Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category

The Lean Enterprise: Improving the Performance of Your Work Processes

Six Sigma. Process Re-engineering. Continuous Improvement. Total Quality Management. Entrepreneurs have been hearing about these involved methodologies for years. And yet, many entrepreneurs are very successful without implementing any of these structured approaches for improving the performance of work processes and productivity. So, why should entrepreneurs care? We answer that question in BusinessCast #154 — The Lean Enterprise.

We sit down with Richard Shaw of the EnPower Group (enpowergroup.com) as he shares with us some guiding principles (and practical tips) that all entrepreneurs can apply for developing and honing “lean” work processes — i.e. those that are as productive as possible. Since every entrepreneur wants to minimize inefficiencies, lessons from BusinessCast #154 are business essentials.

**UPCOMING EVENT FOR ENTREPRENEURS**: MarketingSherpa and MarketingExperiments are hosting a series of one-day seminars across North America. Check out the Online Marketing ROI conference (coming to Toronto in June) where you can also win an iPad.

Subscribe to the BusinessCast Podcast at iTunes


Big Lessons from Big Business

Entrepreneurs are insatiable — always striving to grow, learn and innovate. So, it’s no surprise to any BusinessCast listener that entrepreneurs find themselves leading some of the world’s most successful companies. In BusinessCast #153, we tap into one such entrepreneur: Carl Yankowski who has been CEO at Palm, Reebok and Sony Electronics — as well as holding senior positions at Polaroid, Cadbury Schweppes, Pepsi and Memorex.

As a lifelong entrepreneur himself, Carl shares his insights, great business stories and valuable lessons for entrepreneurs who want to bring exciting products to market and always be exceptional.

**UPCOMING EVENT FOR ENTREPRENEURS**: MarketingSherpa and MarketingExperiments are hosting a series of one-day seminars across North America. Check out the Online Marketing ROI conference (coming to Toronto in June) where you can also win an iPad.

Subscribe to the BusinessCast Podcast at iTunes

A Notable Entrepreneur

After gathering some key insights into today’s broad entrepreneur landscape from Intuit’s recent study in BusinessCast episode #151, Robert and I wanted to connect with a new and innovative entrepreneur to get a sense of their specific challenges. So, for BusinessCast #152, we connected with Julian Brass — the brains behind one of Canada’s fastest growing and most innovative digital businesses — Notable TV.

In BusinessCast #152 Julian shares his secrets to success and advice for budding new entrepreneurs.

**UPCOMING EVENT FOR ENTREPRENEURS**: While Julian has a handle on how to leverage online marketing to grow his business, many entrepreneurs still struggle with determining the best combination of online marketing tools for their business. To help, MarketingSherpa and Marketing Experiments are hosting a series of one-day seminars across North America. Check out the Online Marketing ROI conference (coming to Toronto in June).

Subscribe to the BusinessCast Podcast at iTunes

Understanding and Influencing People

Have you ever walked away from a discussion feeling that you really weren’t heard? How frustrating is that? After all, as an entrepreneur, you’ve got passion, boundless enthusiasm and creativity going for you — all backed up with great products or services.

Well, we’ve all been there! That’s why in BusinessCast #150, Robert and I sat down with Jeff Hendler, a unique coach and trainer who helps business leaders succeed — by helping them truly understand the different ways that targeted people process information. The result: you can adapt your message, your method of communicating, your timing, your body language, etc. — in short, all those things that will help you successfully “get through” to your targeted audience so that they can appreciate the value you bring.

Getting a handle on the psychology of how people take in and respond to information is complex. But, in BusinessCast #150, Jeff provides a handful of powerful tips that you can use now to achieve the impact you’re looking to make in your next critical meeting.

Subscribe to the BusinessCast Podcast at iTunes

eMetrics for Entrepreneurs

As business complexity increases so do the tools for measuring business success. Nowhere is that more evident in marketing — the area that remains either a measurement mystery or nightmare for most entrepreneurs. That’s why in BusinessCast #148, we sat down with Jim Sterne.

Jim is a wildly successful entrepreneur and the brains behind the eMetrics Summit. This event, now hosted in nearly a dozen countries, is regarded as the event to help entrepreneurs get a handle on online metrics. Given the importance of every entrepreneur’s online marketing efforts (i.e. email, websites, landing pages, social media, blogs, banner ads, search engine marketing, etc.), entrepreneurs deserve a resource that provides practical insights. Jim shares with us his entrepreneurial story and why the eMetrics Summit can help every business person market smarter.

**Special for BusinessCast Listeners**: You can get 15% off the attendee cost if you use the following purchase code: BCAST15.  See you at the event!

Subscribe to the BusinessCast Podcast at iTunes