You'll recall my recent post about the anticipated changes and expansion of small business lending. Now it's possible that two of the stimulus programs may expire ... BEFORE any new ones take their place. This includes the most popular provisions that allowed the SBA to drop their fees and to…
Finding ways to get things done more simply is an elusive target for most of us. Forbes magazine recently carried an article in which Ron Ahskenas, a managing partner at Robert H. Schaffer & Associates, a Stamford, Ct. management consulting firm, talked about three key ways to get more done…
Despite all the recent publicity about the SBA's "helping hand" to small business, recent reports tell another story. Loan volume in dollars is down $3.6 billion, around 27%, and 25,000 fewer businesses have been served this year. Pretty woeful record when programs to support Wall St. and the banking industry…
There's no better time to re-examine our assumptions about what works and what doesn't. How many times have we seen the power of unconventional thinking (quit using the tired "out of the box" thinking metaphor) ... and how frequently have our traditional beliefs been skewered as a result?Here's a story…
Gretchen Morgenson, a NY Times columnist, reports that shareholders are speaking out more than ever as they seek to hold directors accountable. It's a welcome trend, as we know that too many directors are really just cronies of the owners and don't provide the unbiased, independent feedback that's expected of…
I have frequently cited the weekly Corner Office series that appears in the Sunday NY Times. This week's interview is with Lloyd Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs. In his interview, he emphasizes the critical importance of communicating regularly with employees. While this might get more emphasis during challenging times like…
One of the common issues I face in working with CEO's and other business leaders is the resistance we all have to making tough decisions. Usually, they're decisions that we have already made but haven't been willing to execute. They're things that we know are right but we fear the…
Disappointing sales are the number-one problem afflicting America's small businesses, and few business owners expect consumers to start spending again any time soon, according to the National Federation of Independent Business's latest monthly survey of its membership. As we know, sales declines have also forced businesses to shut down. In…
Many of you have seen the drop in layoffs recently ... but they're increasingly accompanied by pay cuts. We've commented here before about the value of that approach for companies seeking to adjust to the Great Recession while doing everything possible to keep their best people. This Wall St. Journal…