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Kristen David

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4 Steps to Help You Freshen Up Your Small Business Systems for Spring

Spring. It’s a time for a new start, for cleaning out the doldrums left by winter and freshening your systems up so you’re ready to grow. This might sound like I’m waxing poetic, but it really is true.

During the winter, you and your team are working hard to meet year-end goals while dealing with the holidays and chaotic schedules. There are things that can slip through the cracks – and updating your systems is one of them. As things start to calm down, taking time to evaluate and update your systems can make a huge difference in the growth and health of your business.

How do you go about evaluating these systems though? It can seem overwhelming, but if you follow a proven framework, it becomes much easier.

professional man and woman discussing a job offer

3 Proven Hiring Tips that Will Help Your Small Business Grow

When I talk with small business owners about the issues they’re facing, time and time again the same topic comes up: hiring. Whether they’re trying to find the right person to fill a particular role or they’re trying to get help for an understaffed team, many small business owners are finding it challenging to build the team that will drive their company forward and help them grow.

3 Tips to Help You Give a Great Small Business Referral

If I asked you which type of prospect converts the best for you, what would your answer be? Chances are, it’s personal referrals. Statistically, someone who is referred to you by a friend, colleague, or even an acquaintance is anywhere from 4-10 times more likely to purchase from or hire you because the preconditioning work …

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4 Ways Clarity will Empower Your Team for Success

Growing your team can be both extremely satisfying and a bit terrifying. On one hand, you know you need the help, and you’re beyond grateful for the opportunity to bring people on who can step in and free you up to do the higher level tasks that need your focus. On the other hand, your business is your baby, and the thought of handing parts of it over to someone who may or may not handle things appropriately is stressful.

A road in the forest with "dream big" painted on it

Why You Should Dream Big: Setting Goals for the New Year

As a business owner, planning is everything. Without a clear plan, it’s nearly impossible to set and reach goals.

Your business plan is what allows you to make decisions in the heat of the moment, to hire the right people at the right time, and to decide what you’ll offer and who you’re best equipped to serve. There’s something that comes before the plan, though, and it’s something that we too often miss: the dream. The vision. The purpose.

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Celebrating Your Highs and Lows: A Reflection on the Past Year

At the end of the year, I find it to be a good practice to reflect back on the past year – both the highs and the lows. Many times, I’ll see various business owners celebrating their wins (which is something I wholeheartedly support) or simply putting the past year behind and moving on to what’s next. I’ve noticed that it’s quite rare, however, for business owners to actively recognize both the highs and lows from the previous year.

a woman working at her computer and building her calendar

How Effective Calendaring Speaks Volumes About Your Priorities

“Show me your calendar and I’ll show you what you value.” Joel C. Peterson, Professor at Stanford Business School, said these words over 20 years ago, but they still hold true today. Your calendar and your checkbook, those two pieces of data quickly tell us about your priorities. Learning to realign the priorities to point you to where you want to go is the secret sauce.

business plan diagram sketched on a blackboard

4 Steps to Write an Effective Business Plan in 60 Minutes or Less

Writing a business plan is a task that many small business owners shy away from – not because they don’t want a plan, but because it seems like a daunting exercise. What goes into an effective business plan? Doesn’t it have to have an array of confusing numbers and professionally designed graphs? How many hours …

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