Leadership

Cogster / Entrepreneurship / For Businesses / Leadership / Local — No Comments
8
Jun 10

Susquehanna Business Life

Cogster is a big fan of Susquehanna Business Life, a Central Pennsylvania business magazine originating from the part of the State where I grew up. The magazines feature articles telling fascinating stories about thriving Central PA businesses, ranging from start-ups to family-run enterprises that have been around for generations.

I enjoy flipping right to the Publisher’s Letter every time I receive a new issue. It is written by Erica Shames, a rather impressive and energetic force in the Susquehanna Valley. While I’ve not yet met her, I’ve heard great things about Erica from many colleagues who know the area and her work.

A recent issue caught my eye. Erica’s message to business owners: get back out and sell. Erica acknowledges the last year-and-a-half of economic challenges and shares her own story of having to force herself to get away from her passion for writing and focus on the immediately important task of “selling” advertising and reinforcing client relationships. Moreover, Erica goes on to ask, “Who better to be the face of a company than the passionate owner whose entrepreneurial spirit…., and hard work…, propelled the company where it is today.”

Right on. She’s right. Sales and business development cannot be delegated. Not now; not in this economy.

For fun articles and other words of wisdom for small business owners in Central PA, check out Susquehanna Business Life.

Cogster / Leadership / Local — No Comments
25
May 10

Our local Ace is the Place… for great customer service

If you haven’t seen the Cogster Truck just yet, well, you’re in for a treat. I spent a ton of time readying it (Link to Episode #7) for the Summer of Cogster, and I had one huge ally with me every step of the way: our local Ace Hardware store. A gentlemen by the name of Grant Rosenberger not only owns the place, but also showcases one of the best customer service operations I’ve ever seen. Seriously, I walked in there about 11 times during the last 3 weeks and every single time I received personal attention and a guided tour directly to each nut, bolt, and tool I needed to find. Now, I’ll admit, I don’t know much about hardware or building stuff. But I do know first-class customer service when I see it. Every single team member of Grant’s staff is friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and motivated to help you find what you need and get you back to your project. One day, I walked in and as Jim was helping me find something, I saw Grant explaining how to program a TV remote control to a charming lady who clearly doesn’t use electronics that often. But, there was Grant, explaining and repeating each step, as if it was the most important customer of the month.

I admire that. I was so impressed by it, I spoke with Grant directly about his business and congratulated him on his environment of outstanding service. Turns out, ACE Hardware is a retailer-owned cooperative, meaning that Grant, along with others like him in their respective local areas, own shares of the cooperative. This gives Grant the ability to tailor his store to the local market he serves. This isn’t just fabulous for me and the rest of the folks who live on the South Atherton side of town, this is great for the entire Centre Region. Personal attention. Special treatment. First-class service. Every time you shop. Thanks Grant, and thanks for bringing back good old fashioned customer service to the hardware business.

For more information, keep your eye out for the upcoming Town & Gown, which will profile Grant’s operation and team.

For Businesses / Leadership — No Comments
2
Feb 10

The 2 Pieces of Effective Budgeting

As all businesses close out the books on 2009, we now start the process of having to “stick” to the budgets we’ve set for ourselves in 2010.  You know the drill:  whether you own a business or work for one, there are budgets for everything.  Sales, expenses, revenues, costs – everything. And, in this challenging economy, no matter who you are, you’ve probably felt the pain at one point or another.

It’s that point where budgets don’t get met and the boss gets upset.  Travel gets cut, training goes away, and marketing budgets get slashed.  Meanwhile, sales budgets increase, gross margin expectations soar, and everyone straps themselves in for a rollercoaster ride.

budgeting
[image credit: wonderaround]

But as we begin the first quarter of 2010, let’s remind ourselves why we budget.  Budgets are a management tool.  They’re designed for leaders to properly allocate resources to accomplish necessary tasks.  Budgets allow us to measure by using benchmarks and milestones.  Why is it, then, that some organizations always fail to meet their budgets, over and over?

The answer:  The best businesses in 2010 understand that the two pieces of an effective budget process include both 1) creating the budget, and, 2) executing the budget.

How many times have you witnessed a situation where the budget that was created included too many lofty goals that even the best performers could not attain?  Conversely, how many times have you seen an organization fail to meet a defined budget simply because those who were charged with executing it neglected to manage, adjust, realign, and react effectively to the encounters they faced along the way?

Both are equally important.  That’s the secret.  And, in a way, that’s leadership.

  • Number 1:  Create a budget that is realistic, tied to objectives, and attainable given certain resources.
  • Number 2:  Execute that budget by resourcing it appropriately, checking it consistently, and adapting to contingencies quickly.  The best companies will do both of these in 2010.

And remember, the term “budget” could be a “goal”, but a “goal” is not necessarily a “budget.”

Cogster / Leadership / Motivation — No Comments
28
Dec 09

Gettin’ Hot in 2010

2010 is a big year for Cogster.com.  And we can’t wait!  We are so excited to spread the word about this exciting new opportunity and how Cogster can help towns prosper all across America.  The Cogster team is committed to helping local businesses raise capital and enhance marketing.

One of my favorite books is called “How to Become CEO” by Jeffrey J. Fox.  I’ve kept this book by my desk ever since I was a young US Army Officer serving at Fort Hood, Texas.  The book offers a collection of rules for rising to the top of any organization.  I have many favorites, but for 2010, my favorite vignette is number 63, titled “The Concept Doesn’t Have to be Perfect, but the Execution Does.”

Rule 63: Get Hot

So, here’s to 2010.  It’s time to get hot.  Whatever role you play in your town, focus on execution.  Just get out there and make good things happen.  And, wherever you are, Cogster can help.

Cogster / Entrepreneurship / Leadership — No Comments
16
Nov 09

Leadership and Entrepreneurial Spirit in the Workplace

One of my best friends once told me, “The best time to start a new business is in a down market.”  Derek Six and I founded Cogster.com earlier this year, and the experience has been quite challenging in this difficult economy.  But already, we can tell you it has been one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives.  A few weeks ago, Derek and I had the chance to discuss the exciting hurdles we’ve overcome in launching this start-up as well as the passion we share for helping local businesses prosper.  We joined a good friend named Ken Pasch (info below) in the WBLF-AM studio to discuss Cogster and how it helps the local economy:

Click here to listen.

Unlock Your Potential, hosted by Kenneth Pasch, instructor in accounting and management at Penn State, airs on WBLF-AM at 10 a.m. on Saturdays.  The program addresses leadership issues and engaging the entrepreneurial spirit in the workplace. For more information, please visit: www.kivisions.com

Leadership / Motivation — No Comments
10
Nov 09

Motivating the Troops

As a leader, sometimes I think employees just need a little motivation. I find that the right combination of the internet and spontaneity can mix just right to provide an effective pep talk. This, in turn, makes the routine staff meetings fun, the tensions between co-workers ease, and creates a comfortable environment for introducing a new task. It’s no big secret, either — it’s just YouTube.

Some of the all-time best pep talks can be found on YouTube. My favorite, when I really need to fire up the troops, comes from Al Pacino in the movie, Any Given Sunday. Listen to the words. Watch the players’ faces as the coach speaks. Let the music pull you into that locker room.

In order to get people really fired up to move in a direction, they have to have meaning. They have to feel that they are part of something truly great. They need to know their specific role and how it fits into accomplishing the team’s goal.

There are times when movies can remind us of how we fit into our place in the world. I love this clip. Sometimes I watch it to fire myself up. And, sometimes, I even call time-out during a routine staff meeting, turn off the lights, and play this clip for my team.

Let’s all get fired up to help our local communities prosper. Cogster.com