue) and expenses for a specific period,…

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Planning Helps the Heart Grow Fonder

Blog, Planning for SuccessFebruary 8, 2022

The world’s oldest form of business partnership is alive and well. In fact, it is thriving and growing. It is…

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Remember when you didn't think you could and you did?

Remember When You Didn’t Think You Could – And You Did?

Blog, Planning for SuccessJanuary 6, 2022

One consistent thing over the past two years has been the continued support and camaraderie within the small business community…

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Time to Reset Your Focus

Make the Time to Reset Your Focus

Blog, Business GrowthOctober 6, 2021

When you launched your business, you knew the start-up phase would be challenging. But here it is, several years later,…

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Happy people crossing the finish line

Finish What You Started – 7 Actions to Help You Get Things Done!

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessJuly 27, 2021

“I am so good at starting things … why do I suck at finishing everything?” This was the plaintive query…

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Magic of Managing Your Money

Blog, Financial ManagementMay 13, 2021

Despite all the important things we must deal with as business owners, the one constant and most important responsibility we…

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Where Are Your Doors to Opportunity?

Blog, Business GrowthApril 15, 2021

As I listened to a speaker at a prestigious business conference give advice on how to achieve small business success,…

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Notebook with question

Look Into Your Future With 20/20 Clarity

Blog, Planning for SuccessFebruary 16, 2021

We are currently working with our clients to think beyond 2021. We believe 2021 is going to be some rendition…

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Think Bubble one word

What One Word Will Guide Your Focus in 2021?

Blog, Planning for SuccessDecember 23, 2020

The first weeks of a new year are a time when people make plans, set goals, and make New Year’s…

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7 Actions to Take Now

7 Actions to Take in December to Thrive in 2021!

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessDecember 1, 2020

It has been a very different year, many of us are looking forward to some down time over the holidays…

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Road ahead beyong 2021

Create Plans to Take You Beyond 2021!

Blog, Planning for SuccessNovember 12, 2020

Every November we embrace planning for the year ahead; for our own business and with our clients. Typically, a big…

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businessman make it easy shirt

Make it Easy for People to Buy!

Blog, Marketing & SalesOctober 6, 2020

The greatest responsibility you have as a business owner is to generate revenue for your business. However, you didn’t go into…

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Snoopy dog dancing in leaves

5 Actions to Grow Your Business in September!  

Blog, Business GrowthSeptember 29, 2020

Published: September 10th, 2020; By: Judi Hughes September feels much more like the start of a “New Year” than January.…

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Crystal Ball with Magic Wand

You Don’t Need a Magic Wand or Crystal Ball… But it would be nice.

Blog, Planning for SuccessMay 14, 2020

Published: May 14th, 2020; By: Judi Hughes It’s time to look past our current situation and set our focus on…

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Notebook - Professional Development

What’s Your Career Path for Business Growth?

Blog, Business GrowthMarch 11, 2020

Published: March 11th, 2020; By: Judi Hughes Do you have a career path to achieve the growth you want for…

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Blueprint for Growth

Make Your Plan Your Blueprint for Growth in 2020!

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessDecember 4, 2019

Published: December 3rd, 2019; By: Judi Hughes As Philip Orsini wrote, “Companies don’t fail because they grow. The fail because…

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Your Business is Worth Celebrating!

Blog, Business GrowthOctober 22, 2019

Published: October 22nd, 2019; By: Judi Hughes Through experience, we know being in business is not always all it’s cracked…

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Convert Relationships into Revenue – Your Fortune is in the Follow-Up

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessSeptember 10, 2019

Published: September 10th, 2019; By: Judi Hughes Small Business Owners spend way too much time and money meeting new people…

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Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to results

Accountability Brings Greater Focus to Your Business

Blog, Management & LeadershipJuly 30, 2019

Published: July 30th, 2019; By: Judi Hughes It is hard to stay focused – to always put in that extra…

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Business Meeting on the patrio

Tools to Keep You Focused This Summer

Blog, Business GrowthJune 26, 2019

Published: June 26th, 2019; By: Judi Hughes Hurray it’s summer! The days are longer, the sun is shining, patios are…

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Man thinking on lightbulb

Make Your Great Idea Happen!

Blog, Business GrowthMay 28, 2019

Published: May 28th 2019; By: Nick & Judi Hughes Are you sitting on a great idea? Have you been carrying…

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Time for Action!

Take Stock Now to Meet Your Strategic Goals!

Blog, Financial Management, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessApril 26, 2019

Published: April 26th, 2019; By: Nick & Judi Hughes Along with April Showers and spring flowers; April also marks the…

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Badge of Honour - I'm crazy busy

Stop Being Crazy Busy!

Blog, Management & LeadershipFebruary 26, 2019

Published: February 26th, 2019; By: Judi Hughes I was at a networking event recently when I overheard this conversation: “How…

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get clarity. stay focused. take action.

10 Ways to Make This Year’s Plan Happen!

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessJanuary 29, 2019

Published: January 29th, 2019 As business owners, your most important responsibility is to develop and successfully execute the annual plan.    Good news is,…

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Magic Wand, Crystal Ball

What Does Your Perfect Business Look Like?

Blog, Planning for SuccessSeptember 28, 2018

Published: September 28th, 2018; By: Judi Hughes When I first started in business, some colleagues gifted me a crystal ball…

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Success button set to high

4 Ways to Maximize Your Business Success

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessAugust 1, 2018

Published: August 1st, 2018; By: Judi Hughes We love working with entrepreneurs. People who own their own business are some…

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Stop Being the Chief Cook & Bottle Washer!

Blog, Building Your Team, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessMarch 28, 2018

Published: March 29th, 2018; By: Judi Hughes There is actually a dictionary definition for Chief Cook & Bottle Washer –…

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Networking name tag

Confessions of a Serial Networker!

Blog, Business Growth, Marketing & SalesFebruary 7, 2018

Published: February 7th, 2018; By: Judi Hughes “I’ve come to believe that connecting is one of the most important business…

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History, planning for the future

Take the Guess Work Out of Planning

Blog, Planning for Success, Systems & ProcessesDecember 1, 2017

Published: November 30th, 2017; By: Judi Hughes “Always plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark”, wrote Richard Cushing.…

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vision, mission on napkin with coffee

Vision & Mission – You Need Them Both

Blog, Planning for SuccessNovember 17, 2017

Published: November 17th, 2017; By: Judi Hughes In our experience growing a business without creating and using a plan is unpredictable and risky. …

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Little boy checking ingredients

The Missing Ingredient for Business Success

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Systems & ProcessesOctober 20, 2017

Published: October 20th, 2017; By: Judi Hughes There is one factor that business owners seldom consider as part of the…

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sign point to revenue

5 Ways to Increase Revenue This Summer

Blog, Business Growth, Marketing & Sales, Planning for SuccessJune 27, 2017

Published: June 29th, 2017; By: Judi Hughes Don’t get stuck in the “everything slows down in the summer” syndrome. Use…

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How to Turn Your Website Into a Powerful Marketing Tool

Blog, Business Growth, Marketing & SalesMarch 15, 2017

Published: March 15th, 2017; Written by our guest blogger: Andy Bush www.bushmarketing.ca  For a successful business to not have a…

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business man with empty pockets

Seven Ways to Avoid Running Out of Money

Blog, Financial Management, Planning for SuccessMarch 1, 2017

Published: February 28th, 2017; By: Judi Hughes No matter the size of the company, there will be a time that…

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wrapped gifts by tree

Give Yourself The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessDecember 16, 2016

Published: December 16th, 2016; By: Judi Hughes It isn’t too late! This year give yourself and your business the gift…

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Business Goals on Paper

Your Business Growth Begins With You!

Blog, Business GrowthAugust 17, 2016

Published: August 17th, 2016; By Nick Hughes So, you want to grow your business? Great! There’s nothing more exciting than…

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Calendar June 30th date

Review Your Business Plan Now for Year-End Success

Blog, Planning for SuccessJune 29, 2016

Published: July 13th, 2016; by Judi Hughes If your strategic plan maps out how you will achieve your business goals,…

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The Balanced Business Wheel™

Blog, Business GrowthJune 17, 2016

Published: June 15th, 2016; by Nick Hughes To grow a successful business you must manage it holistically. You must focus…

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Are There Diamonds In Your Backyard?

Blog, Business GrowthJune 1, 2016

Published: May 10th, 2016; By: Judi Hughes This short parable explains a marketing strategy that is often forgotten.  This story is…

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Man running over hurdle tied to weight

Your Biggest Barrier to Growth

Blog, Business GrowthApril 8, 2016

Published: April 8th, 2016; by Judi Hughes Did you know that one of the biggest barriers to business growth is…

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newspaper with spectacles

Navigate the Economy – 7 Actions to Take Now!

Blog, Planning for SuccessMarch 30, 2016

Published: March 23rd, 2016; by Judi Hughes A slower economy can be a great time to grow your business As…

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Your Fortune is in the Follow-Up

Blog, Business Growth, Marketing & SalesMarch 2, 2016

Published: March 2nd, 2016; by Judi Hughes How much money are you leaving on the table because you don’t follow-up?…

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Are You Suffering from SOS?

Blog, Management & LeadershipFebruary 5, 2016

Published: February 5th, 2016; by Judi Hughes Business owners are some of the most creative people I know. Small business…

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Road Warning Changes Ahead

Risk Assessment – A Tool to Manage Change

Blog, Planning for SuccessJanuary 12, 2016

Published: January 12th, 2016; by Judi Hughes As business owners we are in the business of change management. So much…

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Look Into Your Past to Plan for Your Future

Blog, Planning for SuccessDecember 2, 2015

Published: December 2nd, 2015; by Judi Hughes “Always plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark”, wrote Richard Cushing.…

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Hands holding model of earth

Creating a Philanthropic Culture in Your Small Business

Blog, Management & LeadershipNovember 20, 2015

Published: November 20th 2015; by Judi Hughes According to a 2012 Canadian study conducted by profitguide.com, 76% of business owners…

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Are You Growing Your Business? Or Do You Have a Job?

Blog, Planning for SuccessNovember 3, 2015

Published: November 3rd, 2015; by Judi Hughes Do you have a business owner’s mindset? When you prepare for a day’s…

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Phones, emails, laptops

Technology – Friend or Foe?

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessOctober 9, 2015

Published: October 7th, 2015; by Nick Hughes Advances in technology have been very beneficial for small businesses. Not only has…

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Why Your Business Needs a Marketing Map

Blog, Planning for SuccessSeptember 23, 2015

Published: September 23rd, 2015; by Judi Hughes It’s been said that it takes between 7 to 12 “touches” to turn…

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Conquer the 7 Barriers to Small Business Growth

Blog, Business GrowthSeptember 1, 2015

Published: September 1st, 2015; by Judi Hughes If you are serious about growing your business you will hit barriers along…

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The Power of No

BlogAugust 12, 2015

Published: August 12th, 2015; by Judi Hughes Steve Jobs, the founder and eventual saviour of Apple, was quoted as saying:…

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Small Business Marketing & Sales: Do’s and Don’ts of Sales and Marketing

Blog, Business Growth, Marketing & SalesJuly 24, 2015

Small Business – Marketing & Sales 101 We often hear the phrase “marketing and sales” used in small business as…

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Pricing Your Products for Profit

Blog, Business Growth, Financial ManagementMay 22, 2015

Pricing your products for profit is a mix of science, experience, knowledge and guesswork. The science part is the formula.…

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Business man with mouth covered

Silence – A Valuable Tool for Leaders

Blog, Management & LeadershipApril 22, 2015

By Guest Blogger, Marguerite Orane “But isn’t silence a sign of weakness?” my coachee asked.  We were discussing a difficult…

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Many bubbles of people with connecting lines

Networking ~ Build your Business by Building Relationships

Blog, Business Growth, Marketing & Sales, Planning for SuccessApril 8, 2015

Published: April 8th, 2015; By: Judi Hughes No one marketing initiative should be a stand-alone activity. One marketing activity must…

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Focus on Your Critical Success Indicators

Blog, Building Your Team, Business Growth, Financial Management, Planning for SuccessMarch 27, 2015

Is there an easy way to manage your business? No! There is no easy way but there is an effective…

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Business women in meeting with many papers on table

Management Information Puts You in Charge

Blog, Business Growth, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipMarch 11, 2015

One of the challenges faced by us business owners is being objective about our own business! We are too close…

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Three large financial building columns

Is Your Business Actually Making Any Money?

Blog, Business Growth, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipFebruary 18, 2015

Are your products or services profitable? Or, do you assume that you’re making sales so you must be making money? To…

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muscular man wearing superhero cape

A-Teams Don’t Need Superheroes

Blog, Building Your Team, Management & LeadershipJanuary 30, 2015

I have always been puzzled by what an A-Team means. I know it is a term from the military for…

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business man cloud arrow growth pointing to sky

Plan for Growth

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessJanuary 9, 2015

Published: January 9th, 2015; By: Judi Hughes Many business owners plan to grow; few plan for growth! By this I…

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Word Stressed crossed out with red x

Stress-Busting Tool for You

Blog, Management & LeadershipDecember 17, 2014

  Our guest blogger this week is Sharone Bar-David, who shares her wonderful tool to help us take care of…

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Your Planning Partners creating a business plan for a client

Creating the Plan

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessDecember 10, 2014

The previous blog was all about how to prepare to plan. A plan after all is only as good as…

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Preparing to Plan

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Planning, Planning for SuccessNovember 27, 2014

Planning is not a quick fix; it is the first step in a journey. So like anything in life the…

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The Best Plan is the One You Use

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessNovember 5, 2014

Written by our guest blogger Susan Gregory www.susangregory.ca Creating a daily plan is my number one suggestion for better time…

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When your Business is Losing Money …. ACT NOW!

Blog, Financial ManagementOctober 28, 2014

In our previous blog we wrote about how important profits are to the growth and success of your business. To…

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Profit is Not a Dirty Word

Blog, Business Growth, Financial Management, Planning for SuccessSeptember 25, 2014

Profit is not a dirty word despite the fact the some people believe it is the result of unethical businesses…

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Grow Your Business by Growing Your Team

Blog, Building Your TeamSeptember 10, 2014

The previous blog talked about the pitfalls to avoid when building your team. This blog focuses on how to build…

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Pitfalls to Avoid When Building Your Team

Blog, Building Your Team, Business GrowthAugust 21, 2014

Building your team does have challenges but it also has huge rewards. You will be energized by your team’s successes.…

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The Experts Are Wrong; Time Management Does Not Work

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Systems & ProcessesAugust 8, 2014

Time Management doesn’t work because we can’t manage time. Time moves forward on its own with no help from us,…

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Summer Time is Leisure Time

Blog, Management & LeadershipJuly 7, 2014

One motivation for many people starting their own business is the promise of more flexible time.  Time to do the…

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Power of Attitude

Blog, Building Your Team, Business Growth, Management & LeadershipJune 18, 2014

Attitude IS everything. Arrive at work feeling positive and upbeat and the day will be wonderful. Arrive with a dread…

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One Step at a Time

Blog, Business Growth, Management & LeadershipMay 28, 2014

As a business owner you are constantly faced with daunting tasks. You know the ones; they stretch out ahead of…

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Recipe for Success

Planning for SuccessApril 9, 2014

When we had our IT Consulting business our offices were in Cabbagetown; the beautifully refurbished old Victorian neighbourhood of Toronto. One…

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Diamonds Are Your Best Friends

Business GrowthMarch 28, 2014

Growing a business is all about “more”. More people, more products, more processes, more complexity. And, of course, more revenue.…

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Business Growth Is Not Magic

Business GrowthMarch 24, 2014

Your business will not grow by magic! Its growth requires your dedication, your experience, your leadership, and most of all…

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SOS ‘ Shiny Object Syndrome

Management & LeadershipMarch 10, 2014

Park those good ideas for the right time. [vimeo id=”88208044″ width=”600″ height=”450″]

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Cartoon jogger on treadmill

Fragmented Focus Treadmill

Blog, Management & LeadershipMarch 1, 2014

Are you stuck on the Fragmented Focus Treadmill? You know the feeling; running and running ever faster and getting absolutely…

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Puzzle pieces fitting together

Culture & Strategy; You Can’t Have One without the Other

Blog, Management & LeadershipJanuary 8, 2014

by Guest Blogger Jeff Goldenberg If entrepreneurs focus on building a great culture with the same passion that they exude…

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young boy with chocolate on face

3 Critical Focuses for 2014

Blog, Building Your Team, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessDecember 13, 2013

Business owners wear many hats and so it is often difficult to stay focused on the really important things. As…

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Stop! Get Clarity

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessNovember 27, 2013

If like many business owners you are starting to plan 2014 … STOP! Before you go any further make sure…

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Are You a Good Boss?

Blog, Building Your Team, Management & LeadershipNovember 19, 2013

I was reading a Maclean’s article called “Really Bad Bosses”when I was stopped in my tracks by the following: “So…

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Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessOctober 29, 2013

Recently I had the pleasure of serving on a panel discussing the topic “Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast”. It was…

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How Do Projects Fall Behind Schedule?

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Systems & ProcessesOctober 15, 2013

“How do projects fall behind schedule?”Answer: “One day at a time”. Projects must be managed closely at all times, every…

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If You Fail to Plan You Plan to Fail

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessSeptember 26, 2013

This is the third in a series of four blogs focused on the importance of successful projects in building a…

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In Search of the High/High’s

Blog, Management & LeadershipSeptember 12, 2013

In the previous blog we introduced you to the idea that without projects the business will go nowhere. In fact…

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Missing Ingredient for Business Success

Blog, Management & Leadership, Systems & ProcessesAugust 29, 2013

What is the single most important ingredient for business success? Having enough clients? Building a great team? Profitable products and…

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Summer Time is Leisure Time

Blog, Management & LeadershipAugust 7, 2013

One motivation for many people starting their own business is the promise of more flexible time.  Time to do the…

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Don’t Try and Do Everything

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Systems & ProcessesJuly 11, 2013

Accept the fact that you will never get everything done! When I tell this to business owners there is a…

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The Experts Are Wrong; Time Management Does Not Work

Blog, Business Growth, Management & LeadershipJune 12, 2013

Time Management doesn’t work because we can’t manage time. Time moves forward on its own with no help from us,…

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Growth in Sales Can Be Harmful!

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Planning for SuccessJune 5, 2013

“Everyone knows that too few sales are fatal. But very few owner-managers understand that too many sales, made too fast,…

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Exercises for the Desk Jockey!

Blog, Management & LeadershipApril 24, 2013

There are a number of simple ways to get some movement into your desk bound day!   These exercises are not…

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Your Fortune is in the Follow-up

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessApril 3, 2013

Build Your Business By Building Relationships! You go to a networking event.  You do all of the right things. You…

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Growing Towards Your Goal

Blog, Management & Leadership, Systems & ProcessesMarch 20, 2013

What makes some people successful over others? Why do some people persevere in the face of obstacles and others are…

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Best Practices in Time Management

Blog, Management & Leadership, Systems & ProcessesMarch 13, 2013

Not only does time spent planning increase your productivity and save you money but it’s estimated that each minute spent…

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Illuminate Your Small Business Journey

Blog, Management & LeadershipMarch 6, 2013

Published: Mar 6th 2013; By: Judi Hughes Coaching small business owners, I’ve found a couple of metaphors that are very…

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Sales Ain’t What It Used To Be!

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesFebruary 19, 2013

There are more opinions, more books, more articles and more blogs about selling than almost any other business topic.  When…

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It’s Tough Being Optimistic All the Time

Blog, Management & LeadershipFebruary 6, 2013

Being a business owner means you are constantly excited about what you do, invigorated by what the future holds, confident…

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Meetings, Bloody Meetings

Blog, Management & LeadershipJanuary 24, 2013

If you google “meetings bloody meetings”you get over 11 million results and page after page of workshops, how to books,…

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How To Make Plans Work

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessJanuary 18, 2013

As the previous blogs point out, a good plan is: The key to business success Easy to do What is…

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Plan for Success

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessDecember 20, 2012

If you want your business to be successful then you need to plan for it. Planning the future of your…

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Why Bother Planning?

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessDecember 14, 2012

There are many reasons why business owners should not waste time creating plans: Things change so rapidly plans become obsolete…

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Managing The Risks of Change

Blog, Management & LeadershipDecember 5, 2012

As business owners we are in the change business. So much of what we do is initiating and managing change.…

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The Disruption of Change

Blog, Management & LeadershipNovember 15, 2012

It wasn’t a big change and so we didn’t expect anything to go wrong. How wrong we were! The change…

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Power of Purpose

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessNovember 2, 2012

Do you know the purpose of your business? Do you clearly understand why you started your business? Have you communicated…

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The Power of Focus

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessOctober 24, 2012

One of the common attributes of successful people, whether they are athletes, entertainers, or business leaders, is their ability to…

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The Power of Small Business

Blog, Business Growth, Planning for SuccessOctober 3, 2012

“The central element of a vibrant economy may be described in a short sentence: a business owner hires a worker.”…

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The Power of No

Blog, Management & LeadershipSeptember 19, 2012

Why is No so powerful? Because it gives you permission to stop doing what you shouldn’t be doing so you…

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The Power of Why

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessSeptember 4, 2012

Why is why so powerful? Because it enables you to get to the root of a problem, rather that applying…

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The Power of Processes

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessAugust 28, 2012

Why are processes so powerful? Because they are the engines of your business; they make sure everything happens when and…

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Computers with power worldwide

Power of Information

Blog, Financial Management, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Planning for Success, Systems & ProcessesAugust 22, 2012

Why is information so powerful?  Because it is the life blood of managing a business. Without information we have no…

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Badge of Honour ~ “I haven’t had a real holiday in years!”

Blog, Management & LeadershipAugust 8, 2012

For many business owners they wear it as a badge of honour; the inscription reads; “I haven’t had a real…

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Summer Reads: Learn From Other Business Owners

Blog, Business Books, Business Growth, Small BusinessAugust 1, 2012

I have 2 great summer reads for you this time. But you won’t want to read them from front to…

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Summer Reads ~ Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs by Carmine Gallo

Blog, Business Books, Planning, Small BusinessJuly 18, 2012

Do you want your presentations to be more effective? Do you want your message to be heard and remembered by…

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Where Is the Money?

Blog, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipJuly 5, 2012

It is one of the great mysteries of the universe. There always comes a time when a business runs out…

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What Is Your Company Worth?

Blog, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipJune 29, 2012

What is your company worth? If you were to close the doors today how much money would you have left?…

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Are You Making Any Money?

Blog, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipJune 21, 2012

Do you want to get rid of that nagging voice in the back of your head? You know the one.…

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When your business runs out of money it is too late!

Blog, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipJune 13, 2012

Most business owners would prefer to chew on cut glass rather than pay attention to the financial results of their…

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The Never Ending Chase After New Revenue

Blog, Financial Management, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesMay 25, 2012

Business ownership is a never ending chase after new revenue. If we don’t get new revenue we won’t get revenue…

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Top Twenty Generates Revenue

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesMay 16, 2012

You don’t build your business by “earning revenue”you build your business by “generating revenue”. And you generate revenue by getting…

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Marketing the 80/20 Way

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesMay 10, 2012

There are numerous, no thousands, of tools, techniques and methods you can apply to your marketing and sales efforts. The…

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Take Control of Your Time

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessApril 26, 2012

We hear it all the time: “I just don’t have enough time to do everything”. And it’s true! So here…

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One Step At A Time

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessApril 18, 2012

When you plan to execute a large project or campaign it is very easy to become overwhelmed. Overwhelm leads to…

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How to turn a tax liability into a tax refund? Procrastinate!

Blog, Management & LeadershipMarch 22, 2012

Our guest blogger, who wants to remain anonymous, writes: I am a master procrastinator, so well-practiced that the date of…

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How to Overcome Procrastination

Blog, Management & LeadershipMarch 15, 2012

Not doing something that should be done is called procrastination. While procrastination can be good, for example we end up…

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Procrastination ‘ The Art of Avoidance

Blog, Management & LeadershipMarch 7, 2012

The blog theme for March is procrastination, which probably means it will never happen! Procrastination is putting off doing something…

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Critical Success Factors

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessFebruary 29, 2012

As we end our February theme of focus focus focus we introduce you to a powerful tool to help you…

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Are You Chasing Shiny Objects?

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessFebruary 22, 2012

Business owners are extremely creative people. They build something from nothing; they create new and wonderful products; they constantly think…

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Small Business ‘ The engine of the Canadian economy

Blog, Business Growth, Management & LeadershipJanuary 27, 2012

A recent MacLean’s special feature about Canada’s Small Business World starts out saying “more than a million small businesses operate…

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The Perfect Business

Blog, Management & LeadershipJanuary 11, 2012

We believe every Canadian business owner should have the opportunity to build the Perfect Business. But what is a Perfect…

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This Year I Will

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessDecember 14, 2011

The end of one calendar year and the beginning of another brings many of us to embrace setting goals and…

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Lessons to Learn from the book Good to Great

Blog, Management & Leadership, Small BusinessDecember 2, 2011

The book Good to Great by Jim Collins was the result of a research study Jim and a team of…

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Old Habits Die hard

Blog, Management & LeadershipNovember 17, 2011

Do you have something in your business or our life you want to change … some situation you want to…

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Built to Sell by John Warrillow

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessNovember 9, 2011

It is the Circle of Life of an entrepreneur. We start a business because we have a passion for something.…

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A Business Built On A Hat

Blog, Management & LeadershipNovember 3, 2011

Alex was bored with his business but that was okay because it gave him plenty of time to pursue his…

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Ed Mirvish – Entrepreneur with Bold Vision

Blog, Management & LeadershipOctober 27, 2011

Published: October 27th, 2011: By: Nick Hughes Ed Mirvish was 15 when his father died. As a result, he had…

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Celebrating Canadian Business ‘ The Four Seasons

Blog, Business Growth, Management & LeadershipOctober 24, 2011

Last week we celebrated two Canadian companies that have a significant impact in Canada; Lee Valley Tools and Dufflet Pastries.…

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Celebrating Canadian Business

Blog, Business Growth, Management & LeadershipOctober 12, 2011

For some obscure reason it has been decided (by whom I do not know) that October is small business month.…

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How Healthy Is Your Business?

Blog, Business Growth, Financial Management, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesSeptember 28, 2011

Cholesterol is often described as the silent killer. High cholesterol is bad for us and yet there are no symptoms.…

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If It Can’t Be Measured It Can’t Be Managed

Blog, Business Growth, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipSeptember 21, 2011

One of the challenges faced by us business owners is being objective about our own business! We are too close…

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Processes are the Engines of Your Business ‘ So Document Them

Blog, Management & Leadership, Systems & ProcessesSeptember 14, 2011

Processes have a bad rap. They are seen by many as the administrative overhead that suck the life out of…

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Customer Service Hall of Fame

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesAugust 31, 2011

This month’s blogs have been all about customers. How to care for them. How to deliver excellent customer service that…

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How To Recover from the Customer Service Snafu

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesAugust 24, 2011

We all want to give our customers the very best service. Unfortunately, Murphy is lurking in the shadows to ensure…

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thrilled stick figure people

10 Ways to Thrill Your Customers

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesAugust 17, 2011

“Do you provide good customer service?” We ask every business owner who crosses our path that question. Not surprisingly, they…

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Customers Leave Because They Think You Don’t Care

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesAugust 10, 2011

The statistics are startling. Of the customers who leave you: 3% do so because they move away 12% are lured…

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Do You Like Your Customers?

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesAugust 3, 2011

Do you like your customers? Yes you heard me. Do you like your customers? Of course, you say. After all…

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Pitfalls to Avoid When Building Your Team

Blog, Building Your Team, Management & LeadershipJuly 27, 2011

Building your team does have challenges but it also has huge rewards. You will be energized by the team’s successes.…

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Build Your Business by Building Your Team

Blog, Building Your Team, Management & LeadershipJuly 13, 2011

If you want to build your business you can only do it by building your team. So say after me:…

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Build Your Business by Building Relationships

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesJune 22, 2011

I was recently reading an article about the differences between Canadian and Indian business manners. Interesting topic but what really…

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There are Diamonds In Your Backyard

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesJune 15, 2011

David was an ambitious and proud man who was desperate to be very rich. To this end he traveled the…

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target on dart board

Not Everyone Is Your Target Client

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesJune 9, 2011

Not everyone shops at Wal-Mart. Not everyone buys a Mini Cooper; despite the fact that I think it is the…

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Empower Yourself ~ Create a Budget!

Blog, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipJune 1, 2011

Business owners are exciting, creative people who have taken the huge step of being masters of their own financial future.…

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Know Your Numbers ~ Numbers Never Lie

Blog, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipMay 25, 2011

A business exists for two reasons and two reasons only: To pay its owners a decent income. To increase its…

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Are You Paying Yourself Enough?

Blog, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipMay 17, 2011

You went into business because you wanted to do what you love and you wanted to make a good living…

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MoneyIn/Money Out ~ Money Makes the World Go Round

Blog, Financial Management, Management & LeadershipMay 3, 2011

No matter how successful you are in business, it is a fact that you will have cash flow problems at…

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Conquer the Chaos by Clate Mask and Scott Martineau

Blog, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Systems & ProcessesMay 1, 2011

Scott and Clate have written a great book for the small business owner called Conquer the Chaos. I have a…

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Very Good Is Not Good Enough

Blog, Building Your Team, Business Growth, Management & LeadershipMarch 28, 2011

I recently went to see “The Kings Speech”.  I thought it was brilliant.  I believe it deserved to win Best…

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Fear Can Stop Us In Our Tracks

Blog, Building Your Team, Management & LeadershipFebruary 22, 2011

We all have something we fear. Fear of flying; fear of heights; fear of public speaking; fear of spiders ……

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Seven Barriers to Business Success

Blog, Building Your Team, Financial Management, Management & Leadership, Marketing & Sales, Planning for Success, Systems & ProcessesJanuary 5, 2011

Through the work we have done with hundreds of business owners and the experienced gained from building our own businesses…

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Money Now Money Later

Blog, Financial Management, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesNovember 22, 2010

One of the biggest challenges faced by all business owners is balancing the Money Now with Money Later. Money Now…

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Growing a Business is a Risky Business

Blog, Business Growth, Management & LeadershipNovember 15, 2010

Growing a business is a risky business. In fact there are more risks associated with growing a business than there…

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Diamonds In Your Backyard

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesOctober 17, 2010

David was a very ambitious and proud man and was desperate to be very rich. To this end he traveled…

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The Recipe for Success

Blog, Business Growth, Management & LeadershipAugust 4, 2010

When we had our IT Consulting business our offices were in Cabbagetown; the beautifully refurbished old Victorian neighbourhood of Toronto.…

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vision Written in Sky

Your Vision ~ Take Time to Dream

Blog, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessJuly 5, 2010

Your vision is your unique dream. It is the image of what you want your business to become. It provides…

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Not everyone can be your customer!

Blog, Management & Leadership, Marketing & SalesJune 24, 2010

Not everyone shops at WalMart. Not everyone will buy a Mini Cooper, despite the fact it is the coolest car…

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Business owners – are you buildng a business or creating a job?

Blog, Building Your Team, Business Growth, Management & Leadership, Planning for SuccessJune 14, 2010

If you are creating a job you are probably feeling frustrated because your hard work isn’t being reflected in growing,…

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Don’t Get Good At What You Don’t Want To Be Doing

Blog, Building Your Team, Management & LeadershipMarch 5, 2010

I was leaving the Gladstone Hotel recently when the title on a flyer caught my eye ~ Don’t Get Good…

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Books n Brew

Blog, Books n BrewAugust 4, 2009

Rob MacGregor, owner of Koyana Inc (“We Save Software Projects In Crisis!” www.koyanainc.com) selected the Books n Brew book and…

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One man assigning tasks to many

Delegate

Blog, Management & LeadershipJuly 6, 2009

Published: July 6th 2009; By: Judi Hughes The owner is often the barrier to achieving success with the business. One…

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Never Enough Time

Blog, Building Your Team, Management & LeadershipJune 29, 2009

In the previous post I wrote about the seven barriers to business success and how one of them is us…

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Books n Brew

Blog, Books n BrewMay 7, 2009

Books n Brew is an opportunity for Your Planning Partners’ community to get together and discuss business books …. and…

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