The Wealthy Business - by EnergizeGrowth

What's your "Blueprint?" Join us for Webinar - September 14

You may blame today’s services growth challenges on the “new normal.” Yet many services firms are thriving in spite of tight credit, cost-conscious clients, and escalating competition. What do they have in common? A practical, easy to understand growth plan and a system for consistently promoting their brand. 

Do you have a similar blueprint to succeed and thrive… or are you leaving your fate in the hands of a few good clients to keep your teams billable?

Stop Focusing on Your Core?

Forbes columnist Adam Hartung just posted a provoactive article entitled "Stop Focusing on Your Core Business."

Have I grabbed your attention yet?

He implies that markets are changing faster than ever, and focusing on our core business forces us to lose our ability to innovate. He also boldly asserts that we have been sold a bill of goods from Tom Peters, Jim Collins, and other experts who have encouraged business leaders to focus on their core competencies.

Now is your chance to weigh in on this. What is your opinion?

(P.S. read the comments section on Forbes.com for my viewpoint).

copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell.  All rights reserved.

WOOF! Branding and Innovation Guidance from a Local Dog

Last September, BendBroadband CEO Amy Tykeson and her team made a bold move. In the midst of servicing one of the most economically challenged markets in the United States -- Central Oregon -- Tykeson and her team "em-barked" on a re-branding strategy.

Nearly a year has passed. Today, they boast the premier local IT service provider spot, and have preserved their profits in a price-conscious, pit bull industry.

 

Ten Ways to Celebrate your Recession Independence

My husband and I are enjoying a week filled with networking, socializing and house hunting in the Washington, D.C. area. We are also excited about celebrating Independence Day in our nation's capitol.

What strikes me is the dogged dismissal towards the recession among the local business leaders.  I attended an event hosted by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. And the positive outlook was downright infectious. 

Some of you may think that the D.C. metro area economy resembles a bubble. I am about to prove you wrong.

New Podcast: What Every B2B Firm Must Do NOW to Grow

I was just interviewed by RainToday's Editor, Michelle Davidson.We discussed what every firm must do now to re-ignite business growth this year. In this 20 minute conversation, you will hear:

• The two biggest reasons that B2B business owners lose their passion to grow
• How to re-ignite growth in a difficult economy
• Low-cost ways every B2B company can implement to expand client impact and revenues

Click here and download the podcast, or listen on iTunes.

P.S. Be sure to share your comments here. Let me know what you think!

Copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

39 Minutes to Improve Your G.R.O.W. Formula - Listen Now

I was just interviewed by Chicke Fitzgerald, Founder of the Executive Girlfriends Group.

Feel free to listen to this conversation to hear:

• Why the definition of wealth has shifted in the past decade
• Why most business executives feel drained when it comes to marketing and planning - and how to get unstuck
• Four G.R.O.W. strategies that will help your B2B business thrive in these volatile times

Click here to download (39 minutes).

Many thanks to Chicke and her community for hosting this live event.

copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell.  All rights reserved.

Six Questions to Conquer the Growth Woes of Women-Owned Businesses

I read Monday's article in The Wall Street Journal new research which reveals that women-owned businesses are alot smaller than men-owned companies. The author, Sharon Hadary, claims that "the differences between women and men begin with their own reasons for starting a business."

What role are our current education systems playing in encouraging women to play small, and how do we break free from that limiting paradigm?

 
Sharon Hadary and Chris Vaugh (courtesy HerStartup) 

Got Growth? A Webinar You Can't Miss - May 27

A recent global survey published by the Conference Board revealed that CEOs are (finally) shifting their focus to growth. They discovered that the 2008 top priorities--namely worries about global economic performance, business confidence, geofinancial instability, and integrity of capital markets--dropped precipitously to the bottom of the list.

Now is the time to shift YOUR focus to growth. Together with my sponsor, Renaissance Executive Forums, I will show you how.

Please join me on May 27, 2010 from 8am-8:50 am PT, 11-11:50 am ET for "Four Strategies to Energize Growth and THRIVE in the Recovery."

Based on my worldwide research of innovative CEOs and my recent client successes, I will
show you the G.R.O.W. Formula - a proven, customer-centric model to help you:

• Develop new marketing & business growth strategies
• Capitalize on hidden opportunities
• Generate innovative thinking to expand your solution options
• Challenge you to exceed higher goals

If you are serious about building a sustainable, healthy business, please join us.  Get ready for this action-packed, high-energy session.

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/472278864

As you know, I seldom lead pro bono CEO sessions. This is a rare opportunity to bring your questions, gain new ideas, and refine your action plan for the remainder of 2010. I hope you won't miss it.

Here is the link again:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/472278864

"See" you on the webinar!

Three Ways to Royally Defend Your Brand

You have to hand it to the Swedish Royal Family.  They know how to build and defend their brand fortress amidst the cynical masses. And today's organizations, faced with similar wary tribes, can learn from their innovative marketing strategies.

While Magnus and I visited our family in Stockholm last week, we serendipitously chose to stay in Gamla Stan (Old Town) on the exact day of King Carl Gustav's 64th birthday. We spent hours wandering the museums, observing crowds, and basking in 800 years' worth of historical symbols. To top it off, I caught a glimpse of HRH Carl Gustav marching across the Palace courtyard. (see below). That's where the branding campaign started to reveal itself.

 

The Impact of Google’s China Syndrome on Your Business Strategy

In the 1979 award-winning thriller, "The China Syndrome," a reporter (Jane Fonda) and cameraman (Michael Douglas) discovered safety violations at a nuclear power plant.  The term "China Syndrome" reflected the belief that if an American nuclear reactor plant experiences a meltdown, the core will melt through the earth until it reaches China.  (Suspend your disbelief for a moment--we all know that the opposite side of the globe is actually the Indian Ocean).

It may appear that Google is experiencing a business strategy crisis right now--but they are actually averting a global commercial meltdown in the long term. Here’s why.

 
 

The core of any organization is defined by its values. Our values determine the way we run our lives as well as how we do things at work.  When companies are not living their core values, they have no safety net.  They are inviting a meltdown of trust, repute, and long-term viability.  When they defend their core values, they create a more temporary, less threatening challenge: controversy.   

Google's China Syndrome underscores three important reminders: