The Role You Play

The Role You Play
There's a term in business called Corporate Governance that refers to the way a business is "governed." A large corporation is typically governed by a CEO, with managers reporting to him and "technicians," or people who perform more technical or specialized tasks, reporting to the managers.

But in small business, these three roles often are done by the same person: the company founder. In the beginning stages of a business, this is OK and in some cases, there is no choice. But as a business grows -- and if you want your business to grow -- these three roles should be handled by three different people charged with very different responsibilities.

The CEO assumes the leadership role, advocates change, makes decisions and is the "visionary" for the company.
The manager is responsible for making sure everyone has everything they need to do their jobs efficiently and effectively.
The technician is the person with the special skill or knowledge that is core to the business, i.e., the dentist at a dental practice or the graphic designer at a graphic design business.

What role do you play in your own business? If it's all three, or even two of these roles, it may be time to look at delegating some of your responsibilities. I would be happy to assist you in your evaluation. Please feel free to contact me for more information, Tom Long, 708-524-0886, SolidOakConsulting.com.

Guerrilla Marketing Makes Good 'Cents'

Guerrilla Marketing Makes Good 'Cents'

In a good or poor economy, Guerrilla Marketing is a great method for businesses to market their goods and services. Guerrilla Marketing is effective for three reasons:

Because of big business downsizing, decentralization, relaxation of government regulations, affordable technology, and a revolution in consciousness, people around the world are gravitating to small business in record numbers.
Small business failures are also establishing record numbers and one of the main reasons for the failures is a failure to understand marketing.
Guerrilla marketing has been proven in action to work for small businesses around the world. It works because it's simple to understand, easy to implement and outrageously inexpensive.

For for more information about Guerrilla Marketing, please contact me, Tom Long, 708-524-0886, SolidOakConsulting.com

What A Recession Can Cost You

What A Recession Can Cost You



During a recession, many businesses, acting out of fear, start to put up barriers. They make short-sighted decisions that affect the long-term relationships they have built with their customers.

For instance, they decide to cut vital customer-service staff in an effort to save money. But instead of saving money, it ends up costing them because these kinds of decisions affect their ability to serve their customers well. Smart businesses realize this and make an effort to take extra good care of their customers during a recession. Customers will always remember that you took extra care of them during a tough time.

When you make cost-cutting decisions in your business, make sure to look at the long-term effects it may have. You can't afford to lose customers, especially during a recession.
Tom Long, 708-524-0886, SolidOakConsulting.com.