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Be Attractive to Your Ideal Clients to Grow Your Business

Written by Machen MacDonald

Imagine a row of trees with only one or two thriving and in full bloom. Where does your attention go? Your focus doesn’t go to the small spindly looking trees with no leaves but rather to the ones with full blossoms and leaves. Many businesses tend to cut back their marketing and wonder why they’re not attracting the business they need in order to thrive.

Scores of business owners cut off critical marketing and promotion limbs because they hallucinate they can’t afford such things in times like these.

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Create a Concise Plan for Success

Written by Machen MacDonald

Simple clear purpose in principle gives rise to complex intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple and stupid behavior.” If this quote by Dee Hock contains truth, then your business plan, game plan, or even life plan must be concise. You must plan for success.

When it comes to writing business plans, many people either numb out and don’t do it, hire someone else to do it that doesn’t know them or their business, or they attempt to create a plan for success that ends up being just a multi-page document that is an exercise in futility.

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Cannabis Businesses – Get Ready to Sit at the Bargaining Table

Written by Stephen Trimboli

Cannabis Businesses – Get Ready to Sit at the Bargaining Table

Cannabusiness. The mere utterance of this word generates excitement at the thought of the new business opportunities available. But those with visions of operating a cannabusiness in New Jersey need to be aware that other than “microbusinesses,” all licensed producers, growers, transporters and vendors will be required to enter into union agreements or face having their licenses revoked. Having a “labor peace” agreement with a labor union – that is, an agreement not to contest the union’s efforts to organize one’s workers, often in exchange for the union’s promise not to strike or picket – is a requirement for applying even for a temporary license. Once the license is granted, the licensee must maintain the labor peace agreement or enter into a collective bargaining agreement (or at least make good faith efforts to conclude such an agreement) within 200 days of opening for business. Failure to do so can result in license suspension or revocation.

Cannabusiness entrepreneurs face obstacles unique to that industry. But collective bargaining, even in a harmonious, constructive union relationship, imposes a new set of mutual rights and obligations that cannabusiness entrepreneurs may not be aware of. A short article can only skim the surface of these rights and obligations. But some key points are critical to understand.
First, an entrepreneur cannot simply begin to bargain with any union he or she chooses.

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The Common Element Among Unique and Successful Businesses

Written by Robert DePalo Jr. JD, CExP,
Director of Business Planning,
National Financial Network

Successful business owners may face a conundrum as they pursue success. “Though my competitors do something similar, they don’t do it the way I do it. So, how do I know the right way to achieve success, especially if I don’t do things their way?”

It’s a bit of a paradox: how can you build and enhance your company’s unique qualities while adhering to commonly followed best practices? The key is having a planning process. Here are some of the things you should consider to position your unique business to achieve generally agreed-upon standards of success.

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Team Dynamics: 4-Stages Model Part 1

Written by Garrett Grega

You are supervising a new team.  How can you assess your team’s ability to succeed?  What do you need to do to achieve a high-performance team?  Over 15 years ago, I was introduced to the “Four Stages Model” of career development.  While simple in construct, the “Four Stages Model” provides a powerful tool in assessing not only your personal development but the development of your team.

The “Four Stages Model” is based on the research of Harvard Professors, Gene Dalton, and Paul Thompson.  The model describes four different stages of career development:  Dependent Contributor, Independent Contributor, Coach / Mentor, and Visionary.

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6 Tips For Using LinkedIn!


Written by MerriLyn Gibbs

In our current work-from-home climate, the use of LinkedIn has become more and more important. It is a means of connecting, nurturing relationships, and promoting business and career development. Still, there also seems to be a lot of confusion on how to use it properly and what to actually "DO" with the platform.

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Thriving During COVID and Beyond

Written by Machen MacDonald

2020 into 2021 is anybody’s guess. As business owners and as citizens, the quality of our lives is in direct proportion to our ability to handle uncertainty. We can’t control situations and circumstance we find ourselves in. However, we always have the power to choose the brightest perspective.

We have a unique opportunity to build our mental and emotional strength by frequenting the G.Y.M (Guide Your Mind) each day. Philosopher Marcus Aurelius stated, “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” In this case the G.Y.M. can also mean - Guard Your Mind. Once a thought, concept, or vision, get’s in, it can be hard to get it out. Be the ultimate guardian of what you let in.

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A Few Cocktail Napkins + A Business Plan

Written by Ivy Slater

It was many years ago, I was out with some friends at a bar in New York City and we started talking about a new idea I had that would expand my business. No one knew the conversation was going to go there. We had no paper and this was before our phones had the capability to take notes, so I did the next best thing and grabbed a stack of cocktail napkins.

We borrowed a pen and started outlining ideas and ended up designing a business plan, right there, on our tiny, blank canvases.

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