What makes an effective leader? This question has been the focus of much research. A study of 195 leaders in 15 countries over 30 global organizations were asked to choose the 15 most important leadership competencies from a list of 74. The top ones were grouped into five major themes that suggest a set of priorities for leaders and leadership development programs. The top two are: Continue reading
You get what you focus on. In business, it means focusing on profit.
A business without profit will die. Being passionate about your work may keep you in the game longer, but without profit you are still losing money. You have to keep business expenses in control. There isn’t a shortcut that allows you to succeed if don’t have a clear path to profitability for your company. Every business may go through short cycles when expenses exceed income, but allowing it to happen repeatedly without making adjustments is the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over without making changes, expecting a different result. Continue reading
Not all business ideas are new!
Do you remember the era where you could sign up for a membership and every month a vinyl record was delivered right to your door? It’s that time again! Vinyl Me, Please is a record of the month club that believes in the power of the album as an art form. Each month they press an LP album exclusively for their members. It arrives with an album-inspired art print and pairing recipe. They claim to be a great way to build your vinyl collection. They highlight new artists, essential releases from artists you may never have heard of before, as well as a healthy dose of must-have reissues from decades past. If you have missed your vinyl collection and need to start one again, or need new material to add to your collection, this back-again business may be for you. www.vinylmeplease.com Continue reading
School is back in session and fall is almost in the air. That means more time for volunteer activities for many in our area. Listed below are some of the volunteer activities that we encourage you to consider: Continue reading
We’re excited! The CBI has been awarded grant funds by the Launch Tennessee Creative Communities Grants program. The Creative Communities Grant initiative was created to connect rural and underserved populations with entrepreneurial education, tools and resources. The funds will be used for a number of programs by the end of the grant period, June 30th, 2017. Continue reading
If you are a typical business owner, whether you plan for it to happen in the next year or 20 years from now, at some point you are going to either sell, transition, or simply shut down your business. If you plan to sell or transition your business one day, you should understand how the Business Valuation Scale works. Continue reading
The Cumberland Business Incubator was full of young life last week. We hosted two different youth camps – Make Camp, our 3rd annual week long camp, and Maker Girl, a special 3D printing camp for 1st grade to 6th grade girls. Continue reading
There are really only four ways to “do” something: completion, deletion, delegation, and deferment.
Completion– doing the task – is the option most people think about. If you keep a to-do list, you’re probably assuming that those tasks are all your responsibility to get done. That’s not quite true – completion is best for important tasks that only you can do particularly well. Everything else can be handled in another manner. Continue reading
We all think about Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin being true entrepreneurs before the word was even in use. But what about the other Founding Fathers?
In an 1829 book, Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich we learn more. As it turns out, most of those who signed the Declaration of Independence were entrepreneurs. Continue reading
On a bicycle wheel the hub and spokes are critical components, though one is clearly more significant than the other. If one spoke breaks, the bike will still function, but if the hub fails, it’s all over. The ability for the wheel to spin is dependent on the hub. Continue reading