Management - The Small Company Blog

Management & Entrepreneurship

5 Secret Resume Killers Every Hiring Manager Looks For

At one point or another, it has happened to all of us. An exciting job opportunity that matched our background, experience and education finally came along. And not only was the job well within our salary range, but it was a PERFECT fit for our resume—to the point we convinced ourselves “They actually wrote this job posting for ME!” So ...

6 Critical Mistakes All Small Company Managers Must Avoid

Before I get too far into this article, I need to point something out. Like hundreds of people before me, I could have used the 1,000 words that follow to declare that running a successful small company is about things like taking risks, accepting failure, multi-tasking, finding creative solutions to problems, and never accepting ‘no’ for an answer. But anyone ...

5 Survival Tips from Successful Small Company Managers

Truth be told, few things in business are more complex than running or managing a small company. While our counterparts in Fortune 500 organizations have the benefit of things like goals and job descriptions and long-term plans, the only constants small company managers have on their side are change and uncertainty. . . and a minimal amount of job security. ...

7 Reasons Your Employees Might Hate You

When you take a moment to list all of the functions involved in running a small company, it is easy to see how overwhelming entrepreneurship can be. Having to perform sales, marketing, accounting, purchasing and shipping (along with two dozen other daily tasks) requires set of skills many people simply don’t have . . . which is why most successful ...

The Key to Catching (and Passing) Your Market Leader

If there is one thing nearly universal among small company owners and managers, it is the need—and sometimes the outright obsession—to do what the market leader is doing. Whether copying a piece of their business model, matching their prices, advertising in the same places or hiring their ex-employees, the fact is most small companies spend a great deal of time ...

5 Unique Traits of Great Small Company Employees

As many of you who regularly visit this blog know, my life mission is relatively straightforward: to stop small company owners and managers from running their companies like big ones. And nowhere is it more tempting for entrepreneurs to emulate their larger counterparts than during the hiring process, where they compete directly with Fortune 1000 firms for the world’s best, ...

Myron Mixon: Business Secrets from a BBQ Entrepreneur

Being a full-time Marketing guy, part-time blogger and perpetual Historical house renovator doesn’t leave a great deal of room in my life for hobbies. That said, I always manage to set aside at least a few hours each weekend to pursue one of my favorite passions: barbecue. And not the “throw a few hotdogs and burgers on the grill” barbecue ...

The Most Alarming Trend in Small Business

As regular visitors to my blog know, I typically don’t give lectures or tell small company owners what to do. Most of my articles are written under the assumption that a) good or bad, adults can make their own decisions, and b) small business people will almost always do what is best for their organizations. But as of late, I ...

Small Company Survey: 5 Signs of a Healthy Organization

Whether you are an employee, manager, or owner of a small company, the question ”How is my company REALLY doing?” is often asked, but rarely answered. Sure, there are basic metrics like Total Revenue, Profit Margin and Employee Turnover which can paint at least part of the picture. However, all of these measures have one inherent flaw: they measure things which have already happened. So is there a way to ...

The Danger of Relying on Vendors and Consultants

A few months ago at a professional meeting, I had a chance to speak with the VP of Marketing for one of the country’s largest for-profit online Universities. The focus of our discussion was marketing strategy; or more specifically, how the company generates potential students (a.k.a. leads) to pass along to the Enrollment Counselors (a.k.a. sales team). Using their Online MBA Program as an example, ...

Five Ownership Mistakes That Kill Small Company Growth

At some point in the past 12 months, all of us have heard a friend, relative or co-worker say ”I should start my own business!” The basis of their claim is usually that they are ‘idea people,’ and obviously idea people always make GREAT small company owners . . . right? Not exactly. After 17 years of working in and with small companies, ...

A Hiring Manager’s Guide to Small Company Interviewing

When it comes to the hiring process, small company managers are used to carrying the bulk of the load. While our counterparts within the Fortune 1000 have access to things like on site recruiters, online assessments and multi-departmental search teams, small company managers rarely have the time or the patience to endure an interview process of more than two rounds. ...

The Dangers of Not Building a Shared Corporate Vision

In the early 2000s I managed the marketing department for a venture funded software development company, run by two on-site owners and a non-owner CEO. As you can imagine, the culture was hard working, fast paced, and energetic. Upon hire, all employees were given a ’starter kit’ of stock options, with the opportunity to earn additional options over time for various ...

9 Signs You’re Involved in a Pyramid Scheme

By virtue of owning a website created to help small companies, people trying to launch their own businesses are regular visitors here. Many of these soon-to-be entrepreneurs have the drive, the knowledge and the plans required to become a great success someday, which makes running this website one of the more fun and rewarding things I do with my time. But over ...

Why Do I Work for a Small Company?

For those of you who are regular visitors to this blog, you no doubt have noticed two points I often go out of my way to make: 1) that the keys to success in a small company are markedly different than in a large one; and 2) that working at a small company is more fun, more challenging, and ultimately more ...