Recent Articles from Larry Turner
How change can keep your business thriving
Change seems to be a way of life today, regardless of how the economy is doing. Changing regulations, changing competition and technological advances, among other things, have required executives to transform their businesses in one way or another on what seems like a constant basis. The days where you could develop a business plan and […]
Realigning with your strengths
Integrity Electrical Solutions (www.integrityele.com) emerged from the ashes of the abrupt closure in early 2010 of McBride Electric. A Denver-area icon since the late 1960’s, McBride had offices in 11 cities nationwide. A successful business model of being a premier electrical service provider that built McBride’s reputation had given way to a mid-2000’s change of targeting [&h[...]
A recession success story
Intertech Plastics, Inc. is an example of how a mid-sized manufacturing firm proactively managed their business through the recession to exit an even stronger company. They made some gutsy decisions to invest in their business through regular strategy sessions, investment in technology, and careful management of expenses. Intertech Plastics is a mid-sized local manufacturer of […]
How one company weathered the storm
Many companies have had to manage out of difficult financial situations the past three years. Proto-Tel, Inc., , is an example of how a small manufacturing firm returned to pre-recession revenue levels. Their revenue was down 38 percent in 2009 from 2008, and they needed to make change quickly to preserve cash, grow sales and […]
How to identify your ideal customers
How do you answer the question, “Who are your customers?” Many of the businesses we work with typically answer with a very broad and vague description, and their marketing reflects their answer. Even those companies that can more sucinctly articulate what their ideal customer looks like rarely implement this into their sales and marketing activities. A […]
A recession success story
Many companies have had to reinvent themselves over the past three years. Mail Masters is an example of how one small firm transformed itself and is seeing the benefits of making change. Their business was down 45 percent in sales in 2009 from 2008, and they needed to make change quickly to preserve cash, grow […]
Keep your eye on the ball
This last weekend, we played a Ryder Cup format tournament, and during one of the rounds my partner and I played against a high handicap golfer who historically played at or above his handicap. During our match, this guy was phenomenal, hitting great shot after great shot and making most of his putts. He played […]
Collaboration vs. isolation
The typical model of growth for most small- and medium-sized companies is to do it on their own. Develop a new product, sell the next vertical market solution, or just continue doing what they have done in the past. This will generate sales, but in most cases it will be a slow increase. Many businesses […]
Doing more with less
We recently hosted a business leader roundtable to discuss the topic of “Doing more with less,” and the conversation was one that I think every business owner or leader of an organization can appreciate. Not surprisingly, all the business leaders in our group have had to step up their activity and run their business with […]
The halfway point: Break out of your rut
We are just about half way through the year, a good time to reflect on your progress to goals set in January. Early in the year, I spoke with a number of business owners who were looking to change what they did on a daily basis to break out of the sales rut they got in […]
The secret to great business networking
Many businesses find success in growing their company through networking. Being at events and meetings where your potential clients are hanging out is the holy grail of business development. Sometimes you have to focus on finding potential partners to create a networking relationship and expand your reach through them. Good networking partners take time to […]
Admit it: You need help
I went on a ski trip recently with a group of 7 other people. I am a decent intermediate skier, but have not skied bumps in over 30 years and even then I wasn’t very good. The others in the group were all advanced skiers. We made a few runs on groomed hills and then […]