Benjamin Franklin on Economic Disasterists
I was reading the Declaration of Independents, a really fun read, and they mentioned the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. I had not read it, but thought maybe I should be familar with it, so I …
Economic Recovery Hampered by Vendor Performance Problems: Four Steps for Companies with Supply Chain Challenges
The Wall Street Journal reports: "Supply Kinks Stall Trucks: Parts Scarcity Has Manufacturers Scrambling to Meet Rising Orders." I've heard of a non-truck manufacturer who is limited by his vendor's delivery of heavy castings. He …
Bad Corporate Strategy–and Good
I just read one of the most important short papers on corporate strategy, published by McKinsey Quarterly. In "The Perils of Bad Strategy," Richard Rumelt explains common errors in developing corporate strategy. It's based on …
The Economic Value of Sales Forecasting
Aberdeen Research has just released a very significant report: "Sales Forecasting: How Top Performers Leverage the Past, Visualize the Present and Improve Their Future Revenue." They look at the value of a good sales forecasting …
The Trial and Error Economy
For years I have been writing about the Trial and Error Economy. Now there's a great TED talk on the subject by Tim Harford: To read my articles on the subject, scroll down on …
What Do Local Business Leaders Need to Know About the National and Global Economy?
Everywhere I go to speak, local business leaders tell me they are not interested in GDP or the European debt crisis—they just want to know about business in their own town. Whether they sell insurance, …
Economic Malaise: What Does It Mean for Banks?
The economy is growing very sloooooowly. It’s growing for sure, but at a pace that frustrates pretty much everyone. The Federal Reserve has just announced that it notched down its internal forecasts, which private sector …
Economic Issues for the Telecom Industry: 2011-2012
Economic uncertainty is only one significant issue facing the telecom industry now, but it intertwines with the technological changes and social changes that are causing so much turmoil in the industry. Once the path for …
Manufacturers Are Hiring–When They Can Find Talent
Back in January I wrote: "The economy will gradually improve over the course of 2011, which is mostly good news, but will present some challenges to business. Notably, your best employees will have opportunities at …
Sales Representatives: The One Most Important Question
The McKinsey Quarterly just published an article, "Using your sales force to jump-start growth." This is a bit remeniscent of my article "11 Business Challenges in 2011: The Economy and Sales Representatives." The McKinsey folks …
Bernanke Interview: Business Planning Implications
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke took the unprecedented step of answering questions after today's policy meeting. You can watch the video or read news coverage almost anywhere. What does this mean for a business leader …
Simple Rules in Business
Business is not simple. That's one reason that we who enjoy complexity gravitate into business. However, there are often some simple rules that will get a business into the ballpark of success. Too many people …