If you have employees, at the heart of your business is knowing what motivates people to do great work. It turns out that over the last 50 years a group of Social Scientists all over the world have taken a very systematic look at this question. Continue reading
I attended a webinar yesterday where the presenter spoke my language! It was with John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing. Here are three questions that we should all be asking before we spend money on marketing. Once you are clear on your responses to these questions, your marketing strategy will be much more effective.
1. Why do we do what we do? Continue reading
This past week I was reminded of the concepts that Maslow described in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” – typically portrayed in the shape of a pyramid. Maslow studied what he called exemplary people such as Albert Einstein, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt and Frederick Douglass, and the healthiest 1% of the college student population. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs described that until basic needs are met, an individual will not be able to focus or be motivated toward their higher level needs. Continue reading
The Cumberland Business Incubator Maker Space is almost ready! The laser cutter is vented to the outside, mirrors are aligned, and the cutting has begun! The vinyl cutter has been cutting symbols and signs and will be cutting out our newly developed Maker Space logo next! The 3D printer is working on parts almost every day. Hand tools are in place as are the embroidery sewing machine, miter saw, router, band saw, electronics station…….and more! Don’t miss the information contained below about our Maker Space Grand Opening and Cumberland Business Incubator Open House on April 8th. Continue reading
One of the more difficult tasks our clients encounter is how to accurately measure the impact of a change in their business. Change is hard. Measuring and quantifying the full impact of the change can be even more challenging. Continue reading
The Cumberland Business Incubator (CBI) serves all types and sizes of businesses including for profit and non-profit; small, medium and large; start-up, mature and those transitioning to new ownership. Continue reading
It’s January 13th – yes, almost half of January is gone. What have you decided to do differently this year so that 2015 is not just a repeat of 2014? Hint: Some people have been in business for 10 years, but they have repeated their first year in business 9 more times because they didn’t decide to do anything differently. Don’t let this happen to you! Continue reading
I hope 2014 was a great year for you and that 2015 is all that you hope it will be. There are a few things to put on your To Do list before 2015 starts rolling too fast.
Meet with your Accountant. Have a meeting to review 2014. Review the due dates of time sensitive forms that need to be filed. Make sure you understand the financials and can explain them to a banker. If fact, it’s not a bad idea to have a face to face meeting with your banking professional – whether you have a loan out or not – and let them know how 2014 went for you. You never know when you may be back asking for a line of credit or financing for your growth. Continue reading
Grassroots Manufacturing Renaissance Spurs Entrepreneurship
Why is Roane State Community College building a Tinker Space inside the Cumberland Business Incubator? This article from The Kauffman Foundation by Jonathan Ortmans provides a few answers. Hint: A Tinker Space, like the one being developed inside the CBI, is a smaller version of a Makerspace. Continue reading
Tinker Space. It is a community workspace designed to allow those who tinker, program, invent, build, code, problem solve, and so much more, have the space and equipment needed to dream big and then turn those dreams into reality. Soon we’ll have one here in Crossville.
An open, well-lit space ready to welcome Upper Cumberland tinkers in 2015! The vision for the space is that of a co-working space/tinker space/artists’ studio where woodworkers can build, sculptors can sculpt, inventors can invent, programmers can code, quilters can quilt, and so much more. Located on the Roane State Community College campus in Crossville, the Cumberland Business Incubator (CBI) will be the home of the Tinker Space. Continue reading