The File by Piling System of Clutter

File by Piling System
The “file by piling system” found in many small businesses is a common method for keeping some semblance of order. Unfortunately, this is an unconscious way of putting things off. Consequently, when a business has no system of cleanliness to ensure the daily return of...

The Unfortunate Myths in Business

Unfortunate Myths
The unfortunate myths believed by countless business owners and managers dictate the way many small businesses operate. Regrettably, these mythologies take root in the minds of small business owners and are difficult to remove. In fact, these myths tend to act as...

The Starting from Scratch Syndrome

Starting from scratch Syndrome
The Starting from Scratch Syndrome is a propensity for trying to reinvent the wheel. Clearly, it’s wasting time and effort duplicating something that already exists. From our vantage point, working with countless small business owners, this syndrome manifests in...

Despising the Day of Small Things

Day of Small Things
Are you a “Big-Picture” person? Many business professionals would say “yes,” implying that the mundane details of business processes are NOT for them. “That’s for others to cope with!” they say. However, since many owners despise ANY day of small things, crucial...

Prepare for Success

Prepare for Sucess
Small business owners whose primary focus is growth often overlook the most critical aspect of building a prosperous company with a peaceful environment. Like the old adage, “the dog that caught the car,”  business owners need to prepare for success, in case a massive...

The Untapped Profit in Process Waste

Untapped Profit in Process Waste
Most small businesses have little to no clue, concerning the amount of untapped profit in process waste that’s all around them. Unfortunately, tapping into process inefficiencies and fine-tuning them systematically is foreign to most business owners. The reason is...

Business Owner’s Island of Isolation

Island of Isolation
Marooned on an “island of Isolation” is a lonely, desolate place where many small business owners strand themselves. For over twenty years, we’ve had the honor of speaking to countless small business owners around the globe. Unfortunately, we are no longer surprised...

An Epiphany of Business Excellence

Epiphany of Business Excellence
As an owner, struggling to keep order with a small business during the early 1990’s, an epiphany of business excellence came to me, unexpectedly. A concerned friend handed me a business book, explaining “why most small businesses don’t work.” Undoubtedly, it was...

Ending the ISO Management Nightmare

ISO Management
Many Quality Managers and business owners agree that managing ISO for small business is a nightmare!. Why? For the simple reason, most ISO management is performed manually; therefore, time-consuming. Moreover, managing ISO’s corrective actions, preventative actions,...

Working for a “Well Done!”

Working for a well done
Most people hope to hear “Well done!” believing they have done a good job at something. However, even working and doing your best, may find you disappointed. Why? Not all owners and supervisors have the same management and/or social skills. Truth is, in many cases,...

Conditional Logic – If-Then-Else

Conditional Logic
Conditional Logic, simply put, is… if X happens, then what should be the next step? Moreover, what are ALL the next logical steps necessary to ensure compliance, and complete processes without errors? i.e., IF such-and-such happens, THEN what’s next, and then what...

Your Talent is Your Authority

Your Talent is Your Authority
Everyone is born with a talent unique to them! However, too few develop that talent to its fullest potential. Simply because, they never grasp the concept, “Your talent is your authority.” Consequently, by not developing their special talent, they pass their allotted...

It’s Time to Change Your Tune

Time to Change Your Tune
Over the years, as systems analysts for software, we have heard countless business owners claim to be too busy to work ON their business. Nevertheless, they say, “Just as soon as things slow down we’re going to implement written systems and build an operations...

Mystery of the Missing Step

Mystery of the Missing Step
The mystery of the missing step manifests itself by a sudden rash of telephone calls, emails and texts. Whereby, management and employees involved with the process of producing services and/or products all attempt to solve its mystery and ramifications. All this...

Business Order is From God

“Business order is from God!” The reply came from a resident of Orange City, Iowa. While visiting that Dutch settlement, where a musical play my wife Susan and her sister Donna wrote was being performed, we were extremely impressed by the cleanliness and order we saw...