The most frequently asked question, and five most commonly used words in systems integration: “Why Did We Do That?!” I’ll tell you why you probably did it. We don’t have a very good method of documenting lessons learned or repeat mistakes on projects in this industry. Read the full article…
I asked a new friend of mine today what he did for a living. His answer: “I make mistakes for a living.” When you think about it, anyone who owns a business has a track record of making mistakes. Anyone who works in a self-directed occupation does the same. Mistakes, when not repeated, are how Read the full article…
For my 100th blog post, I thought I would share 100 of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from my mentors, advisors, business experts, and industry leaders, as well as my own experiences over the past several years. Here we go … You can never be prepared enough for a natural disaster that interrupts business. Read the full article…
Because NSCA members are primarily small business owners, we tend to complain about uncertainty, and we don’t like surprises. Let’s stop complaining (at least about these facts): Here are 10 things you can be absolutely certain about in 2014. 1. Technology will continue to advance rapidly, making it more difficult to keep up with change. Read the full article…
NSCA has been fortunate to partner with David Perkins and the Business Owner Journal for more than a decade. David just published his last Business Owner Journal, and will now concentrate efforts on his consulting business. This publication, which our members received every other month as part of their membership benefits, has truly helped systems Read the full article…
I’ve been on several member visits this fall already, and have been around some of our very best business leaders as part of my travels. Without exception, I’m seeing more frazzled and worn-out people. Even the very best companies are working harder and struggling to show good profitability. Even the companies with record sales and Read the full article…
It’s time once again to start looking at budgeting and forecasting for next year’s business. Likewise, bankers are also evaluating their 2013 books of business and their loan portfolios for 2014. Many NSCA members have experienced that all-too-familiar call from the bank, with a message about re-evaluating revolving line of credits and assessing the preferred Read the full article…
No one can make more excuses than I can on being too busy to take a class or learn about a new approach. I did, however, just sit through a four-hour financial course on increasing profitability for systems integrators. It was great, and I am quite proud of my level of concentration. I also learned Read the full article…
The long awaited national healthcare program, Obamacare, is finally upon us. Many companies have already made plans to either a.) stay the course b.) reduce the number of full-time employees, or c.) simply calculate the costs associated with providing medical insurance and add that amount to wages as they discontinue offering this through their business. Read the full article…
surprising number of well-established business owners don’t know what to do when they get to work. This may seem odd, but it’s becoming all too common. To set a good example they arrive early, work long hours and then lock up at the end of a long day. Learning a new routine is a problem Read the full article…
