Category: Business Mindset

Any search for business scorecards will bring up the balanced scorecard. However for many small businesses, the methodology may seem a little overwhelming and not particularly practical for a business with just a few employees. That's why I advocate a simple balanced scorecard alternative to get you up and running with performance tracking. When I came […]

While technically Indie Brands is a generic term that could describe any independently owned company, in popular use the term has come to represent a new breed of entrepreneur that is progressive, creative and not afraid to rewrite the rules of traditional business.  These entrepreneurs are harnessing shifts in technology, manufacturing and human behavior to break through […]

Are you considering or currently working with your spouse? Amy and I have experienced the full gamut when it comes to our working situation: first as employees, then with each of us running separate businesses, and now working together in the same business. For us, working together has been by far the best experience. Here's why:

My first business failed. It was not a failure to launch and find customers. In fact, the business existed for over 13 years and we worked with plenty of clients, including well-known brands. At our peak, we had 12 employees and generated revenues of over $1,000,000 a year.  But despite all that, we failed due […]

Have you ever had a great idea that got away? It happened to me just the other morning. I woke up before my alarm and immediately started getting all kinds of ideas about blog posts, headlines and copy. It was still dark outside and Amy was asleep beside me so I was alone in my thoughts. […]

Do you need an organizational structure for a small business? Before we had an accountability chart at our e-commerce business, roles were so fuzzy that essential tasks often fell through the cracks, leading to a last-minute panic. But once we had a written organizational structure in place, we saw a huge boost in our overall efficiency. While there are still a […]

When I first stepped into my role at our e-commerce business things were going relatively well for all outward appearances. Amy had created a successful line of products that were being sold in retailers across North America. Sales had been growing at well over 40% annually and the business was generating a respectable profit . But once […]