What’s right with you is the starting point; what’s wrong with you is beside the point. (1) During this holiday season, I’d like us to begin from the right starting point: what’s right with us. Last week we passed through a liminal space—a doorway into Life provided by the unique... read more →
Nov
26
Nov
25
Most financial services professionals I know are seeking a “silver bullet” for gaining a steady stream of client referrals. Dan Allison, who keynoted at the Colorado FPA Symposium last week, interviewed thousands of the top clients of scores of financial advisors to see if he could discover that silver bullet.... read more →
Nov
24
Part 3 of 4 In April, I attended a gathering to read aloud and reflect on a Leo Tolstoy short story. The powerful tale “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” is arguably one of the greatest stories in the world of literature. Some in that room were what our... read more →
Nov
23
Everyone asks if we’re ready for Christmas. Few ask if we’re ready for the New Year. New Year’s Eve is quite pedestrian; we will amble through it and enter 2014 before we know it. To welcome the New Year, my wife and I joined long-time family friends for an evening... read more →
Nov
22
There are few surefire ways to guarantee your company will survive a bad economy, but solving the people puzzle is one of the best ways to greatly enhance your chances. What is the people puzzle? It's discerning what the people in your business are "shaped" like so you can find... read more →
Nov
21
Most businesses choose some form of incorporation whether it’s a LLC or a C-corporation. Each has individual advantages from legal and tax perspectives. What you may not know about is the untapped benefit of any form of incorporation. This benefit will help both you and your employees (more…)
Nov
20
My wife and I had the privilege of visiting Kennedy Space Center this week (see above). We were reminded that it took a special kind of person to head into space. Then it struck me: it also takes a special kind of person to own a company and fly it... read more →
Nov
19
I find that business owners, in their quiet moments of self-doubt, wonder if they will ever break out of a rut. Some of the ruts I hear about are: “I’m getting too tired (or old) to build this business.” “I don’t have the right skills to build this business.” “I... read more →
Nov
18
This week's post is co-authored by Kevin Condon, an associate of JHA. Please see his bio below. When one buys or sells a firm, there are a number of key questions to consider. The “science” relies on clear cut questions with quantifiable, or at least unambiguous, answers. The “art” relies... read more →
Nov
17
One of the hazards of this servant selling (see also Part 1 & Part 2 of this series for reference) approach is to actually violate the Golden Rule. Rather than loving our neighbor as ourselves, we can end up loving our neighbor MORE than ourselves and, in consequence, feel taken... read more →
