Now is the time of year during which many teams have offsite meetings to plan strategy for the coming year and beyond. I’m often asked for ideas on how to get the most out of these get-togethers. Here are some thoughts: I. THE STORY OF THE BUSINESS As leaders, you know the core metrics of the business and how they have changed over time. Rather than put these into a slick PowerPoint, think about addressing them with a Dry Erase marker and a whiteboard. Draw a set of charts a

I'm dating myself by sharing this video with you, but it's worth it. As a kid, I spent many happy Sunday nights at 8pm watching The Ed Sullivan Show. Erich Brenn, the plate spinner, was always one of my favorites. I didn't realize it then, but Brenn offers some valuable lessons for managers who struggle with operational management and efficiency. Brenn has mastered time management. He is an amazing multitasker and an astonishing micro-manager. You probably can see a little (o

Many people look at franchises when they are cut loose from the corporate world or contemplate a life apart from the mothership. I have been a franchise owner for 12 years and have learned a lot about how to be successful in a franchised business. I receive frequent phone calls from people considering buying into the franchise. They always ask the same question: If you could go back, would you choose it again? The answer is yes, I would, but many franchisees in my system wou

There's a fish store in town called Claws that always has a line. It's a couple of years old. There's always been some fish store there, but most failed, while this one has tremendous success. They renovated the parking area to include picnic tables and live music on the weekends, and installed a side window so people can order fried and broiled fish, clams and mussels and other seafood. Inside, the fish is really fresh. The display always has some enormous catch that changes

Not in any particular order: Go to Fairway Market and spend an hour sightseeing (and shopping a little) Cook dinner at least five nights a week Have an office that consists of a reclining chair in my bedroom Take naps Get tattoos Grow a beard Think about client satisfaction, not boss satisfaction Wear a suit about once a year Travel for business on airplanes about once a year instead of once a week Have a mature relationship with money #entrepreneurship

While most people haven't been to boot camp, we all have an idea of what it's like. And while starting a business isn't the same as crawling on your belly in the mud...well, on second thought, it might be pretty much the same. I just re-read a book, published a few years ago, that startup entrepreneurs may find helpful. Hit the Deck - Create a Business Plan in Half the Time with Twice the Impact, by David Ronick, delivers great advice on how to keep your entrepreneurial so

[This is a blog post I wrote for financial advisors, but I thought it was applicabile to a broader audience of entrepreneurs, so here it is.] I coach a group of financial advisors (FAs) that recently joined forces and became a team. One of their challenges is that they are pretty light on documented processes. Last week the team enrolled a new client with about $1 million in assets, and it set off a bit of a scramble. Who’s doing the account transfer? Who’s got the onboardin

It never rains on July 4th in New York. Until it does. And this July 4th's storm was a doozy. Nothing to do all day except....re-do my website. I had put it off for a long time because the one I created on GoDaddy a few years ago was painful and ugly. I was dreading the task. But the time seemed right. Someone told me about WIX, and I visited their site a few months ago. Of course, after that, I saw almost nothing but WIX ads on my Facebook feed and other places. I guess the

….was my dad (who lived to age 90 and would have been 93 today). He came upon entrepreneurship accidentally when he married my mother in 1954. At the time, he was at loose ends. He had worked for Sears Roebuck, the Miami Herald and some other places without establishing roots. My mom’s father had a deli in Manhattan, so with nothing better to do my dad started working there. His love of food kicked in and pretty soon he was running the store. It was called Service Delicate