Tag Archives: sparta

A Short Course in Numbers

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John McCarthy, computer and cognitive scientist who coined the term “artificial intelligence” stated…”he who refuses to do arithmetic is doomed to talk nonsense.”

In the next few newsletters I hope to help you through some of the numbers of business.  Recently I wrote about KPIs, Key Performance Indicators.  Many of the KPIs in business take at least a basic understanding of a few mathematical concepts.  In this article I’d like to introduce or reintroduce you to Ratio.  Don’t run – stick with me – it will be painless, I promise, and if you need more help, just call for an appointment to work on the numbers for your business. Continue reading →

Key Performance Indicators

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There is a primary problem with measurement.  You can measure a million different things.  Measure too much and you’ll drown in a sea of meaningless data.

Some measurements are more important than others.  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are measurements of the critical parts of a system.  Measurements that don’t help you make improvements to your system are worse than worthless:  they’re a waste of your limited attention and energy.  You don’t have time to pay attention to everything – just a few key measurements that actually matter. Continue reading →

11 Networking Turnoffs Entrepreneurs Make

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Many of our clients are making the commitment to network more this year to help get the word out and grow their business.  A quick review of what not to do may help make this year’s networking lead to greater results.

Upstart Business Journal posed this Up Take and question.  The responses that follow are from entrepreneurs regarding their networking experiences.

The UpTake: Networking events are an opportunity to build future relationships, not sell your product and life story. It only takes two to form a healthy business relationship, so don’t waste it by dolling out business cards after saying “hello.”

Question: What’s one common networking mistake or turnoff that you see business owners make? Continue reading →

Slow and Steady

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Which of these scenarios is more likely:

  1. A small business gets a call out of the blue and is offered a huge distribution deal – instantly growing their top line (assuming they can deliver) by 10X what it was before.
  2. A small business focuses on getting the little things right, gets a little better every day, and over the course of 3-5 years grows by 10X. Continue reading →

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions…

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Resolutions, well-intentioned as they may be, don’t have the power that goals do. Goals are resolutions with their shoes on. Goal-setting is a process to bring about change, increase success, live purposefully, and put creativity to work.

The first step is getting clear about what you want to accomplish. Amazing things can happen once you start clarifying. If you’ve never written down your goals, make time to do so soon. Take advantage of the natural energy that comes when embarking on a new year. Continue reading →

It Takes a Village

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Friday the 13th was a very lucky day for the Cumberland Business Incubator (CBI).  Pauline Sherrer, Crossville Chronicle and CBI Steering Committee member, recognized earlier this year that the CBI, as well as the businesses located within the CBI, needed to be easier to find and took the leadership role in the CBI sign project.  Pauline felt the sign should represent a local business so she and CBI Director Holly Hanson met with Cyndy and Bruce Gardner of Homestead Timber Frames and their team who designed, built and led the raising of the timber frame. Continue reading →

GIST – Great Ideas for Starting Things

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Guy Kawasaki likes to start his speeches with a top-ten list based on the topic he is speaking about.  When it comes to the list of most important things an entrepreneur must accomplish, his list has only five. Continue reading →

Fast Pitch Winners Announced!

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The Cumberland Business Incubator’s (CBI) Global Entrepreneurship Week’s final event on November 22nd provided the opportunity for 7 business owners to pitch their business plans to a crowd of family, friends and community leaders. Continue reading →

Incubation Increases Success

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Entrepreneurs have limited time, knowledge and resources.  They need to focus on what matters most to them and what they need to do better than their competitors, but the rest still needs to get done and that’s where incubators can be of great help.  Continue reading →

WELCOME to Global Entrepreneurship Week!

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What is Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)?  Check out the Kauffman Foundation sketchbook  http://www.gew.co/resources  for an overview.  GEW is 35,000 events in 125 countries around the globe – all in one week.

Global Entrepreneurship Week at the CBI concludes with FAST PITCH FINALS on Friday November 22nd at 5:30pm.  This free event is open to the public. 

Seven entrepreneurs will each pitch their business for 5 minutes and answer questions from the audience.  It’s a bit like Shark Tank, with the twist that the audience will be there to provide support and offer suggestions to help the entrepreneurs make the connections they need to succeed in their businesses.

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Continue reading →