Learning Blogs

Business is like Golf In Six Simple Words My advice to entrepreneurs, based on thirty years of experience and explained in four published books with a total of about 650 pages, can actually be boiled down to six simple words. The same words apply to getting better and achieving success at golf:  Have a plan. Avoid the mistakes. There is Continue Reading

Business is like Golf Sharing the same principles for success As Your Uncle Ralph, writing for entrepreneurs at LearningEntrepreneurship.com, I have often used the analogy that business is like golf. It seems timely to revisit some of those themes and you don’t have to be a golfer to recognize the similarities and the shared principles for success. Business is like Continue Reading

Remember PDT A motivating mantra for success   As a parent and coach I’ve often repeated the mantra of PDT – Power, Determination, and Technique – to focus on the three key elements required in any development program to achieve superior performance in a chosen sport, career, or business plan. You may have your own key words or acronym to Continue Reading

Have a purpose And a plan  “Follow your dreams, pursue your passion!”  That’s the usual useless cliché offered by successful superstars as advice to people who want the same level of success for themselves. It’s not helpful! It’s better to tell them to stop dreaming, get to work! Learn what you need to know and apply your passion to getting better Continue Reading

Hard-ass Management Doesn’t work anymore  “The players wanted a change. His style wasn’t working anymore.” Those were the parting words from management when Darryl Sutter was fired as head coach of the Calgary Flames hockey team at the end of a losing season, just one year after being named Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL's top head coach.  Apparently tough, Continue Reading

Economics & Business Disconnected “How’s business?” “Fantastic!” “But I thought we were going into a recession?” “The economy may be going into recession, but not my business.” It’s a bit like asking why the weather is cool and damp when the trend of climate change says we should be hot and dry. Many small parts in the ecosystem may be Continue Reading

Play by the rules And you can’t win? My first crime fiction novel about an enlightened entrepreneur fighting crime and corruption was called, NO EASY MONEY, with the subtitle “You never win playing by the rules.” It was based on my own experiences and many entrepreneurs seem to agree that both sentiments are true - making money is not easy Continue Reading

What's an Enlightened Entrepreneur? Unsung heroes  I've known a few and was recently re-introduced to the concept of "enlightened" entrepreneur by some unsung heroes who get it. In their own way they consistently demonstrate that successful entrepreneurship means taking care of people and the planet while taking care of business. All my business books and crime fiction novels – for Continue Reading

Biggest Entrepreneur Mistake #7 Getting too personal (An extract from DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY – Avoid the Seven Biggest Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make.) I’m NOT your mother!  Personal issues that can interfere with the success of your business: Are family members in or out of the business? Should employees be treated like family? It can be complicated to Continue Reading

Biggest Entrepreneur Mistake #6: Let’s do it again Maybe not. (An extract from DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY – Avoid the Seven Biggest Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make.) You may have thought, or heard other entrepreneurs say, “I already built one successful business and now I have the time and the money to start something new and do it again. I Continue Reading

Biggest Entrepreneur Mistake #5 Marketing is NOT Everything (An extract from DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY – Avoid the Seven Biggest Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make.) Marketing is not everything. But it is the first important step in a three-part process to deliver satisfied customers who keep coming back for more. That’s the primary objective of every business: building loyal, Continue Reading

Buy the Brand Before the product Apparently, the current economic conditions of high inflation and high interest rates are a result of the current frenzy of consumer spending as we come out of Covid pandemic restrictions and catch up on our spending plans. The economists and financial analysts have described it as YOLO thinking – You Only Live Once, so Continue Reading

Stop complaining But we’re not done yet. My mission in writing for entrepreneurs and about entrepreneurs is to promote enlightened entrepreneurship – ethical, responsible business leadership that is sensitive to all the issues affecting employees, customers, business partners, communities, society and the planet – and to help entrepreneurs to be better and do better, and to generate more sympathy, understanding Continue Reading

Biggest Entrepreneur Mistake #4 Neglecting Key Relationships (An extract from DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY – Avoid the Seven Biggest Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make.) The key relationship for any business is the one between management and staff. Effective two-way communication in that relationship is essential to providing strategic leadership, receiving constructive feedback, and ensuring that management and staff are Continue Reading

Biggest Entrepreneur Mistake #3 Focused on Profit Being focused on profit doesn’t seem like a mistake. After all, isn’t that the whole purpose of running a business? No, actually it’s not. If you accept the principle that the fundamental objective of any business is to build sustainable business value through loyal and profitable customer relationships, then focusing on short-term profitability Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Mistake #2 Neglecting strategic leadership The Entrepreneur’s Biggest Challenge: Strategic Leadership + Management Effectiveness The Entrepreneur’s Biggest Mistake #2 – Neglecting strategic leadership It’s a non-stop challenge for every entrepreneur to continuously balance the demands for strategic leadership and management effectiveness. It’s easy for any owner-manager to become pre-occupied with operating issues and short-term problem solving and neglect to Continue Reading

Entrepreneur Mistake #1 Too entrepreneurial.  My recent book of advice for entrepreneurs, DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY, has the subtitle, Avoid the Seven Biggest Mistakes that Entrepreneurs Make. In working with entrepreneurs for more than thirty years, I concluded that Mistake #1 was being too entrepreneurial. How can a business owner be too entrepreneurial? The same characteristics that can Continue Reading

Marketing is Storytelling Do you have a good story? Seth Godin and I agree on a lot. Not everything, but a lot. Seth wrote the book on Permission Marketing and All Marketers are Liars. You'll notice he decided that title was unnecessarily provocative and also incorrect. He revised it to more correctly state that all marketers are storytellers and I agree. Continue Reading

Keep it simple Focus on the fundamentals. Canadian tennis hero, Felix Auger-Aliassime, at the Australian Open this week came back from losing the first two sets in a five-set match to suddenly overpower his opponent for the next three sets and win the match. What happened? “I decided to keep it simple,” he said. “The first two sets I was Continue Reading

So far, so good? Or too soon to tell. We’re only into the second week of 2023, so it’s too soon to tell if we’re making progress on our plans yet, but let’s check that we’re off to a good start. Presumably, we have defined our reasonably ambitious goals and objectives for the year and we have a plan to Continue Reading

Brave New Plans for 2023 Find a new comfort zone After two years of living with pandemic restrictions and one year of navigating through an apocalyptic world of continuing health risks, social disruption and discontent, geopolitical conflict, climate disasters, and humanitarian crises, it’s time to make brave new plans for 2023 to find our place among our fellow passengers on Continue Reading

Creativity The secret sauce As I regularly change hats from business advisor to writer of crime fiction, I’m constantly reminded of the power of creativity to achieve better results. A creative mind is one of the many traits that entrepreneurs and artists have in common, but it’s probably the most significant distinguishing factor for those whose performance excels against other Continue Reading

Choose & Use Wisely Professionals can help Twenty years ago, I wrote an article titled, Consultants: How to Chose, Use, and Not Abuse Them, based on my own experience as a management consultant and as a client of other consultants, accountants, lawyers, and other professionals. The article offers tips for effective professional relationships and has retained its relevance for a Continue Reading

Consultants: How to Choose, Use, and Not Abuse Them Help them, help you Since my first consulting project over thirty years ago, I have learned a lot about how to successfully manage consulting projects and the client/consultant relationship. Here is my advice, which I am sharing again to help you with your consultants (and your lawyers, accountants and other professionals): Continue Reading

Trust nobody   Or trust everybody? Rule #1: You may know the story of the shopkeeper who decided it was time to teach his young son about the business. He told him to climb up the ladder to the top shelf, then jump down into his arms. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch you. Trust me.” The boy jumped, his father stepped Continue Reading

Fragmented Or focused? In discussing politics and social issues these days, there is a lot of debate around fragmented media – both traditional and online – and the negative consequences of people remaining in their “bubble” of commentators and audiences, who all seem to agree on shared ideologies and opinions. These bubbles are too often abused and manipulated to reinforce Continue Reading

Aim lower Focus on small targets Globalization is dead. Think small. The global tendencies protecting national interests, the multinational impact of America First policies turning toward isolationism, Covid-19 supply chain disruptions and the economic sanctions resulting from the Russian invasion of Ukraine are all restricting international trade and reducing the benefits of global economic co-operation to local economies and restricting Continue Reading

High tech Still needs high touch Sometimes artificial intelligence is too artificial and not that intelligent. Just another robot trying to think faster than we do and anticipate what we want before we ask or try to do it for ourselves. When do we get to talk to a real person? When do we get to ask the robot to Continue Reading

Storytelling With a purpose. It may seem odd that I’m writing business advice for entrepreneurs at the same time as I’m writing crime fiction novels about an entrepreneur, but it’s actually quite consistent with my lifetime passion for telling stories – to share ideas, information and inspiration in a memorable way. Different stories, different audiences; same purpose.  It’s an important Continue Reading

It's just business. Never personal.  I recently completed my fourth novel about an entrepreneur and his crime-fighting buddy, called Bad Boys in Boston. The sub-title was, It's just business, never personal. However, it’s about a young woman in the family being kidnapped into the sex trade and it’s very personal. In business too, it often is. But you have to know Continue Reading

Democracy still works But in your business? Around the world we are seeing democracies at work; not always the way they were intended to work and not always giving us the results we wanted or expected, but still delivering the decisions and making the choices the people were asked to vote on. Too frequently, we are seeing democratic processes used Continue Reading

Sorry! Really? We Canadians have a reputation for always saying sorry. Sorry,  we're just too polite, I guess. (At least we've stopped saying, "eh," as often as we used to. Sorry if you were counting on that identifying trait. "Canadian, eh?") It seems like everyone has picked up on the quick apology now, though –– in personal relationships, political exchanges, Continue Reading

Christmas Gifts in September? Yes, you deserve it. Summer holidays are over, the kids are back at school, and you’re back at work trying to navigate away from health risks, climate disasters, and the political and economic turmoil around you. Looking forward to your next break? Let’s leapfrog past Halloween and Thanksgiving and avoid the stress of Christmas shopping in Continue Reading

Good branding? Or a good first impression?   It is an important distinction: Are we building a brand based on exceptional customer experience over the long-term; or, are we trying to get their attention with a glitzy logo and a catchy slogan? The long-term experience and the first impression have to be consistent. Not initial false promises raising unreasonable expectations resulting Continue Reading

Losing customer loyalty It happens fast   It is an important principle, in my opinion, that the primary purpose of any business is to build profitable, loyal, long-term customer relationships. Every strategic plan, policy statement, and operating decision should support that essential business objective. Customer loyalty is not easy to earn and retain. It requires consistent customer service that builds on Continue Reading

Exploiting a crisis Be careful how you do it. I wrote this article a few years ago and it has been a useful reference many times – even before the pandemic crisis, a Russian invasion of Ukraine, rapidly rising inflation and punishing interest rates. It advises of appropriate management tactics to survive and thrive through challenging times, but use them with caution. Continue Reading

Managing in Difficult Times Ignoring or avoiding a difficult business environment is simply not possible.  It will happen, sooner or later. A credit crisis, stock market meltdown, or a looming recession all affect the attitudes and actions of consumers, employees, investors, lenders and business managers. What are some helpful ideas to respond effectively? Stay focused Avoid being distracted by the Continue Reading

Food for thought Are you getting any? Where do you find new ideas for information and inspiration? How do you learn to be better and do better? When I started writing business commentary and advice over fifteen years ago, that was my objective – to provide ideas, information and inspiration for entrepreneurs. The original objective of my website, LearningEntrepreneurship.com, my Continue Reading

Don’t be too perfect Or too precious. You’re not that special. In occasional attempts at false modesty or humble bragging we might admit to being too much of a perfectionist. In fact we have probably already learned that perfectionism is not only the enemy of good, but it also pisses people off. Nobody wants to be driven to pursue the impossible Continue Reading

It’s hard to be humble after a big win Are you still your toughest critic? After a big win it’s hard not to bask in the glow of success; enjoy the applause and rave reviews; share the news on all your social media channels; smack the high-fives and accept the toasts to how wonderfully talented you are. But when the Continue Reading

Talent is not enough Commitment to your best effort makes the difference  If you’re competing against the best in world, everyone is talented. To be a winner you’ll have to do more than demonstrate your talent. You’ll need to commit to extraordinary effort and apply it constantly and consistently. Then you have a chance. Whether you’re watching the NBA finals, Continue Reading

Results are all that matter? Wrong. Character matters. This commentary was originally posted in 2019 when the whole world was watching and worrying about the true character of well-known figures like Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, and President Trump. It also appears in Don’t Do It the Hard Way – 2020 Edition. Sometimes we learn more than we ever wanted to Continue Reading

Are you an Activist CEO? Leading with your values? It’s no longer an option. It's now expected, by your employees and your customers. They have choices to make – who to work with and who to buy from. That’s the new reality in today’s hyper-sensitive, highly politicized, and widely publicized world. Or are you a politician, avoiding the issues and Continue Reading

What does R&R mean to you? Do it regularly, don’t wait until it’s urgent   R&R is originally a military term referring to soldiers taking time for Rest & Recovery. You may have your own version to describe taking time to get away from it all; my preference is taking time off to Reflect & Renew. There are lots of Continue Reading

Celebrity CEOs  What do they know? I remember my investment broker telling me years ago, “making money doesn’t make you  smart.”  Maybe you’re just lucky. Or maybe all that talent and education and hard work finally paid off. And maybe these celebrity CEOs can tell us how to do better for ourselves and our businesses. They seem to be rich Continue Reading

You think it’s futile? Don’t give up too soon. No sign of progress does not mean no progress. Don’t look for excuses to give up. Patience and persistence may still be rewarded. Keep checking the feedback and listen to the critics, especially the people who are usually your cheerleaders, even if you think they’ve got it wrong and you’re sure Continue Reading

Manage like a Hockey Mom But in a good way (An extract from Uncle Ralph’s Random Ramblings in Part V of DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY – 2020 Edition) Hockey games are always exciting and entertaining, whether it’s the NHL or kids in minor hockey, and they often provide inspiration and ideas applicable beyond the hockey rink. At a Continue Reading

Resilience - Fighting fatigue and frustration. What is resilience? It’s not just bouncing back after a major setback or getting through difficult times. It’s not only about celebrities and superstars recovering from serious injuries or illness and returning to top performance again; it’s also about business owners getting back to work, serving customers and providing a boost to employees and the Continue Reading

It looks simple Obviously … It’s usually a bad start to a productive conversation if your opening comment starts with, “It looks simple enough to me…,” or “Obviously, they should…,” or “Why don’t they just….” You’ve probably now confirmed that you really don’t know what you’re talking about. You may have already heard me quote the genius scientist and mathematician, Continue Reading

Pay yourself first Profit is not a dirty word. It may seem inappropriate, but it’s not. My advice to entrepreneurs is always to align your business objectives with your personal objectives. It’s the best way to ensure your ongoing commitment, patience and persistence through all the roadblocks, detours and setbacks. Like making a career choice; find out what you’re good Continue Reading

Learn to live with it Doesn’t mean ignore it.  We keep being told we have to learn to live with it. It seems to me a useless cliché, whether it’s applied to the continuing risk of Covid variants, to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, to the humanitarian crisis in Europe or to the threat of escalating military conflict into WWIII. Continue Reading

Managing Business Risk How are you doing? An often-neglected section in many of the business plans that I’ve seen from entrepreneurs is the risk management section. What can go wrong; what will you do about it? And like all the sections in your business plan, it needs to be regularly reviewed and revised to ensure that it is still appropriate Continue Reading

You always have a choice Usually a multiple choice. A simple yes or no would be easier. And sometimes that’s good enough. “Yes, that’ll do. I’ll take that one.” It’s right there in front of you. Don’t make it complicated. Just do it. But maybe it's not so simple. As Einstein or some other genius has been quoted as saying, Continue Reading

Management science? Or an art. I was in engineering at UBC when I discovered that management was much more appealing to me than engineering. I didn’t ever enjoy the study of vector analysis or rock mechanics and I have zero mechanical aptitude, but I was hooked immediately after taking two optional courses – Economics 101 and Psychology 100. That’s what Continue Reading

They’ve already decided Don’t waste your time Early in my career, I learned an important lesson about the ability to change minds with  facts and logical reasoning. Based on my original degree in mining engineering followed by an MBA, I was recruited by an international firm to do management consulting – often for mining companies. One assignment during a labour Continue Reading

The light is green  Coming out of the dark tunnel According to the experts in pandemics and public health we are approaching that light at the end of the tunnel and it’s not red!  Of course, only the politicians who dictate the rules of play can decide if we’re actually out of the dark tunnel of restrictions on our businesses Continue Reading

Check your assumptions Before you decide You may be off to a bad start, and getting it wrong When we make decisions we always have a set of assumptions in mind, usually in background, not always recognized or made explicit. Here’s a short list of starting assumptions to check-off before you finally decide: Am I the right person to be Continue Reading

Writing Projects & Plans for 2022 Any suggestions?  This early in the New Year we are still taking time to look back and plan ahead for 2022. That usually means reviewing performance over the past year or two and learning what we can, or should, do differently for better results in the future. Given the pandemic that has affected so Continue Reading

Be Better. Do Better. Every day Once a year is not enough It’s the start of a new year and we’re all expected to have prepared our New Year’s Resolutions for 2022 and be working diligently on them now. What’s the plan, the goals and objectives? How are we going to be better and do better this year? The process Continue Reading

Looking back, planning ahead.  Enduring another pandemic year-end           We should be getting better at this by now. The pandemic environment and public health rules have changed everything we do, but sound principles and processes still apply. The year-end process hasn’t changed. We should still take time to look back and plan ahead. But let’s try Continue Reading

This is the new normal Get used to it. Like the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic, twenty years later, has changed everything and I think we have to accept that we have arrived at the new normal for our lives and our businesses for the near future. From now on we will be applying Continue Reading

Thoughts for the day Be Better. Do Better. Hello {First Name}, Thank you for joining us to share Ideas for Entrepreneurs and for supporting and promoting Enlightened Entrepreneurship. DON'T DO IT THE HARD WAY I’ve often suggested that all my business advice can be summarized in just six words: HAVE A PLAN. AVOID THE MISTAKES I would prefer, of course, that you bought my most recent Continue Reading

Becoming a More Humane Leader Or more Enlightened? I was recently sent a Harvard Business Review article that presented research to prove the obvious –– wise and compassionate leaders have more productive employees. Maybe not obvious? It’s worth reminding ourselves what style of leadership is most effective for delivering better results. The authors describe the wise and compassionate humane leader Continue Reading

Build, Buy, or Franchise? Had your Subway yet, today? The original co-founder of the Subway sandwich chain, Peter Buck, died earlier this month at age 90. He was a 34-year-old nuclear scientist (and expert in subway sandwiches, apparently) when, in 1965, he loaned $1,000 to a family friend, 17-year-old college  student, Fred DeLuca, to start a sandwich shop called Pete’s Continue Reading

Best Advice Ever In only three words And it still applies - Don’t Waste Time! One of the bizarre side effects of the economic shutdown and being told to self-isolate and work from home is that the pressure to be productive and meet deadlines seems to have evaporated. The sense of urgency has dissipated. Everybody is preoccupied with the pandemic Continue Reading

Cultural sensitivity   Tread carefully      It seems to be a pandemic side effect. Everyone has exhausted their tolerance with all the  minor annoyances and the reaction on bigger issues may be exaggerated or extreme. Tread carefully. Nerves are exposed, fuses are short, anger and frustration are bubbling close to the surface. You may think it’s over reaction or hyper-sensitivity Continue Reading

Recommended reading For entrepreneurs In the recent 2020 Edition of DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY, I included my updated list of recommended references and books for entrepreneurs, to manage themselves and their businesses better. (See Part 6. Page 231) The full list is available at below: In order to help you be better as an entrepreneur, leader, manager and Continue Reading

Coach, Critic or Cheerleader? You get to chose      It doesn’t matter whether you’re giving or receiving. Which are you going to be, and which do you need, right now? Coach, Critic or Cheerleader? Choose one. It’s an important distinction and a choice of role has to be made. In every relationship: manager & employee, coach & player, teacher & Continue Reading

Lessons from Lamborghini Build a better tractor    Neighbour has a nice car …. I wonder if he'd take me for a ride. Maybe my next car, after I sell the 2nd million books ….  As Anthony Robbins would say, have a goal in mind and give yourself rewards as you pass the milestones. Do you know the story of Continue Reading

The Enlightened CEO Obviously   Most outspoken critics of CEOs are lazy. They find an easy target in the stereotypical greedy, selfish CEO, and they shout their loud accusations. Unfortunately, some of those CEOs are easily found and they are equally lazy about explaining or defending themselves. As my mother used to tell me, “Don’t confuse them with the facts, Continue Reading

Basic principles still apply Stay calm & carry on As we near the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is lots of talk of the new normal. The world has changed, and we need to do things differently. Now what? It’s worth remembering the old normal and the basic principles that still apply. Here are a few reminders: Look before Continue Reading

Abuse of loyalty Lost to arrogance and greed Consumers can be fiercely loyal to a brand. Beyond rational explanation and impervious to persuasion to try the alternatives. Until they’re feeling abused or taken for granted. Even the best of brands make the mistake occasionally. Losing their integrity and showing a lack of respect for loyal customers and fans because somebody Continue Reading

Pandemic notoriety: Naughty or Nice? Which list are you on?  (This article is based on the ideas in Uncle Ralph’s books for entrepreneurs, DON'T DO IT THE HARD WAY & The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans.)  “Awesome! What a profit opportunity!” Probably not what you will be reading in the press releases. It will be all about the socially responsible Continue Reading

A test of loyalty Time for a change? (This article is based on the ideas in Uncle Ralph’s books for entrepreneurs, DON'T DO IT THE HARD WAY & The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans.)  In times of economic crisis, we are faced with difficult choices in a stressful new environment. Loyalties are tested and we’re wondering if it’s time for Continue Reading

The Beginning of the End We’re not there yet (This article is based on the ideas in Uncle Ralph's DON'T DO IT THE HARD WAY & The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans, 2020 Editions)  I’m feeling safer, and closer to the end of the pandemic effects on life and business after receiving my first dose of the Moderna vaccine for Continue Reading

Learn to Apologize Do it right next time  (This article is based on ideas in Uncle Ralph's DON'T DO IT THE HARD WAY & The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans, 2020 Editions)  Customer service is simple, but never easy. We all recognize and appreciate good customer service and we have all experienced failure at it, occasionally, ourselves. The pandemic lockdowns Continue Reading

Are we there yet? Back to Normal  (This article is based on ideas in Uncle Ralph's DON'T DO IT THE HARD WAY & The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans, 2020 Editions)  The surrounding political drama and pandemic crisis continue to preoccupy us, but we do expect that life and business will return to normal later this year.  Not the old Continue Reading

Looking Back & Planning Ahead Have a great 2021 in the brave new post-Covid world  (This article is based on ideas in Uncle Ralph's DON'T DO IT THE HARD WAY & The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans, 2020 Editions)  So 2021 has arrived, now what?  It seems the same as 2020 so far, maybe worse in many ways – both the Continue Reading

Neglect the negative Be creative (This article is based on ideas from Uncle Ralph’s Random Ramblings in DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY - 2020 Edition) In our current preoccupation with pandemic paranoia and political drama, we need to redirect our energies to more productive plans for next year. Start by looking back and deciding what is most worthy of Continue Reading

Are you ready for post-Covid?  The new era of life and business after this pandemic period is coming soon  (This article is based on ideas from Uncle Ralph’s Random Ramblings in DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY - 2020 Edition) Even in the current period of Covid pandemic protocols that are actually getting stricter, there is still optimism that vaccines Continue Reading

Author Interview with Bernie Landry More than you were ever going to ask about Del Chatterson, author of the Dale Hunter Series of crime thriller novels and, as your Uncle Ralph, author of new 2020 Editions of his business books for entrepreneurs. Here's the whole story!  

Results are all that matter, right? Wrong. Character matters. Behaviour matters.  This post from a year ago seems particularly appropriate this weekend as America makes important decisions about leadership for the country. The whole world is watching and worrying. Let’s hope they get it right and do better this time. Here’s why I think character and behaviour are important to Continue Reading

Covid Customer Service - Part 3 (This article is based on extracts from Uncle Ralph’s Random Ramblings in DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY - 2020 Edition) Be respectful  In this period of Covid pandemic protocols we are all being required to overcome new challenges to deliver outstanding customer service. The pandemic frustrations have heightened anxiety and stress for everyone. Continue Reading

Covid Customer Service- Part 2 (This article is based on extracts from Uncle Ralph’s Random Ramblings in DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY - 2020 Edition) Make it personal In this period of Covid pandemic protocols we are being required to meet new challenges and obstacles to deliver outstanding customer service. The pandemic frustrations have heightened anxiety and stress for Continue Reading

Covid Customer Service  (This article is based on extracts from Uncle Ralph’s Random Ramblings in DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY - 2020 Edition)  Empathy on steroids In this period of Covid pandemic protocols we are meeting new challenges and obstacles to delivering outstanding customer service. It’s time for new levels of empathy and understanding. And customers are likely to Continue Reading

Maybe autocratic leadership is better  (This article is based on extracts from Uncle Ralph’s Random Ramblings in DON’T DO IT THE HARD WAY - 2020 Edition) As we observe political leaders around the world getting their way, dictating arbitrary policies, behaving badly and revising the rules of play, it would be easy for business leaders to conclude that autocratic dictatorship Continue Reading

Time for a new plan Everything has changed.  (This article is based on an extract from The Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans - 2020 Edition) Rethink, Review and Rewrite The Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything – in our lives and in our businesses. The only questions that remain are – What exactly has changed?  By how much? For how long? Continue Reading

Speaking of Enlightened Entrepreneurship Listen to Del Chatterson, your Uncle Ralph, on Business Talk Radio Please  tell your friends, family, and business associates to visit and listen. Click on the link:  https://businesstalkradio1.com/studio-two/  or Tune in Thursday, October 8th at 12:28 PM-EST.   @ https://tunein.com/radio/Business-Talk-Nationwide-s281640/  and the broadcast can be heard live on the day (or replayed later). 

How to be a successful Enlightened Entrepreneur   An extract from the Staples Spotlight Event, August 19th, on ENLIGHTENED ENTREPRENEURSHIP.   The full one-hour ZOOM recording is also available online with Staples at:  https://share.vidyard.com/watch/km8duQnk3bjrBsy1ZSCZwM?   You can scan quickly through the presentation to the specific slides or topics that interest you most. Enjoy the “real” experience with other participants. What is an Enlightened Continue Reading

Where did that come from? Explaining sales is hard to do As a wise marketing agency executive once said, “I know that half of our advertising works, I’m just not sure which half.” I have the same impression of my own efforts at sales and marketing. Something’s working, I’m just not sure what. So how do you keep doing what’s Continue Reading

The secrets revealed! How to be a successful Enlightened Entrepreneur Thank you for your interest in the STAPLES SPOTLIGHT EVENT , Wednesday evening, August 19th, on Enlightened Entrepreneurship.    Be a successful Enlightened Entrepreneur Have a Purpose and a Plan Avoid the Big Mistakes I wanted to follow-up with this article and also to provide the ZOOM meeting recording for your review , Continue Reading

How to be a (more successful) Enlightened Entrepreneur Two simple principles - Have a Purpose and a Plan. Avoid the Big Mistakes. Join us and learn how to be a (more successful) Enlightened Entrepreneur. Two simple principles - Have a Purpose and a Plan. Avoid the Big Mistakes. August 19th, 2020 - 7:00 PM. To learn more and register for Continue Reading

Thank you for your support during pandemic protocols Boston Pizza demonstrates Enlightened Entrepreneurship Recently tested over a pizza and a glass of wine, Boston Pizza restaurant staff showed exceptional empathy and understanding of how to be a socially responsible business and build loyal customer relationships. It started with a decision to try patio dining at a Boston Pizza restaurant on Continue Reading

Checklists for the re-start of your business after Covid-19 Good management is required now more than ever. Looking back over the past three months, you may be thinking, OK, that was painful, but it has to get better from here. For most of us, the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on our businesses were unexpected disasters and the final Continue Reading

The Magic of Entrepreneurship Demonstrated by the street vendors in Rome Find the magic of entrepreneurship. In the post-Covid-19 world you will need to be more creative, determined, flexible, responsive and persistent than ever. Be better. Do better. What entrepreneurs do best is identify an opportunity and respond to it. They observe the market, test customer response and then deliver Continue Reading

Yes, you need a Business Plan From Start-up to Exit It may seem unnecessary, uncreatively old-fashioned, boringly bureaucratic, and inappropriate for your brilliant business idea where you “dare to be different.” Nobody wants to look at a thick document full of industry jargon, market research mumbo-jumbo and spreadsheets up the ying-yang, do they?  Sorry, but yes they do. The most Continue Reading

Best Advice Ever And it still applies - Don’t Waste Time! One of the bizarre side effects of the economic shutdown and being told to self-isolate and work from home is that the pressure to be productive and meet deadlines seems to have evaporated. The sense of urgency has dissipated. Everybody is preoccupied with the pandemic and keeping themselves safe Continue Reading

Starting-up is hard to do Re-starting in a pandemic is even harder It’s time to pull out your original business plan and start re-thinking and re-writing it. Assuming you have one, I’m sure it didn’t include a contingency plan to survive a pandemic shutdown. Now you need a new plan to re-start your business in a world recovering from the coronavirus Continue Reading

Do-It-Yourself Business Plan? Yes, you can! What? Why? What is a Business Plan? What are the results you  want?   Good questions. Here are my answers. A business plan is a document that describes your idea for realizing a business opportunity. It describes the market need that you have identified and the proposed strategies and plans to turn your idea into a profitable Continue Reading

Switching from Defense to Offense Are we there yet? Do you know your Basic Defensive Interval? For a business start-up, it’s the number of weeks or months before you get to break-even cash flow. For an operating business, it’s how long can you survive a disaster without any revenue. You may have business interruption insurance or a disaster plan, but Continue Reading