| Business Articles Brad Dawson is a contributing writer to over 35 different national and international business and trade publications - with over 100 articles in active print today. |
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| "Climbing the Pyramid" Ford Motor Company couldn’t do it. General Electric came close. Microsoft continues to knock on the door. But to date, no single corporate entity has achieved corporate actualization—a sustainable plateau where a business entity fully utilizes its unique assets and market position. We are all familiar with the concept of self-actualization. A term coined by Abraham Maslow in 1943 as the ultimate level of human achievement, self-actualization is a state in which an individual fully utilizes his/her talents and creativity. Is it possible for a corporation to realize a similar level of unsurpassed achievement? Can there be such a thing as corporate actualization? Click to read the entire article |
| "Breaking the Barrier" Businesses are incredibly inefficient. Owners and staff work countless hours to squeeze out incremental increases in revenues and corresponding profits. And expensive business development schemes are devised that focus corporate growth on new customer or business acquisitions. But in reality, there is a significant level of untapped revenue and profit potential already inherent in any business. In fact, on average, businesses are only realizing 6% of their revenue potential. Click to read the entire article |
| "Common Issues that Keep Businesses From Being Exceptional" Most business owners are seeking “extraordinary” solutions to solve corporate growth issues, when in fact, there are a series of simple corrective actions that will substantially increase business revenues, profits and corporate value. These growth issues are so common that I have labelled them “business truisms” — as they seem to appear at nearly every business. Click to read the entire article |
| "The Art of Negotiation" Intense conversation, manic offers and worthy opponents in the bidding circle might, at first, conjure allusions to Sun Tzu’s Chinese masterpiece The Art of War. But any skilled contract warrior knows that the power of negotiation lies not in brute strength, but in subtle, confident strokes of word-play and monetary offers, making it more like the patient art of Chinese calligraphy. Click to read the entire article |
| "Corporate Re-Birth" The US economy is, once again, poised on the brink of recession. A faltering financial industry, escalating energy costs, and the volatility associated with Iraq all play into our economic insecurities. Businesses are experiencing delayed project starts, slower paying customers, and tighter credit restrictions. The first reaction by many has been to batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst. Click to read the entire article |
| "Protecting Your Core" The recession has had a devastating effect on the supporting functions of nearly every business. Complete corporate divisions have been eliminated. Employee benefits have eroded, leaving workers wondering how to pay for services that used to be provided by their employer. Businesses are struggling to survive and jettisoning every possible cost in favor of achieving short-term profitability. Click to read the entire article |
| "Warrior Mentality" What can today’s businesses learn from Genghis Khan, a brutal warlord? Quite a lot, says management expert Brad Dawson. You are building an empire. You go to battle every day fighting to gain marketshare, defeat your competitors, and capture new customers. The obstacles you encounter are similar to the challenges that world conquerors faced centuries ago. What principles did world conquerors use to build their empires? How can those lessons be used to further your business success? Click to read the entire article |
| "Selling Service" Most executives would agree that hiring and training salespeople is an arduous task. Despite this, many businesses continue to follow a one-size-fits-all mentality when it comes to salespeople. In fact, there is a world of difference between product sales and service sales, a difference executives tend to ignore. Click to read the entire article |
| "The Chaos Factor" The economy is in chaos. Fundamental business practices are being challenged as large, seemingly indestructible corporations and financial institutions are brought low. The playing field has changed. Have you changed your way of doing business to adapt to the ever-changing market environment? Click to read the entire article |
| "The Cost of Customer Happiness" The recession has taken another victim: customer happiness. In just a few months, customers have gone from being “coddled” individuals deserving of corporate niceties to “bothersome quacks trying to get something for nothing.” In a recent study, we found that over the last 18 months, corporations have gone from fawning over unhappy customers to realizing that the cost to retain a disgruntled individual may not be worth it during this difficult economic period. The question is: what is an unhappy customer to do? Click to read the entire article |
| "Building a Successful Customer Management Program" Congratulations! You just landed a new customer. For many electrical contractors, this is where the game ends — the culmination of an aggressive customer acquisition campaign. But stopping here could cost you. How do you reap the full revenue benefit out of this new customer? Click to read the entire article |
| "It's Time for New Inventions" It is said that chaos breeds opportunity. Given our current economic climate, there must assuredly be significant opportunities for those business owners able to capitalise on the changing conditions. The key to leveraging this chaotic economic situation is innovation – the ability to look at the current situation, visualise the future and formulate the missing pieces. Do you have what it takes to innovate out of this economic chaos? Click to read the entire article |
| "The Real Value of Your Business" The current economic climate has created the perfect storm for business acquisitions. Some owners, intent on riding out the recession, have accumulated overwhelming debt that is literally sucking any positive cash-flow out of the business. Other owners have lost their zeal to compete in this marketplace. Now is the very best time for businesses with idle cash resources to make their move. Click to read the entire article |
