Category Archives: Strategic Planning

10 Minutes to a Better Company

by The Alternative Board | posted in Business Owner Tips, Compensation, Market Tips, Sales, Strategic Planning | 25 November 2008 | tagged as , , , , , ,

November and December are generally filled with reflection on the year–and planning for the coming year. So, in the spirit of this annual ritual by many business owners we’ve collected our top five blog postings thus far.

If you missed any of these goodies, take a short break from your work to catch up. Here’s our countdown:

5. Ever wonder how to compensate top employees in the long-term? They may give more than other employees–or have invested many years in the business. Either way, its time to get creative. Read the 10 Creative Ideas to Compensate Long-Term Employees.

4. The economy. It’s on the minds of most business owners, which is easy given the media attention surrounding it for the past couple months. Where’s the first place most small businesses look in a down economy? Sales. Read what our small business coaches have to say about sales.

3. As the business owner you may get pulled into the daily operations more than you’d like. But, your time is best spent working on the business–not in it. Getting a written, strategic plan is key. Get started with a few of our tips on strategic planning sessions for the whole company.

2. The vast majority of small business owners don’t have a company vision before they join TAB. Your statement tells your prospects, customers and employees where you want your company to be. It drives decisions and actions for all involved. Start to create your company vision statement.

1. There is no easy way to do this, which is probably why this article was one of your most viewed over the past few months. It’s by far one of the hardest things a business owner will ever do. Read more on how to right-size your company.

As always, we hope our blog gives you a few ideas that you can implement into your business.

If there are challenges or topics you’d like to see us address in the future, post a comment to let us know. Or, if you have something to add to the above articles, let us know those also.

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Creativity and Innovation: Changing the Creative Mindset

by The Alternative Board | posted in Business Owner Tips, Market Tips, Strategic Planning | 2 November 2008 | tagged as , , ,

Great Entrepreneurial Masters (GEMs) use their skills for creative thinking and innovative implementation to bring personal and business plans to the heights of success. Creativity and innovation come more naturally to some people than others, but they are skills that can be learned and used by all.Even for those who don’t think of themselves as being creative thinkers, it is possible to learn to integrate creative ideas into your business plan.

Some plans are so basic in nature that they do not require much creativity or innovation.Other plans test skills in these areas to the limits.

There are people who resist even trying to develop these skills.They claim that they have never been, and never will be, creative thinkers.Others adhere to a belief that they are left-brain oriented, hence analytical, and that only the right-brain people are the creative ones.This “side of the brain” argument is just one of many excuses that people use—especially when defending why they have not reached greater success.It is easier for them to lay blame than to make the needed efforts to develop their creative abilities.

Even if you hold strong to the concept of being a left-brain person, surely you still have enough mental talent to develop your creative and innovation skills.Recent research shows that creativity is an essentially learned behavior.In other words, everyone is capable of being creative.

In understanding how creativity develops, look to the example of children at play.Unprompted, children use their imagination to make play more fun.A child pushing a truck along a carpet can transform that rug into a bumpy terrain or a vast superhighway.Ask a child with a doll or stuffed animal to tell you about their plaything and you’ll most likely hear a very detailed story.What happens to this ability as we grow into adults?

As adults we still have creative ability, but the idea that we must “think like an adult” often blocks all thoughts that are not serious, hence our creative ideas never stand a chance.

Make a conscious effort to let your mind wander to the myriad of possibilities—and even impossibilities—and you are on your way to thinking creatively.

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